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Moving a WordPress website to a new host involves more than copying files. Your pages, images, contact forms and online orders must continue working after the move. This guide covers a hosting change where the domain and page URLs stay the same.
If you need help planning the migration and checking the result, explore our website maintenance service. We agree the scope after reviewing the website, its integrations and your business requirements.
When is a hosting move worth considering?
Limited server resources, recurring outages, inadequate support or better backup arrangements may justify a move. A slow website does not automatically mean the hosting is at fault: large images, plugins and external scripts can also cause delays. Measure the current performance and define what the new environment needs to improve.
Changing hosting does not require a redesign or guarantee better Google rankings. Rebuilding a website is a separate project that may also involve changing its content, structure and URLs. Keep those decisions separate from a straightforward server migration.
1. Gather access and document the current setup
- Access to the old and new hosting accounts, website files and database.
- The account controlling your domain and DNS, plus a record of the current DNS entries and their purpose.
- A WordPress administrator account, the active theme and plugin list, and any required licences.
- The PHP and database environment, storage requirements and additional server dependencies.
- Email, payments, CRM connections, scheduled tasks and other integrations.
Share credentials securely with the person responsible for the work. Agree the migration window, who will verify the result and what happens if a problem is found on the new server.
2. Back up the complete website and test restoration
A recoverable WordPress backup needs both files and the database, including the configuration required to run the website. Saving only uploaded images or exporting content from the WordPress dashboard is not a full backup.
Keep a copy independently of the current host and test that it can be restored in a separate environment. A successful restoration is more useful evidence than a “backup completed” notification alone. Prepare the rollback plan before switching traffic.
3. Test the new host in a private environment
After copying the files and database, check the database connection, file permissions, PHP compatibility and error logs. Protect the testing environment with authentication or another access restriction. Asking search engines not to index it is not a privacy safeguard.
If the domain and URLs remain unchanged, a wholesale URL replacement is unnecessary. If you used a temporary address, make sure it is not left in links, images or canonical tags. Compare the homepage, service pages, blog, mobile layout and administrator login.
4. Protect email when updating DNS
Website hosting and business email may use different providers. Establish where email runs before changing DNS. Updating the website IP does not automatically require changes to email records. If you change nameservers, however, the new DNS zone needs all the required records.
Check MX records and email authentication records, including SPF, DKIM and DMARC, against your email provider’s instructions. Test messages sent by the website separately: a contact form may display a success message even when its notification never reaches the recipient.
5. Plan how to preserve recent online orders
An order or registration created on the old website after the initial backup will not be included in that copy. A WooCommerce store or another frequently updated system therefore needs an agreed final synchronisation process and, where necessary, a short restriction on new transactions.
Test payments in the provider’s test mode where available. Check order status, notifications and external connections. Agree an acceptable maintenance window in advance; the same uninterrupted-service promise is not realistic for every website.
6. What should you check after the DNS switch?
- HTTPS: the certificate covers the correct domain and insecure resources do not break the page.
- URLs: important pages load, existing redirects still work and new 404 errors have not appeared.
- Indexability: testing restrictions and noindex settings are not left on the public website; robots.txt, the sitemap and canonical tags are correct.
- Enquiries: submissions are saved, emails arrive and CRM records are created where an integration exists.
- Measurement: analytics loads and successful actions are recorded without duplicate events.
- Functionality: images, search, login, caching and scheduled tasks work as expected.
DNS changes do not reach every visitor simultaneously; record TTL and caching affect the transition. Do not cancel the old hosting immediately. First confirm that the new environment works and the data is consistent. A rollback must also account for orders or enquiries received on the new server.
Frequently asked questions about WordPress migration
Do I need to change my domain?
No. You can keep the same domain, design and page URLs. Transferring domain registration and changing website hosting are separate tasks.
How long does a migration take?
It depends on the files and database, access availability, compatibility and integrations. Copying time is only part of the work: testing and monitoring after the switch also need to be included.
How much does moving a WordPress website cost?
We quote individually after reviewing the technical condition and scope. A simple information website needs different work from a system handling orders, email and CRM connections.
Does every page need a 301 redirect?
If the domain and complete page URLs stay the same, changing hosting alone does not require new redirects. Existing redirects must continue working on the new server.
Can Google rankings change?
Outages, changed URLs or an accidental noindex setting can affect search accessibility. Check important URLs and indexing status in Search Console after the move. A hosting change does not guarantee higher rankings.
Need migration planning and ongoing support?
Through INFINITY’s website maintenance service, we can review the current environment and agree the migration, verification and support scope. Share the website address, the problem you want to solve and your preferred timing, without sending confidential credentials publicly.
If your project also needs a new structure or functionality, explore our website development service so the rebuild and hosting work can be planned together.
Technical references: official WordPress migration documentation and the WordPress backup guide.
