Most WordPress migrations go wrong for the same reasons: something was forgotten on the old host, the new copy wasn’t tested before going live, or email broke when the DNS changed. A calm, ordered plan avoids all three.
Before you copy anything
- List what lives on the old host besides the website: email accounts, other domains, cron jobs, files outside WordPress.
- Note your DNS records — especially MX (email), SPF/DKIM and any verification records for other services.
- Check versions. The new host should offer the same or a newer supported PHP version and a compatible database.
- Take a full backup of files and database, and keep it somewhere other than both hosts.
- Lower the DNS TTL a day in advance if you manage DNS yourself, so the switch reaches visitors faster.
Copy the site
A migration plugin, your new host’s migration tool or a manual copy all work. Whichever you use, the new site needs the WordPress files (especially wp-content), the database and a wp-config.php with the new database details.
If the domain stays the same, no URLs need changing. If you’re also changing the domain or moving from a temporary address, run a proper search-and-replace that handles serialised data — a plain text replace in the SQL file can corrupt settings.
Test before anyone sees it
This is the step people skip. Before changing DNS, view the new copy privately — through the host’s preview address or by pointing the domain to the new server in your own computer’s hosts file. Then check:
- Key pages, menus and images on desktop and mobile.
- Logging in to the admin area.
- Forms, including whether the new server can send email.
- Anything custom: bookings, member areas, checkout.
Make the switch
- Take a final database copy if the old site changed since the first copy.
- Update DNS (or the nameservers) to point to the new host.
- Recreate your email records exactly as they were.
- Issue the SSL certificate on the new host as soon as the domain points there.
Leave the old hosting running for at least a few days. Some visitors will reach it until DNS has fully updated, and it’s your safety net if something was missed.
After the move
- Confirm the site loads over HTTPS without warnings.
- Send a test through every important form and check it arrives.
- Check that backups and uptime monitoring point to the new server.
- Make sure search engines aren’t blocked in Settings → Reading — easy to leave switched on after testing.
- Watch Search Console for crawl errors over the following week.
Only cancel the old hosting when everything has run normally for a while and you have a verified backup from the new host. If you’d like the move handled as part of a WordPress care plan, tell us about your site.
Frequently asked questions
Will moving hosts affect my Google rankings?
Not if the domain, URLs and content stay the same and the new site is fast and available. Rankings are more at risk from a long outage, broken redirects or accidentally leaving the site set to noindex.
How long does a WordPress migration take?
Copying a typical small site takes an hour or two. The DNS switch itself can take from minutes to a day to reach everyone, which is why the old site should stay online until the move is complete.
Will my email stop working when I move hosting?
It can, if your email is hosted with the old provider or your DNS records move with the domain. List your email (MX) records before changing anything and recreate them wherever the DNS will live.
Can I move a WooCommerce store the same way?
Yes, but orders placed during the move can be lost. Choose a quiet time, pause or minimise changes on the old store, and copy the database as close to the switch as possible.
