How do I move my website to a new host?

What are the steps, in order?

1. Gather logins. You need the old host, the new host, the domain registrar and whoever runs your DNS. See which logins you should have.
2. Take a full backup: files and database, stored somewhere other than the old host.
3. Copy the site to the new host. For WordPress, that means the files, the database and the settings that tie them together.
4. Test on a temporary address. Click through pages, submit every form, try checkout and logins, and check on a phone.
5. Plan email. Write down your current MX, SPF and DKIM records. If the old host also runs your mailboxes, move or replace them first. Our guide to changing DNS without breaking email covers this.
6. Lower the TTL on your DNS records, at least as long ahead as the current TTL, so the switch spreads quickly.
7. Freeze changes, then copy once more. If the site takes orders, bookings, registrations or form entries, pause them (or put up a short maintenance notice), copy the database across one last time, then switch. Otherwise new entries can land on the old host and be lost. If you can’t pause the site, get help with the move.
8. Point the domain at the new server and confirm the SSL certificate works on the new host.
9. Watch and keep the old host until DNS has settled and forms, email and checkout are confirmed. See why DNS changes take time.

The short version

• A move has three parts: the website, the email and the domain’s DNS.
• Copy the site to the new host and test it before anyone sees it.
• Decide where email lives first. It’s the part most often broken.
• Lower the DNS TTL ahead of time. If the site takes orders or form entries, pause them and copy the database once more, then point the domain.
• Don’t cancel the old host until the new one is proven.

Why does the order matter?

DNS is the switch. Until you change it, visitors still reach the old host, so you can test the new copy safely. Change DNS first and fix things later, and customers see the broken version.

What are the common mistakes?

• Canceling the old hosting too early. If something was missed, there’s nothing to copy from.
• Forgetting email. Changing nameservers without copying mail records is the classic way to lose a day of messages.
• Not testing forms. Forms often send through the host’s mail system, which changes in a move. Test that the emails still arrive.
• Missing the SSL certificate, so the moved site shows a “Not secure” warning. See why a site says Not Secure.
• The domain isn’t in your name. If a former developer controls it, sort that out first. Read who should own your domain.

What if something broke after the switch?

If the site or email fails and you can’t fix it quickly, point DNS back to the old host. That’s why you keep it running. Then compare the two copies and retry. For a blank page or a critical error, see what a white screen means.

How much does it cost, and how long does it take?

Costs depend on the new host and whether you pay someone to do the move. A small site can be copied and tested in a day or two of work. DNS changes then take anywhere from minutes to a couple of days to reach everyone, depending on the TTL.

How does E-3 handle this?

When a site moves onto E-3’s managed hosting, you approve the plan and a preview before the switch, and we save the existing DNS records before changing them. The service side, including what you send us, is in Can you move my website to your hosting?

Related questions

• Can you move my website to your hosting?
• How do I change DNS records without breaking my email?
• Why do DNS changes take time to show up?
• What logins should I have for my own website?