# Import existing website

**URL:** <https://forums.realmacsoftware.com/t/import-existing-website/29192>\
**Category:** RapidWeaver Classic\
**Created:** [October 15, 2019, 3:13pm UTC](https://forums.realmacsoftware.com/t/import-existing-website/29192 "2019-10-15T15:13:49Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![highview](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ac8455/32.png) [@highview](https://forums.realmacsoftware.com/u/highview)\
**Post date:** [October 15, 2019, 3:13pm UTC](https://forums.realmacsoftware.com/t/import-existing-website/29192/1 "2019-10-15T15:13:49Z")

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A couple of days ago I produced a new website using RW8 which I uploaded to my host provider (it looks great) I also uploaded it to a known directory on my computer. Since then in order to clean up my computer I have moved some files around. The folder holding locally stored website is still on my computer and if I click on the “index.html” file the website works. However when I open RW8 my new website has gone!!! Is there some way of getting it back? Please.

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**Author:** ![Nigel](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex005/user_avatar/forums.realmacsoftware.com/nigel/32/142_2.png) [@Nigel](https://forums.realmacsoftware.com/u/Nigel)\
**Post date:** [October 15, 2019, 3:30pm UTC](https://forums.realmacsoftware.com/t/import-existing-website/29192/2 "2019-10-15T15:30:02Z")

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Have you used Spotlight to search for the .rw8 file? Maybe just search for .rw8 and see if it can be found and then opened in Rapidweaver.

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**Author:** ![teefers](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex005/user_avatar/forums.realmacsoftware.com/teefers/32/8173_2.png) [@teefers](https://forums.realmacsoftware.com/u/teefers)\
**Post date:** [October 15, 2019, 3:55pm UTC](https://forums.realmacsoftware.com/t/import-existing-website/29192/3 "2019-10-15T15:55:23Z")

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> [@highview](#):
>
> clean up my computer I have moved some files around.

Hopefully you didn’t delete the project file or if you did you have a TimeMachine backup.

When you publish a site either locally or to a web server it’s a “bi-product” of a RapidWeaver project file. The project file holds all the needed resources and information to produce the files that create the website.

In RW8 the project files all have the extension `RW8` So you can do a finder search for that extension:

> **[How to Search for File Types in Finder on a Mac: 5 Steps](https://www.wikihow.com/Search-for-File-Types-in-Finder-on-a-Mac)**
>
> This wikiHow will teach you how to search Finder for files by type on a Mac. Open a Finder window.

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**Author:** ![highview](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ac8455/32.png) [@highview](https://forums.realmacsoftware.com/u/highview)\
**Post date:** [October 15, 2019, 4:16pm UTC](https://forums.realmacsoftware.com/t/import-existing-website/29192/4 "2019-10-15T16:16:18Z")

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Thanks for your help - I have my lost website data back thanks to you its now in RW8 / on the opening page under Recent.  
Thanks again, Andrew

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**Author:** ![system](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex005/user_avatar/forums.realmacsoftware.com/system/32/25301_2.png) [@system](https://forums.realmacsoftware.com/u/system)\
**Post date:** [November 15, 2019, 2:28am UTC](https://forums.realmacsoftware.com/t/import-existing-website/29192/5 "2019-11-15T02:28:21Z")

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