The Tool Desk
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What Migrate Guru moves—and what it does not
Migrate Guru is designed to copy the WordPress installation rather than move an entire hosting account. Its documented migration set includes the WordPress database, themes, plugins, uploads, settings, and users. The destination must already have WordPress installed; Migrate Guru is not a substitute for creating the new hosting account or provisioning the web server.
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Email is outside that set. Mailboxes, messages, aliases, and mail-server configuration do not move with the WordPress transfer. Unrelated files elsewhere in the account, custom server services, firewall rules, and other hosting-level settings also require separate recreation. If your site depends on a local script, scheduled task, PHP extension, or web-server rule, record and reproduce it independently.
Current vendor limits are claims, not guarantees
The current WordPress.org listing (captured in 2026) says Migrate Guru supports sites up to 200 GB and more than 5,000 web hosts. It also states a limit of five site migrations per user per month; each of those five sites can be moved unlimited times. These figures can change, so check the live listing and your account before planning a large or repeated migration.
The same listing advertises that “Migrate Guru can move a 1 GB (files & database) site in <30 Mins*.” That is an approximate vendor claim, not a service-level promise. Transfer time varies with the amount and type of data, server resources, database load, network throughput, security rules, and host response times.
The listing currently shows more than 200,000 active installations and version 6.72. Those are time-sensitive listing values, not a guarantee that your installed version will match them.
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- A new hosting account: Create the destination account and make sure the domain is configured there.
- A clean WordPress installation: Install WordPress on the destination before launching the migration. The WordPress.org listing also mentions optional destination FTP or cPanel details, which may be requested during setup.
- Public reachability: Migrate Guru’s servers must be able to communicate with both the source and destination over the internet.
- Administrative access: You need permission to install and activate plugins in both WordPress dashboards.
- An independent backup: Create and test a restorable backup of the source files and database. Migrate Guru’s listing answers “Does Migrate Guru backup my site?” with “No.”
- A maintenance plan: Decide when you will freeze edits, test the copy, change DNS, and keep the old site available for rollback.
Why a hosts-file-only destination will fail
A destination that works only on your computer because of a local hosts-file entry is not publicly reachable. A support response explains that this arrangement cannot work because Migrate Guru’s servers, rather than your browser, must connect to both sites. Use a temporary host URL, a staging URL, or another publicly resolvable address supplied by the new host. Protect a temporary site with access controls that still allow the migration service to connect.
Multisite and local-environment boundaries
The listing excludes local-host migrations. It also excludes moving an individual multisite subsite to another domain or into a subdivision of a multisite network. Treat a WordPress multisite as a network-level project and confirm the exact supported topology before proceeding. A multisite network installation is described as becoming network-activated automatically after migration; review network settings, mapped domains, and subsite paths yourself.
Plan the migration and take a backup
Inventory the source site
Write down the current domain, WordPress and PHP versions, active theme, plugins, media directories, custom code, redirects, caching layers, scheduled jobs, analytics IDs, payment or CRM connections, and transactional-email provider. Note where DNS is managed and lower the DNS record’s time to live if your DNS provider allows it. A lower TTL can help changes propagate sooner, but it cannot make propagation instantaneous.
Create a backup you can restore
Keep at least one copy outside the source host. Back up the database and the complete WordPress files, including wp-content/uploads, themes, plugins, and any custom files. Verify that the archive opens and that the database can be imported into a test WordPress installation. Do not delete the old site or its backup until the new site has passed testing and DNS traffic is stable.
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Choose a cutover window
For a busy site, announce a short content freeze before the final migration. New orders, comments, form submissions, memberships, or bookings created after the copy begins can be absent from the destination. Either place the site in maintenance mode for the final run or schedule a final content reconciliation immediately before DNS changes.
Step-by-step: migrate WordPress with Migrate Guru
1. Provision the destination
- Create the account at the new host and add the domain you intend to use.
- Install a clean WordPress instance at that domain or at the host’s temporary/staging address.
- Confirm that the address resolves publicly and that a browser outside your local network can open it.
- Apply the PHP version, HTTPS certificate, database settings, and basic server configuration required by your site.
Do not point production DNS at the new server yet unless you have a deliberate reason. You can test through the temporary or staging address while the current site continues serving visitors.
2. Install Migrate Guru on both WordPress sites
- On the source dashboard, open Plugins > Add New.
- Search for Migrate Guru, choose the official plugin, install it, and activate it.
- Repeat the installation and activation on the destination WordPress dashboard.
- Update both installations if the dashboards offer a newer compatible plugin version.
Keep administrator sessions available in both dashboards. Security plugins, basic-auth rules, or host firewalls that block external requests can interrupt the process; record any temporary exceptions so you can restore the site’s normal protection afterward.
3. Copy the destination migration key
- Open Migrate Guru on the destination site.
- Copy the migration key shown by the destination.
- Switch to the source site’s WordPress dashboard and open Migrate Guru there.
- Confirm that the source and destination details displayed by the wizard are correct.
- Paste the destination migration key into the source site’s migration form.
- Run the validation check before starting the transfer.
The key connects the source job to the already installed destination plugin. If the validation fails, do not repeatedly start migrations; resolve the connectivity or destination-installation problem first.
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4. Add progress notifications and start the transfer
- Enter an email address that you monitor. Migrate Guru uses it for progress and error notifications.
- Review the source and destination domains, then confirm the migration.
- Start the migration and leave the dashboards and hosting accounts available until the job completes.
A guide published by a managed WordPress host says the plugin redirects to a BlogVault page where migration progress is displayed. Use that progress page and the notification emails as your primary status indicators rather than assuming that an unchanged WordPress tab means the job has stopped.
5. Monitor without modifying either site
Do not update plugins, publish new content, change permalinks, or alter the database while the transfer is running. Large media libraries and database tables can take substantially longer than a small brochure site. If a job reports an error, save the error text and timestamps before retrying; those details help identify a blocked request, credential problem, resource limit, or destination configuration issue.
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Test the destination before DNS cutover
Use the temporary or staging URL while the current public domain still points to the old host. Test as an unauthenticated visitor and as an administrator. A successful transfer is only the beginning; the destination must behave correctly under its real URL, HTTPS configuration, caching, and scheduled workload.
Front-end and content checks
- Open the home page, key landing pages, posts, categories, search, author archives, and custom post types.
- Load images, downloadable files, responsive layouts, navigation menus, widgets, and embedded media.
- Check that internal links, canonical tags, feeds, XML sitemaps, and robots directives use the intended domain.
- Test 404 handling and every important redirect, including old campaign and attachment URLs.
Accounts, forms, and commerce
- Sign in, sign out, reset a password, and test representative user roles.
- Submit contact, newsletter, booking, and support forms; verify delivery and storage.
- If the site takes orders or payments, test the complete checkout in the provider’s permitted test mode and confirm webhook callbacks.
- Check memberships, subscriptions, downloads, comments, and moderation workflows.
URLs, serialized data, and HTTPS
Confirm that the site’s WordPress Address and Site Address are correct and that links do not still point to the old host or a staging hostname. WordPress options and plugin settings can contain serialized data, so do not perform a blind database search-and-replace that changes string lengths. Use a migration-aware URL replacement method, then inspect page-builder content, widgets, menus, and plugin settings individually.
Force HTTPS only after the certificate works on the destination. Check for mixed-content warnings, secure cookies, HTTP-to-HTTPS redirects, and nonstandard ports. If the temporary hostname cannot obtain a certificate, test the final domain through a controlled DNS method before declaring SSL complete.
Caching, scheduled jobs, and integrations
- Purge or rebuild page, object, CDN, and server caches, then verify that logged-in and logged-out visitors receive the right content.
- Run a scheduled task or wait for a known cron event. Confirm that WordPress cron or the host’s system cron is enabled and not duplicated.
- Check analytics, advertising tags, search-console verification, social publishing, maps, payment gateways, shipping APIs, and other third-party credentials.
- Verify outbound transactional email with a real test address and inspect SPF, DKIM, DMARC, SMTP credentials, and sender domains. Email accounts and their stored messages were not migrated.
Change DNS and monitor the cutover
- Confirm that the destination passes the private test checklist and that the source backup is safe.
- Freeze or reconcile content so the final source state matches the migrated copy.
- Update the domain’s A, AAAA, CNAME, or nameserver records according to the new host’s instructions.
- Keep the old site online and unchanged while DNS caches expire.
- Check the site from multiple networks and regions, review web-server and application logs, and watch uptime, forms, orders, and email.
- Only after traffic is consistently reaching the destination should you retire the old hosting account.
DNS propagation is cache-dependent. Some visitors may continue reaching the old server for a while, so avoid making divergent content changes during the transition. If you must roll back, restore the previous DNS records while the old site is still intact.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Troubleshooting common migration failures
The migration key is rejected
- Ensure Migrate Guru is activated on the destination, not merely installed.
- Generate or copy a fresh key from the destination and paste it without added spaces or line breaks.
- Check that the key belongs to the destination URL you selected in the source wizard.
- Temporarily review firewall, security-plugin, basic-auth, and IP-blocking logs for denied requests.
The destination cannot be reached
Open the destination from a separate network and verify DNS, HTTP status, TLS, and host-level access rules. A local hosts-file mapping is insufficient. Replace it with a publicly resolvable temporary or staging URL that Migrate Guru’s servers can access.
The transfer stalls or times out
Record the progress percentage and error message. Ask the destination host whether PHP memory, execution time, disk space, database limits, malware scanning, or rate limiting is interrupting large requests. Ensure there is enough free storage for the incoming files and temporary archives. Retry only after correcting the underlying limit, and retain the independent backup in case a partial transfer altered the destination.
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Inspect the WordPress Address and Site Address, attachment URLs, serialized options, page-builder records, and CDN settings. Complete a serialization-safe URL replacement and clear every cache layer. Then test representative pages in a private browser window.
Forms work but email does not
The migration does not carry mailboxes or mail data, and the new server may use different outbound-mail restrictions. Recreate mail accounts, configure SMTP or the host’s mail service, publish the required authentication records, and send test messages to multiple providers. Check spam folders and the mail provider’s delivery logs.
Scheduled tasks or integrations fail
Recreate server cron entries and confirm the destination’s PHP path and timezone. Re-enter API keys when a provider ties credentials to an IP address or hostname. Update webhook URLs, OAuth redirect URLs, allowlists, callback secrets, and license activations for the new domain.
When Migrate Guru is a good fit—and when to choose another method
| Decision point | Migrate Guru implication | What to verify or plan |
|---|---|---|
| Destination access | Both sites must be publicly reachable by the service. | Use a temporary or staging URL; a hosts-file-only destination will not work. |
| Backup | No backup is included. | Create and test an independent files-and-database backup first. |
| Large sites | The listing claims support up to 200 GB and advertises an approximate under-30-minute transfer for 1 GB of files and database. | Treat limits and speed as changeable vendor claims; confirm storage, timeouts, and resources with the hosts. |
| Host compatibility | The listing claims support for more than 5,000 hosts. | Check the current compatibility information and firewall requirements for your exact hosts. |
| Migration frequency | Five site migrations per user per month are listed; each site can be moved unlimited times. | Plan staging and retries within the current account allowance. |
| Local environments | Local-host migrations are excluded. | Use a public staging server instead of a workstation-only site. |
| Multisite subsites | Moving a subsite to another domain or network subdivision is excluded. | Plan a supported network-level move or use a method designed for subsite extraction. |
| Mail and server files | Email accounts, email data, and unrelated server-level files are not part of the WordPress copy. | Recreate mail and server configuration separately. |
| URL replacement | Destination testing still requires URL and serialized-data checks. | Use a serialization-safe replacement process and inspect plugin-specific settings. |
A manual files-and-database migration or another backup-based tool may be more appropriate when the destination cannot be made public, when you need a complete hosting-account clone, when you are extracting a multisite subsite, or when you require a built-in rollback image. The deciding factors are accessibility, backup strategy, data size, multisite topology, credential requirements, and how much server configuration must move with WordPress.
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Final migration checklist
- Destination account, domain, storage, PHP version, and clean WordPress installation are ready.
- Source files and database have an independent, restorable backup.
- Both sites are publicly reachable and Migrate Guru is installed and activated on each.
- The destination key validates successfully in the source wizard.
- Progress notifications go to a monitored address.
- Front-end pages, administration, users, media, forms, redirects, SSL, and caches pass testing.
- Cron, transactional email, analytics, webhooks, payment flows, and other integrations are verified.
- DNS is changed only after testing, with the old site retained for rollback.
- Logs and uptime are monitored until traffic consistently reaches the new host.
Migrate Guru can simplify the WordPress portion of a host move when the new installation is public and the transfer fits its current limits. It does not remove the need for a tested backup, a separate mail and server-configuration plan, or disciplined pre-cutover testing.
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