Move a website by backing up its files and data, building and testing a copy at the new host, then changing DNS only after the copy works. Keeping the same domain usually avoids URL changes; changing the domain adds redirects and database work. Email, scheduled jobs, SSL settings, and other server services must be checked separately because a site migration tool may not transfer them.
What a host move actually changes
A web host stores the files, databases, runtime configuration, and supporting services that make a site available. Moving hosts changes where those resources live. Your domain registration can remain with its current registrar, and the domain name can stay unchanged; DNS is what directs visitors to the new server.
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There are two materially different projects:
- Host-only move: the domain and public URL stay the same. You generally copy the site, configure the destination, test it, and change DNS.
- Host and domain move: the site also gets a new domain or URL structure. You must update application settings and create redirects so old addresses continue to work.
The detailed file, database, configuration, and permalink instructions below are for WordPress. Other platforms have different export formats, deployment steps, and configuration files; use the procedure documented for that platform rather than assuming WordPress file names apply.
Inventory every component before touching DNS
Write down what the current site uses and who controls each part. This prevents a successful page copy from being mistaken for a complete migration.
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- Platform: WordPress, a hosted site builder, a custom application, or another content-management system.
- Site data: files, media, themes, plugins, uploaded documents, and the database if the platform uses one.
- Domain and DNS: registrar, DNS provider, nameservers, A/AAAA records, CNAME records, and any subdomains.
- Email: mailboxes, aliases, forwarding rules, MX records, SPF, DKIM, and DMARC entries.
- Security and certificates: SSL/TLS certificates, forced-HTTPS rules, firewall settings, and access-control lists.
- Automation: cron jobs, scheduled publishing, backups, webhooks, queues, and deployment tasks.
- External services: analytics, payment callbacks, forms, storage buckets, APIs, and monitoring systems that may contain the old hostname.
Record current DNS values and application settings in a local document. A migration tool may cover the website itself while leaving email or unrelated server-level files behind; the WordPress support example describing a plugin-assisted move makes that limitation explicit.
Create a backup you can actually restore
Do not begin a transfer until you have a recent, independent backup and know where it is stored. Keep the old host’s copy intact until the new site and its services have been verified.
WordPress backup contents
The WordPress Developer Handbook identifies the WordPress directory, images, plugins, other site files, and the database as the essential backup set. Preserve the database separately as well as in any host snapshot, because a host account or migration job can become unavailable during a failed move.
- Download the complete WordPress files, including uploads and any custom theme or plugin files.
- Export the database using the database tool supplied by the host, preserving the export in its original format.
- Keep an independent copy outside the old hosting account. Local storage is optional; a portable drive is one possible location, not a requirement.
- Note the backup date, site URL, database name, database user, and any encryption or password needed to restore it.
For a frequently updated site, schedule a final backup immediately before the DNS change. A backup is useful only if it is readable and complete, so inspect the archive and, where practical, perform a test restoration on a non-public destination.
Choose a migration method that matches the site
The safest method is the one that handles your platform’s data and gives you a way to test before public DNS changes. Compare the scope rather than choosing by the word “one-click.”
| Method | What it can cover | Questions to answer first |
|---|---|---|
| Platform-supported manual transfer | For a simple WordPress move with the same database details and URLs, copying the files and database is generally sufficient. | How will you import the database, set file permissions, configure the runtime, and obtain a private test address? |
| WordPress migration plugin | Plugin-assisted export/import can move WordPress-related content; some host migration plugins provide a guided workflow. | Does it include the database, all uploads, custom files, email, cron jobs, and server configuration? What size limits or host restrictions apply? |
| Host-provided migration service | Some hosts provide their own migration plugins or assistance, as described by Learn WordPress. | Get the exact scope in writing, the credentials required, the test method, and the rollback plan. |
Large-site limits, transfer-time limits, and provider-specific behavior are not universal. Ask the destination host about those constraints instead of assuming a plugin will handle an unusually large database or a non-standard server setup.
Prepare the new hosting account
Create the destination site before changing the domain’s public records. Add the required runtime version, database, storage, and access accounts according to the platform’s documentation. For WordPress, create an empty site and database or start the host’s documented migration workflow.
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The official handbook describes a simple case in which the database and URLs remain the same: move the files and database, then point the site at the new server. “Same” means the application still uses the same site URL and the destination is configured with credentials that WordPress can use.
When the database name or user changes
If the destination assigns a different database name, database user, password, or host value, update the corresponding settings in wp-config.php. Copy the values exactly as supplied by the new host, protect the file from public download, and remove any temporary credentials from notes or scripts after the move.
Match required server behavior
Install the PHP version, extensions, web-server rules, and storage permissions required by the WordPress version and your plugins. Do not assume that a file copy recreates server-level settings. Recreate scheduled jobs, redirects, security rules, and background workers separately when the site depends on them.
Transfer the site data
Use the method you selected to copy the site files and import the database. Keep the old site online while this work happens so visitors continue to see the working version.
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1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors- Put the destination into the host’s private or staging mode if available.
- Copy the complete WordPress directory, including
wp-content, uploads, custom code, and any files outside the standard directories that your site needs. - Import the database into the destination database. Confirm that the import completed rather than stopping at an upload or execution limit.
- Set the destination database credentials in
wp-config.phpwhen they differ from the old values. - Recreate required server configuration, scheduled tasks, SSL settings, and environment variables.
- Record any temporary URL or hosts-file method supplied by the destination host for private testing.
A plugin workflow can simplify the WordPress export and import, but its scope is not automatically the scope of your entire hosting account. The support example for a migration plugin specifically excludes email accounts and data and other server-level files, so verify those items independently.
Test the destination before the DNS cutover
Do not send public traffic to an untested copy. WordPress documentation and WordPress.org support guidance describe using a temporary URL, staging URL, or another host-provided test path before changing DNS. The exact mechanism depends on the host and migration tool.
Functional checks
- Open the home page, representative posts, pages, categories, search, and contact forms.
- Sign in to WordPress and confirm that the dashboard, media library, editor, and plugin screens work.
- Load images, downloadable files, embedded media, and any protected content.
- Submit a form and verify that the expected notification or external integration receives it.
- Check user permissions, comments, shopping or booking functions, and any custom application areas.
Technical checks
- Inspect browser and server logs for PHP errors, missing files, database errors, redirect loops, and permission failures.
- Confirm that HTTPS works on the destination and that HTTP requests are handled as intended.
- Verify scheduled jobs, webhooks, API callbacks, caches, and background queues.
- Compare critical DNS-dependent services, especially mail records, before the cutover.
If the temporary address changes links or causes login problems, use the host’s documented WordPress testing method rather than making uncontrolled database edits. Test with a representative sample of URLs, not only the front page.
Switch DNS without promising zero downtime
After the destination passes testing, change the records that direct the domain to the new host. There is no universal DNS panel or propagation duration: the procedure and timing depend on your DNS provider, record type, caching, and existing TTL values.
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- Confirm that the destination is ready and that the old host remains available.
- At the authoritative DNS provider, update the record or nameserver required by the new host.
- Leave unrelated records, such as mail records, unchanged unless you are intentionally moving those services too.
- Monitor the site through the domain from more than one network or resolver and check both the public pages and administrative functions.
- Keep accepting changes on the old site until traffic has reached the destination consistently, or use a final synchronized backup for sites that receive frequent writes.
Because different resolvers can retain the old answer for different periods, a short overlap is safer than deleting the old account immediately. Avoid marketing the procedure as “zero downtime”; a carefully staged move can achieve minimal downtime, but no source establishes a universal guarantee.
Keep email and other services on a separate checklist
A website transfer does not automatically move mailboxes, messages, aliases, forwarding, or authentication records. The WordPress support example for a plugin-assisted migration states that email accounts and data and unrelated server-level files are outside that tool’s scope.
- Decide whether email remains with the current provider or moves to the new host.
- If email moves, recreate mailboxes and aliases, migrate messages using the providers’ supported method, and update MX, SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records as required.
- Recreate cron jobs, server-side scripts, firewall rules, reverse-proxy settings, storage mounts, and monitoring separately.
- Update third-party callbacks and allowlists that contain the old server address or hostname.
- Send and receive test messages and inspect authentication results after any mail DNS change.
Do not change mail records merely because the web host changed. Leave them pointed at the working mail service when email is not part of the move.
Moving to a different domain or URL
A domain change is more than a server move. WordPress must know its new site and home URLs, and links stored in content, settings, and metadata may need updating. Learn WordPress recommends 301 redirects when URLs change so visitors and search engines can reach the corresponding new addresses.
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Plan the URL map
List the old URL patterns and their new equivalents before editing anything. Preserve the path where possible; where a path changes, map it to the closest relevant destination rather than sending every request to the home page.
Update WordPress safely
Use a WordPress-aware migration or search-and-replace method that understands serialized data. The Developer Handbook warns that blind database-wide replacement can damage serialized values and points to safer search-and-replace options; a script is best left to an experienced database administrator. Take a fresh backup before changing URLs.
Install and test redirects
Configure permanent 301 redirects on the old domain and test representative old links, media URLs, feeds, and administrative paths. Confirm that the new site does not redirect back to the old domain and that HTTPS is consistent on both domains.
Repair permalinks and rewrite rules after launch
WordPress’s handbook notes that existing rewrite configuration may need to be disabled and permalinks reconfigured when the new site goes live. If home pages work but individual posts return a 404, open the WordPress dashboard, go to Settings > Permalinks, review the existing structure, and save the settings to regenerate rewrite rules. Use the equivalent rewrite configuration for your web server when the host requires it.
Check custom post types, language prefixes, pagination, feeds, attachment URLs, and any manual rewrite rules after saving permalinks. A successful front page is not proof that every route works.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Verification checklist for the first operating period
- Domain resolves to the destination from multiple networks.
- HTTPS certificate is valid and HTTP-to-HTTPS behavior is correct.
- Home page, internal links, images, downloads, forms, search, and login work.
- WordPress media, plugins, themes, users, and scheduled publishing operate normally.
- Permalinks and custom rewrite rules return the expected pages.
- Email delivery, aliases, and authentication records are unchanged or successfully migrated.
- Analytics, payments, webhooks, APIs, backups, and monitoring report normally.
- Server logs show no new fatal errors, missing extensions, permission failures, or redirect loops.
- The old host still has the original files and database, and the independent backup is readable.
Only after these checks pass should you cancel the old hosting account. Retaining it during the verification period gives you a rollback path if a delayed issue appears.
Common failure symptoms and fixes
The site shows a database connection error
Recheck the database name, user, password, and host values in wp-config.php. Confirm that the destination database user has permission to the imported database and that the import completed.
The home page works but posts return 404
Regenerate WordPress rewrite rules by reviewing and saving Settings > Permalinks. Then inspect destination web-server rules and any custom rewrite configuration.
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Compare the transferred uploads and other site files with the backup. Check file paths, case sensitivity, permissions, and any storage mount or CDN configuration that was not part of the migration.
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Login redirects repeatedly or points to the old domain
Check the WordPress site URL values, HTTPS configuration, cookies, and any reverse-proxy headers. If the domain changed, complete the URL migration and redirect plan rather than applying a blind database replacement.
Forms or external callbacks fail
Verify API keys, allowlists, webhook URLs, firewall rules, and mail delivery settings. These dependencies often live outside the WordPress files and database.
Email stopped working after the web move
Inspect MX and authentication records at the DNS provider and confirm whether mailboxes were meant to move. Restore the previous mail records if they were changed accidentally, then follow the mail provider’s migration procedure.
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If the destination has a serious fault, restore service by pointing DNS back to the old host, provided that the old site is still intact and accepting traffic. Keep the old database backup and hosting account until the new site is confirmed. For sites with orders, comments, registrations, or other writes during the overlap, identify which copy contains the latest data before attempting another cutover; replacing one database with an older copy can lose those changes.
After rollback, document the exact failure, repair the destination in private, repeat the functional checks, and schedule a new cutover. Do not delete the only known-good copy while troubleshooting.
What is different on non-WordPress platforms
The principles are portable: inventory dependencies, make a restorable backup, prepare the destination, test privately, switch DNS, verify every service, and retain rollback data. The implementation is not. A hosted site builder may use an account-level export rather than files and a database; a static site may require only its build output and deployment settings; a custom application may require environment variables, migrations, workers, and deployment automation.
Use the platform and destination host’s documented export, import, staging, DNS, and rollback procedures. Treat WordPress-specific names such as wp-config.php, wp-content, and the Permalinks screen as examples for WordPress, not universal migration requirements.
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