How to move a website to a new host without downtime

Before you copy anything, write down everything that belongs to the site. What gets forgotten here is what breaks later.

• Files: the website itself, uploads and any folders outside the main web folder.
• Databases: most sites (WordPress, Joomla, shops) store content in one or more MySQL databases.
• Email accounts: every mailbox, forwarder and autoresponder on the domain.
• DNS records: take a screenshot or export of all records, including MX, SPF, DKIM and any verification records for services like Google or Microsoft.
• Scheduled tasks: cron jobs that send newsletters, clean up or run backups.

DNS changes are cached around the internet for as long as the record’s TTL (time to live) says, often several hours. Lower the TTL to 300 seconds (5 minutes) at least a day before the move. When you switch later, the change reaches everyone within minutes instead of hours.

Your domain can stay with the registrar it is with now. Moving the hosting and moving the domain are separate jobs; if you want to move the domain too, do it afterwards with our domain transfer guide.

1. 1Make a full backup at the old host. In cPanel this is a full account backup that includes files, databases and email. On WordPress, a migration plugin that packs files and database into one archive works too.
2. 2Restore it at the new host. A cPanel backup can be restored in one go; a plugin archive is unpacked through the same plugin on a fresh WordPress install.
3. 3Check the PHP version. Choose the same version the site ran on before, or a newer one it supports.
4. 4Test the site at its new address without touching DNS. Add the new server’s IP address to your computer’s hosts file, or use a temporary URL if the host provides one, and click through the important pages, forms and the checkout.

1. 1Recreate every mailbox at the new host with the same addresses.
2. 2Copy the old messages with an IMAP sync tool, or by adding both accounts to an email program and dragging folders across.
3. 3Point the MX records to the new mail server when you switch DNS, and recreate SPF and DKIM so your mail is not marked as spam.

When the copy works, change the DNS records (or the nameservers) to the new host. Because the TTL is low, most visitors reach the new server within minutes. The free SSL certificate is issued once the domain points to the new server, so allow a short while before HTTPS is fully active.

Keep the old account running for a few days. Some email may still arrive there while DNS updates, and you have a fallback if something was missed. Sync email once more, then cancel the old plan.

• Hard-coded addresses: a site that refers to an old temporary URL or the old server’s IP shows broken images or links. Search the database for the old address and replace it.
• PHP version mismatch: older plugins may fail on a newer PHP version. Pick a compatible version first, then update the plugins.
• HTTPS warnings right after the switch: the certificate has not been issued yet. It usually appears shortly after DNS points to the new server.
• Forgotten DNS records: missing SPF, DKIM or verification records break email delivery or connected services. Compare with the export you made at the start.

If your site runs on cPanel today, we move it for you: for most cPanel-to-cPanel migrations there is no extra cost. Custom setups such as Plesk, a raw VPS or unusual PHP versions get a flat-fee quote after we look at the source. Our web hosting plans include cPanel, PHP 8.0 to 8.3, free auto-renewed SSL and daily backups, and you can contact us in English, Swedish or Arabic to plan the move.