How to Migrate a Website (Changing Hosts)

Step 1: Back up the old hosting

Every website has two parts: files and a database. Back up both.

Files: In cPanel, compress the public_html folder in the File Manager (Compress) and download it. In DirectAdmin, you do the same from the file manager. If there are a lot of files, downloading a single compressed archive is much faster than using FTP.

Database: In phpMyAdmin, select the database and download it as a .sql file from the Export tab. If you have SSH access:

mysqldump -u username -p database_name > backup.sql

If both the old and the new host use cPanel, taking a Full Account Backup is the most practical route. This backup bundles files, databases, email accounts and settings into a single archive, and you can ask the new provider to restore it.

Step 2: Prepare the new hosting

1. Create the new hosting account with your domain.
2. Select the PHP version your site needs in the control panel.
3. Create a new database and database user, and give the user all privileges on the database.

On shared hosting, your account name is added to the start of database names and usernames (such as account_wpdb). Note down these names and the password; you'll need them in step 4.

Step 3: Upload the files and database

• Files: Upload the archive you downloaded to the public_html folder with the new host's file manager and extract it there (Extract). You can also use FTP, but uploading a single archive and extracting it on the server is much faster than sending thousands of small files one by one.
• Database: In the new host's phpMyAdmin, select the database you created and upload the .sql file from the Import tab.

Step 4: Update the configuration file

The site uses a configuration file to connect to the database. In WordPress, this is the wp-config.php file:

define( 'DB_NAME', 'account_wpdb' );
define( 'DB_USER', 'account_wpuser' );
define( 'DB_PASSWORD', 'new-password' );
define( 'DB_HOST', 'localhost' );

In Laravel it's .env, and in other software it's usually config.php or a similar file. Match these details to the database you created in step 2.

Step 5: Test without changing DNS

This is the secret to a migration with no downtime. By adding a line to your computer's hosts file, you make your domain point to the new server on your computer only:

• Windows: C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc\hosts (open Notepad as administrator)
• macOS and Linux: /etc/hosts

203.0.113.10 yourdomain.com www.yourdomain.com

Replace 203.0.113.10 with the new host's IP address. Clear your browser cache, open the site and check everything: pages, images, forms, logging in to the admin panel and, if you have them, checkout steps. Don't forget to delete the line you added once testing is done.

Step 6: Point DNS to the new hosting

If everything works, point the domain to the new server. There are two ways:

• Changing nameservers: You replace your domain's nameservers with the addresses the new host gives you. Set up your old DNS records (especially MX and TXT) in the new panel first.
• Changing only the A record: The nameservers stay where they are, and you update the A record to the new IP address. This is the safer route if your email is hosted elsewhere.

We explain how DNS records work in What is DNS? and how to connect your domain to your hosting in What is a domain name?

Step 7: SSL and final checks

Once DNS points to the new server, enable the SSL certificate on the new hosting; free certificates need DNS to point to the new server for domain validation. Then:

• Check that the site opens with https:// and the browser shows no warnings.
• Re-create your scheduled tasks (cron) on the new hosting.
• Send a test email from your contact forms.
• Watch Google Search Console for errors for a few days.

Don't close the old hosting right away. The DNS change may reach some visitors late. Keep the old account open for at least a few more days.

Moving email

Email is the part most often forgotten in a migration:

1. List the email accounts on the old hosting.
2. Create the same accounts at the new location.
3. Update your MX, SPF, DKIM and DMARC records for the new provider. For details, see SPF, DKIM and DMARC explained.
4. Move your old emails over IMAP. You can add both accounts to the email client on your computer and drag the folders across, or use a tool such as imapsync.

Keeping your email independent of your website removes this step entirely the next time you change hosts.

Migrating a WordPress site

You can migrate WordPress manually with the steps above or use a plugin:

• With a plugin: All-in-One WP Migration or Duplicator turns the site into a single package. You install a fresh WordPress on the new host and import the package with the same plugin. Some plugins have file size limits in their free versions.
• If the domain changes: WordPress stores the site address in many places in the database. To replace the old address with the new one, use a plugin such as Better Search Replace or, if you have SSH access, the wp search-replace command. Don't run a plain find-and-replace directly on the database; serialized data can break.

After the migration, opening and saving Settings → Permalinks often fixes links that return 404 errors. If you're installing WordPress for the first time, take a look at our WordPress installation guide.

Migrating your site to Nodesty

Nodesty web hosting plans come with a choice of cPanel or DirectAdmin. You can upload your files with the file manager or FTP and import your database through phpMyAdmin; with the LiteSpeed web server, NVMe storage, free SSL and JetBackup backups, your site is fast and safe from the first day after the move. If you want to keep your email independent of your site, our mail hosting plans make sure your email isn't affected at all the next time you change hosts.