You can move a website away from a lifetime hosting provider without transferring your domain. First back up the site’s files and database, prepare a compatible replacement host, move and test the site there, and change DNS only when the new version is ready. Treat hosting, domain registration, DNS, and email as separate services: changing one does not automatically move the others.
What moves when you change web hosts?
A website move can involve several independent pieces. The host stores and serves the website; the domain registrar manages your domain registration; a DNS provider controls the records that direct visitors and mail; and an email provider hosts mailboxes. One company may handle several of these, but they remain distinct tasks. Learn WordPress explains how to change hosts while keeping the domain in its guide to changing hosts but keeping your domain.
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- Website: files, database, and any platform-specific settings or services.
- Hosting: the server or platform that runs the site.
- Domain and DNS: the registration can stay where it is while DNS is updated to point web traffic to the new host.
- Email: mailboxes and their DNS records need separate attention if they are tied to the old host.
Leaving a lifetime hosting plan does not require giving up the domain, and transferring a domain does not move email hosting automatically. WordPress.com notes this distinction in its domain-transfer guidance.
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How do I move my website to another host?
Use this order to reduce the risk of losing content or interrupting services. Exact steps vary by CMS and provider; the WordPress-specific details below apply to self-hosted WordPress sites.
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1. Inventory the accounts and services
Before changing anything, identify the current host, domain registrar, DNS manager, mail provider, CMS and version, database, SSL setup, scheduled jobs, forms, and any external services the site relies on. Confirm that the site owner can access each account and its recovery email. Ask the current host what export or migration access it provides. This inventory helps reveal which services need separate migration or DNS work.
2. Make and verify an independent backup
Download the complete site files and export the database. For WordPress, this includes the WordPress directory, images, plugins, other files, and database; the WordPress migration handbook advises keeping a copy of the old database while moving. Store a separate copy somewhere you can access without logging in to the lifetime host, and confirm that the files and database export are present before proceeding. Do not alter or discard the original while preparing the new site.
3. Prepare the replacement host
Choose a destination that supports the site’s CMS, runtime, database, storage, and traffic requirements. Set up its document root and, if required, create a database and user; record the connection details securely. If the destination host offers migration help, establish exactly what it moves and what remains your responsibility. Migration assistance should not be assumed to include email, DNS, or domain registration.
4. Move the site using a route suited to its platform
For a manual self-hosted WordPress move, copy the files, import the database, and update wp-config.php if the new database name, user, or password differs. Confirm the installation connects to the imported database. If the site’s domain or URL is changing too, follow WordPress’s additional URL-update guidance and back up the database first. Use a WordPress-aware search-and-replace method for URLs rather than a raw text replacement, which can damage serialized data.
If you are moving between hosted platforms, choose an import path that matches both the source and the content you need. An export/import may bring across posts and pages without recreating the original theme, plugins, settings, or server features. WordPress.com describes its available site move, migration, and import routes.
5. Test the new site before changing DNS
Where possible, preview the destination using a temporary URL or another provider-supported testing method. WordPress documents temporary URL changes for testing and notes that permalink rewrites may need reconfiguration at launch. Check the pages and layout, images and downloads, navigation, forms, logins, HTTPS, redirects, and any critical transaction or email workflows your site uses. If URLs changed, verify that links and redirects behave as intended.
6. Change DNS and monitor the cutover
When the destination is ready, update the relevant web records at the DNS manager so visitors reach the new host. If you plan to change nameservers, first copy the existing DNS records; DreamHost includes that precaution in its guide to transferring website hosting. DNS changes do not have one guaranteed propagation time, so do not treat the site as fully moved just because it works from one connection. Keep the former host available while you check from more than one network or resolver.
7. Protect email and close out carefully
If the old host also provides email, arrange mailboxes with the chosen provider and preserve the necessary DNS records, including MX and sender-authentication records, before changing DNS or nameservers. Test sending and receiving messages after the change. Once the new site and dependent services are stable, confirm that backups work, review administrator access and renewals, and then decide when to cancel the old hosting account. There is no universal waiting period for that final step.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Which migration route should you choose?
| Route | Best fit | Trade-offs |
|---|---|---|
| Manual files and database move | A self-hosted WordPress site when you have server and database access and need a full copy. | Provides control over the move, but requires careful backup, database credential, URL, and permalink handling. See the WordPress migration handbook. |
| CMS export and import | A supported platform move where posts and pages are the main priority. | May not reproduce themes, plugins, settings, or server features. Check the chosen importer’s scope; WordPress.com lists options in its import guide. |
| Destination-host migration help | The new host supports your source platform and clearly states what its help covers. | Confirm what moves, who performs the work, how you can test before cutover, whether email and DNS are excluded, and what recovery support is available. Provider documentation such as DigitalOcean’s migration guidance and DreamHost’s hosting-transfer guide explains processes, not a universal service scope. |
Before choosing, compare the data and functions included, who is responsible for each step, backup access, email and DNS scope, the testing process, recovery support, and recurring price and renewal terms. The migration guides above do not establish current prices or the terms of a particular provider’s service; verify those directly before committing.
Can I change web hosts and keep my domain name?
Yes. In a typical hosting move, leave the domain registered with its current registrar and update the DNS records that direct web traffic to the new host. A domain transfer is a separate change of registrar, not a prerequisite for changing the server that hosts the site. Keep track of which company manages DNS: it may not be the registrar or either hosting provider.
How do I move a WordPress site without losing content?
Back up both the WordPress files and database, then make sure the destination has the right database and configuration before testing the site. A posts-and-pages import is suitable only when that content is the intended scope; a full self-hosted move is the route to preserve the broader installation, including files and database state. Keep the original backup and old host available until the new site and its key workflows have been checked.
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