Moving a WordPress site to a new host sounds risky, but with the right order of operations you can switch with zero visitor-facing downtime. This guide walks through the whole process — backup, transfer, testing, DNS cutover, and the cleanup people forget.
Back up everything first
Take a full copy of your files (wp-content, themes, plugins, uploads) and export the database. Keep this backup somewhere off both servers — if anything goes wrong mid-migration, this is your rollback.
Set up the new host before cancelling the old one
Create the new hosting account and keep both running in parallel. Many hosts offer free migration — check before doing it manually. If you migrate yourself, upload the files, import the database, and update wp-config.php with the new credentials.
Test on the new server before switching DNS
Use your hosts file (or a staging URL from the new provider) to preview the site on the new server while the world still sees the old one. Click through key pages, test forms and checkout, and confirm HTTPS works with a fresh or transferred SSL certificate.
Plan the DNS cutover
Lower your DNS TTL to 300 seconds a day before the switch so the change propagates fast. Then update the A record (or nameservers) during your lowest-traffic window. Keep the old server live for at least 48 hours — some visitors will still be routed there while DNS propagates.
Don’t forget email and cron
If your email is hosted with the old provider, set up mailboxes or an email service before changing MX records. Re-create any server cron jobs, and confirm scheduled WordPress tasks (backups, publishing) still fire on the new host.
After the switch
Re-test forms, payments, and admin login on the live domain. Watch uptime and error logs for the first week. Once traffic has fully moved and email flows correctly, cancel the old plan — inside its refund window if you switched early.
Common mistakes to avoid
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