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Last Reviewed: December 10, 2025

Add a Site

Create or migrate a site on Pantheon.

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There are dozens of ways to add a site on Pantheon. This section covers the most common scenarios for new users: creating a new CMS site (a site running WordPress or Drupal), or migrating an existing WordPress or Drupal site. For additional scenarios, see the Adding a Site to Pantheon section at the end of this document.

Create a New CMS Site

Pantheon CMS site contains three components: code, files, and a database containing the content and configurations of your Content Management System (CMS). When you create a site, you are creating each of these components in the Dev environment. Then, when you are ready, you will create your Test and Live environments.

Create the Dev Environment

To create a CMS site:

  1. Go to the workspace and select the Create New Site button:

    Create new site button

  2. Select WordPress or Drupal.

    Select CMS

    If you select Drupal, you will have the option to select the Drupal version you want to use.

    Select Drupal version

  3. Enter the following information and click Continue:

    • Sitename
    • Select a region for this site.
    • If this site is to be part of a Professional Workspace, select a Workspace from Choose a Workspace for the Site.

    Enter site information

  4. The deployment process begins. It can take several minutes to create a new site on Pantheon.

    Deploying a new site

    Note

    You can navigate away from this page during this process, but later, you'll have access the site via the Sites tab in your Workspace.

  5. Click Go to site dashboard when the process is complete.

    Site creation completed

You've now created the core portion of your Dev environment; now you have to install the CMS.

Install the CMS

  1. Click Site Admin. The Site Admin button

  2. You will be presented with either a Drupal or WordPress setup screen. You may also see an interstitial warning message when visiting an environment for the first time. Drupal and WordPress installation screens.

  3. Enter the information on the screen, and when done, return to the browser tab containing your Site Dashboard.

    Note

    Be sure to record your new username and password. You will use this to log in to your CMS in all environments (Dev, Test, Live).

You have successfully finished adding a site in its Dev environment. Click Visit Dev Site to view your site.

Create the Test environment

To create your Test environment:

  1. Go to the Site Dashboard.

  2. Click the Test tab, then click Initialize Test Environment to create your Test environment.

    Initializing the test environment

    This takes a few moments.

  3. Go to the Database / Files tab and select the following:

    • From this Environment: Development
    • Clone Database: Checked
    • Clone Files: Checked

  4. Click Clone the Database & the Files from Development into the Test Environment.

    Cloning Dev to Test

You have successfully finished adding a site in its Test environment. Click Visit Test Site to view your site.

Create the Live environment

After you purchase a plan, you can deploy your site live. But first, you have to create the Live environment.

Warning

When you complete this step, your site will be live for anyone to see, at the Pantheon URL. For detailed information about launching your site, refer to our Launch Essentials guide.

To create your Live environment:

  1. Go to the Site Dashboard.
  2. Click the Live tab.
  3. Click Initialize Live Environment to create your Live environment.

Initialize live environment

  1. Go to the the Database / Files tab and select the following:

    • From this Environment: Development
    • Clone Database: Checked
    • Clone Files: Checked

  2. Click Clone the Database & the Files from Test into the Live Environment.

    Clone test to live

  3. Type "CLONE" and then click Overwrite This Environment when prompted to confirm you want to go live.

    Confirm cloning

You have successfully finished adding a site in its Live environment. Click Visit Live Site to view your site.

At this point, you have a live site with a Pantheon URL, like http://my-site.pantheonsite.io/. To change that to a more friendly URL, you'll need to purchase a domain from a DNS provider. Refer to our Domains on Pantheon Guide for more information.

Migrate an Existing Site

If you already have a site hosted elsewhere, you can move it over to Pantheon with minimal effort.

Warning

If your migration needs include any of the following, do not use this process, and instead refer to the specified documentation:

Before you Begin

  1. Check your plugins and/or modules against Drupal Modules Known Issues and WordPress Known Issues.

  2. Make sure your code is compatible with the latest recommended version of PHP for your CMS. If not, be prepared to adjust PHP versions.

  3. Remove unneeded code, database tables, and files.

Perform the Migration

The recommended way to migrate WordPress sites from another host is to use the Pantheon Migration plugin, developed by BlogVault.

Watch: Guided WordPress Migrations

  1. Open your Personal or Professional Workspace dashboard and select the Migrate Existing Site button on the lower right side of the page:

    Migrate site button

  2. Select WordPress:

    Enter URL and select CMS

    Then enter your existing production URL for the site you want to migrate (e.g., example.com) and click Continue:

    Enter URL

  3. Enter the name of your new Pantheon site, select a workspace for the site (optional), and click Create Site:

    Site creation form for WordPress migrations prompting user to input site name and associated workspace

    When a workspace is selected, you will be prompted to confirm your selection. Review your selection and when ready click Confirm in the popup to continue:

    Confirmation prompt for workspace selection during site creation in the dashboard

  4. Click Generate Machine Token and re-authenticate if prompted:

    Begin process of installing plugin

    Copy the token to your clipboard now or in the following step. Click the Continue to Migration button.

  5. Click Go to wp-admin, and a new tab will open for your WordPress admin dashboard. Do not close the Pantheon Site Dashboard tab in your browser.

    Install on /wp-admin

  6. Log into your existing site as an admin, the button from the above step sends you directly to our plugin page. Click Install Now, then click Activate.

    Install migration plugin on WordPress

  7. Copy and paste your machine token and site name from the Pantheon Site Dashboard into the plugin form:

    Copying and pasting info

    You will see a new page where BlogVault validates the information provided (site name and token), then updates once the migration is in progress and updates once again when completed. You'll also receive an email upon migration completion.

    Migration successful

  8. Go back to the Pantheon tab and click Confirm migration progress. Your site's dashboard appears.

Note

The WordPress Native PHP Sessions plugin is automatically installed during the migration process. For more details on this plugin, see WordPress and PHP Sessions.

You have successfully migrated a site to its Dev environment!

Now it's time to purchase a site plan in preparation for launching your site.

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