Add a Site
Create or migrate a site on Pantheon.
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
To create a CMS site:
Go to the workspace and select the yellow Create New Site button on the lower right side of the page.
Select WordPress or Drupal.
If you select Drupal, you will have the option to select the Drupal version you want to use.
Enter the name and 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. Click Continue. It can take several minutes to create a new site on Pantheon.
Info:NoteYou can navigate away from this page during this process, but later, you'll have to go to the Sites tab to access your site. If possible, stay on this tab to simplify accessing the site when the creation is complete.
Click Visit your Pantheon Site Dashboard when the process is complete.
At this point, you have a Dev environment for your site code, but you do not have a Dev environment for your CMS. To create that:
Click Site Admin.
You will be presented with either a Drupal or WordPress setup screen.
Enter the information on the screen, and when done, return to the browser tab containing your Site Dashboard.
Info:NoteBe 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!
Migrate an Existing Site
If you already have a site hosted elsewhere, you can move it over to Pantheon with minimal effort.
If your migration needs include any of the following, do not use this process, and instead refer to the specified documentation:
The site or site archive is greater than 500MB: Manually Migrate Sites to Pantheon
You are migrating a site that is only on your local machine: Manually Migrate Sites to Pantheon
You are using Drupal version 9 or higher, or are moving a Drupal site and want to upgrade to the latest version of Drupal:
Your site is Composer-managed: Migrate a Composer Managed Drupal Site from Another Platform or Import Drush Site Archives with Terminus
Your site is not Composer-managed: Migrate a Drupal Site from Another Platform
You are using WordPress Multisite: Manually Migrate Sites to Pantheon
You are using WordPress and don't want to install the plugin required for migration: Manually Migrate Sites to Pantheon
Before you Begin
Check your plugins and/or modules against Modules and Plugins with Known Issues.
Make sure your code is compatible with the latest recommended version of PHP for your CMS. If not, be prepared to adjust PHP versions.
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
Open your Personal or Professional Workspace dashboard and select the Migrate Existing Site button on the lower right side of the page.
Enter your current website URL, select WordPress, and click Continue.
Enter the name of your new Pantheon site, select a workspace for the site (optional), and click Create Site.
Select Generate Machine Token and re-authenticate if prompted.
Select Install on /wp-admin. A new tab will open with your WordPress CMS for your existing site. Keep the Pantheon tab open in your browser.
Search for and install the plugin.
Click Activate.
Go back to the browser tab containing your Pantheon dashboard, copy the machine token from the Pantheon Dashboard, then go back to the WordPress Dashboard on your existing site. Paste the machine token and the site name, and click Migrate.
When the migration is complete, the Migration completed successfully page appears.
You will also receive an email when the migration completes.
Go back to the Pantheon tab and click Confirm migration progress. Your site's dashboard appears.
The WordPress Native PHP Sessions plugin is automatically installed during the migration process. For more details on this plugin, see WordPress and PHP Sessions.
The recommended way to migrate Drupal sites from another host is to use drush ard (Drush 8 or 11) to create an archive that can be easily imported.
Open your Personal or Professional Workspace dashboard and click the Migrate Existing Site button.
Enter your current website URL, select Drupal 7 or Drupal 8, and click Continue.
Enter the name of your new Pantheon site, select a workspace for the site (optional), and click Create Site.
Follow the instructions to Create an Archive of Your Existing Site With Drush:
The Dashboard instructs you to put the archive on your existing website, but you can put the site archive on Dropbox, S3, or any number of other places. The important thing is that you have a site archive that can be downloaded via a publicly accessible URL.
Click Continue Migration
Paste the publicly accessible URL to a download of your site archive on the right side of the page. If you are using a Dropbox URL, change the end of the URL from
dl=0todl=1so we can import your site archive correctly. Click Import Archive.
Click Visit the Site Dashboard from the Site Dashboard on Pantheon after the import is complete.
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.
More Resources
- Migrate a Composer Managed Drupal Site from Another Platform
- Import Drush Site Archives with Terminus
- Migrate a Drupal Site from Another Platform
- Manually Migrate Sites to Pantheon
- Create a Static Site Using an Empty Upstream
- Create a Drupal Site Using a Drupal Distribution
- Using Terminus to Create and Update Drupal Sites on Pantheon
- Create a WordPress Site with Terminus and WP-CLI