Issue with cloning

[SternerAgency]

Hello,

I’m experiencing a recurring issue with Local WP’s cloning functionality on macOS that I hope you can help me with.

Problem:

• “Missing hosts entry” warning appears immediately when cloning
• Cloning gets stuck on “Copying site files” (especially wp-content)
• Process aborts after 20-30 minutes without completing

What works:

• Creating new sites works perfectly

• Local WP automatically updates hosts file for new sites

• All other Local WP functions work normally

What doesn’t work:

• Cloning existing sites

• Local WP doesn’t update hosts file during cloning

• Copying process gets stuck on wp-content

Technical information:

• OS: macOS Sequoia 15.6.1

• Local WP: Version 9.2.8+6882

• Site size: ~200MB total, ~110MB plugins

• Router Mode: Tested both “Site Domains” and “localhost”

What I’ve tried:

• Manual hosts file updates

• DNS cache clearing

• Different Router Mode settings

• Clearing cache/languages/upgrade folders

• Restarting Local WP

Questions:

• Is this a known issue with Local WP?
• Is there an official workaround?
• Is a fix planned for upcoming versions?
• Are there CLI commands for cloning?

Thank you for your help!

Best regards,

Tomas

local-logs.zip (14.9 KB)

[Nick-B]

Hi @SternerAgency!

I tested cloning on my device which is the same MacOS and Local version as you’re utilizing and didn’t have any trouble. So there doesn’t seem to be a bug necessarily, but we’re happy to help troubleshoot this further.

As a simple test, if you create a new, blank site in Local and try to clone it, does it work? If that works, then it might be something specific to your site(s) that’s causing a problem with the cloning process. In which case, as an alternative to cloning you might try exporting the site, and then importing the zip copy to create a new copy. Or you could manually import the contents into your blank install: Manually Import a Local Site