Guide
How to move a website to a new host without downtime
You move a website by copying its files and database to the new host, testing the copy, and only then pointing your domain at it, while the old site keeps running until you are sure. That order is what avoids downtime. On our Small and higher yearly plans the move is free, and this guide shows what happens so you can do it yourself or know what to expect.
The order matters
Five stages, in this order
- PrepareBack up and list everything
- CopyFiles, database and email
- TestCheck the copy before it is live
- SwitchPoint the domain at the new host
- VerifyCheck, then close the old account
Why it can be done without a gap
The idea behind a safe move
A website lives in two places at once during a move: the old host and the new one. Visitors reach whichever one your domain points to. As long as the new copy is complete and working before you change the pointer, nobody sees a broken site. They simply start arriving at the new one, a few at a time, as the change spreads.
The most common causes of downtime are all about order. People cancel the old account too early, change DNS before the new site works, or forget that email lives somewhere too. Do things in the order shown above and the move is dull and uneventful, which is what you want.
Choose a quiet time, such as an evening or a weekend for a business site, and allow a couple of hours for a simple site and longer for a large shop. Do not start a move on the day of a sale or a campaign.
Stage 1
Prepare: what to gather first
- A full backup. Files and database, saved on your own computer.
- Logins. Old hosting, new hosting and your domain account.
- A list of email accounts. Every mailbox, with its size and forwarding rules.
- Your DNS records. Copy them all, especially MX and TXT records.
- Software versions. The PHP version and any special settings your site needs.
- A list of scheduled jobs. Backups, imports or tasks that run automatically.
Stage 2
Copy the site to the new host
Copy the files
Download from the old host and upload to the new one, or use a migration plugin for WordPress.
Copy the database
Export it from the old host and import it into a new database.
Update the settings
Change the database name, user and password in your configuration file to the new ones.
Recreate email
Create every mailbox on the new host, and copy old messages over IMAP if you want to keep them.
Worked example
A small shop moves from one host to another
Hannah runs a gift shop with a WooCommerce site, about 150 products and three email addresses. Her old host has become slow and she wants to move to UK servers. She chooses a Medium plan billed yearly, which includes free migration.
She takes a full backup first and saves it to her laptop. She writes down her three mailboxes and copies her DNS records, including the MX records and an SPF record. Two days before the move, she lowers the TTL on her records to a few minutes.
The new copy goes live on a temporary address, where she tests the product pages, the basket and a real test order on a Tuesday evening. Everything works, so she changes the domain's name servers. By the next morning, most visitors reach the new host, and she checks email, forms and the padlock. She keeps the old account for ten days, then cancels it.
Total downtime: none. Total hours of her own time: about three, most of it testing.
Costs and time
How long it takes and what it costs
A simple brochure site can be copied and tested in an hour or two. A WordPress site with a lot of media takes longer to upload, and a shop needs extra time for testing orders. Add time for DNS to settle, though that mostly happens without you.
If you move yourself, the cost is your time. If you ask us on a Small or higher plan billed yearly, the migration itself is free.
Prefer us to do the move?
Free migration is included on Small and higher plans billed yearly.
Stage 3
Test the copy before anyone sees it
Before you change DNS, you can view the new copy without it being live. One way is to edit the hosts file on your computer so your domain points at the new server only for you. Another is to use a temporary address that the new host provides. Either lets you click through the site as a visitor would.
Check the home page and several inner pages, forms, search, logins and any shop or booking features. Look for broken images, missing styles and links that still point to the old address. Test on a phone as well as a computer.
If something looks wrong, fix it now. This is the cheapest moment to find problems, because nobody depends on the new copy yet. Do not rush past this stage.
Stage 4
Switch the domain
A day or two ahead, lower the time-to-live on your DNS records so the change spreads quickly. When you are ready, point the domain at the new host, either by changing name servers or by editing the A records. Our pointing guide shows both.
For a few hours, some visitors will reach the old site and some the new one. This is normal. Both work, so nobody sees an error. If your site accepts orders or posts, consider freezing changes on the old site while the switch spreads, so nothing is lost.
Stage 5
Verify, then tidy up
| Check | How | Done when |
|---|---|---|
| The site loads on the new host | Open it on mobile data | You see the new copy |
| HTTPS works | Look for the padlock on several pages | No warnings |
| Forms and logins work | Submit a test form and log in | Messages arrive, login succeeds |
| Email works | Send and receive a test | Delivered quickly |
| Search engines are fine | Check Search Console for errors | No new crawl errors |
| The old account is no longer needed | Wait several days | Everything is confirmed |
Common traps
What goes wrong, and how to avoid it
Do
- Keep the old account running for at least a week
- Create all mailboxes before switching
- Lower the TTL a day or two ahead
- Test on a copy first
- Keep your own backup
Avoid
- Cancelling the old host the same day
- Changing DNS before the copy works
- Forgetting email and DNS records
- Moving during a sale or campaign
- Skipping the test on a phone
WordPress
Moving a WordPress site in particular
For WordPress, a migration plugin can package the files and database and unpack them on the new host. After the move, re-save permalinks, check that the site address in settings is correct and clear any caches. If you use a caching plugin, purge it so the new server builds fresh pages.
If the domain stays the same, no search and replace in the database is needed. If it changes, you must update addresses throughout the database, which needs a careful tool and a backup first.
FAQ
Common questions
How long does a website move take?
A simple site takes an hour or two to copy and test. The switch itself can spread over several hours.
Will I lose email when I move?
Not if you create the mailboxes on the new host first and keep the old account for a few days.
Do I need to tell Google?
If the domain does not change, no. Your rankings should hold. Watch Search Console for errors afterwards.
Do you move sites for free?
Yes, on Small and higher plans billed yearly. See the migration page.
What if something breaks?
Point the domain back to the old host, or restore your backup, then fix the problem and try again.
Keep reading
Related pages
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