Considering a switch of hosting providers but unsure about transferring your WordPress site from one host to another? Migrating your WordPress website to a new host is a completely tedious task to do but here is the scoop: I have some good news and some not-so-good news.
Let’s get the not-so-good news out of the way first: Migrating a website to a new host will always get your heart racing and your palms sweaty, regardless of how many times you’ve experienced it.
Now, for the good news: Migrating a WordPress site to a new host follows a series of steps that you can replicate each time you need to do it. The process is quite consistent for every website migration.
What is Website Migration
Website migration refers to the process of transferring a website from one web hosting environment, platform, or domain to another. This can involve moving the entire website’s content, design, and functionality to a new location or making significant changes to the website’s structure and design. Website migration is often undertaken for various reasons, including upgrading to a new platform, changing the domain name, redesigning the website, or changing hosting providers.
There are several types of website migrations:
- Domain Name Change: This involves moving a website from one domain to another. This could be due to rebranding, targeting a different audience, or acquiring a more relevant domain name.
- Platform Change: Moving a website from one content management system (CMS) or website builder to another. For example, migrating from WordPress to Joomla or Shopify to Magento.
- Hosting Provider Change: Transferring a website from one hosting provider to another due to better performance, pricing, or customer service.
- HTTP to HTTPS Migration: Transitioning a website from unsecured HTTP to secure HTTPS by installing an SSL certificate. This is crucial for security and SEO reasons.
- Subdomain to Subdirectory Migration: Changing the structure of the website’s URLs, usually for better SEO and user experience.
- Website Redesign or Revamp: When a website undergoes a significant design and functionality overhaul, often involving content restructuring and technical changes.
Website migration can be complex and requires careful planning and execution to ensure that the migration is seamless and does not negatively impact the website’s search engine rankings, user experience, or functionality. It involves tasks such as content mapping, setting up proper redirects, testing the new environment, and monitoring for any issues post-migration.
Due to the potential risks involved in website migration, it’s recommended to enlist the help of professionals who are experienced in handling migrations. This helps ensure that the migration process goes smoothly and that any potential pitfalls are identified and addressed in advance.
This step-by-step guide to seamlessly migrate your WordPress website is designed to alleviate some of the stress associated with the entire process.
3 WordPress Website Migrating Options
When it comes to migrating a WordPress website from one hosting provider to another, you have three primary choices:
- Request your new host to handle the migration for you.
- Use a WordPress migration plugin.
- Take the traditional route by using SFTP/FTP.
The most suitable choice for your situation will hinge on factors such as your current and new hosting providers, as well as the size of the WordPress site you intend to migrate.
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Migration done by Hosting Provider
The simplest and least anxiety-inducing method for migrating a WordPress site is the first option. However, its feasibility hinges on the hosting provider you’re transferring to.
Numerous managed WordPress hosting providers, such as BlueHost, Flywheel or SiteGround, typically offer either a complimentary migration service or provide a plugin for you to install on your site to facilitate the migration.
For instance, Flywheel presents you with the choice of using a DIY plugin to complete the migration yourself or opting for their free migration service. The process is straightforward: just provide your current hosting details via a brief form on their website and request them to handle the migration.
While this might take anywhere from one to three days, it substantially saves you time and the accompanying stress.
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Website Migration Using Plugin
As mentioned earlier, if your fully managed hosting service doesn’t provide migration assistance, they often furnish a plugin that you can install on your site to facilitate the migration process. Using this migration plugin is a straightforward process.
Typically, these plugins function as installation wizards, expertly guiding you through the seamless transfer of WordPress files and databases from one location to another. Additionally, they take care of the automatic installation of WordPress on the new site, making it ready to receive the uploaded files and database.
In case you’re not using a fully managed host, there is an alternative plugin option available: the All-In-One WP Migration plugin.
Here are the steps to migrate a WordPress site using a plugin:
Step 1: Log in to the backend of the WordPress site you intend to migrate.
Step 2: From the WordPress dashboard, navigate to the Plugins section and click on “Install New.”
Step 3: Search for “All-In-One WP Migration” and install the plugin developed by ServMask.
Step 4: Enable/activate the plugin.
Step 5: Replicate steps one to four on the new WordPress site (the one designated for migration) to ensure the plugin is installed on both the old and new sites.
Step 6: Install the Regenerate Thumbnails plugin by Alex Mills onto the destination site where you intend to migrate.
Step 7: Perform updates for ALL plugins, themes, and WordPress core files on BOTH the old and new sites (Note: Ensure that the WordPress version is consistent on both sites).
Step 8: Generate an export file using the “All-in-One WP Migration” plugin.
Step 9: Optional: Incorporate a rule to “Find” your new site’s database prefix and “Replace” it with the database prefix from your old site (only if necessary).
Step 10: Generate an Export File and download it to your computer.
Step 11: On the new site, access the “All-in-One Migration” plugin and import the file from the previous step.
Step 12: After uploading the file, follow the instructions to apply the imported export file to the new site.
Step 13: Navigate to Settings > Permalinks and save changes multiple times.
Step 14: Verify the activation status of all your plugins.
Step 15: Examine the media library. If images are missing, use the Regenerate Thumbnails plugin to potentially reactivate them.
Step 16: Scrutinize all pages, posts, and other content elements to ensure everything appears as intended. Afterwards, refresh your newly migrated WordPress site to assess its appearance.
Step 17: Install the Better Search Replace plugin developed by Delicious Brains on the new site.
Step 18: Within the WordPress dashboard, navigate to Tools > Better Search Replace.
Step 19: Input your old site URL into the “Search for” field.
Step 20: Enter your new site URL into the “Replace with” field.
Step 21: Initiate a dry run. If satisfied with the dry run outcome, proceed to run the plugin in actual mode.
Step 22: Review theme files, especially style.css and possibly PHP files, to ensure all occurrences of the old website have been replaced with the new website
Step 23: Inspect your new site. If the modifications are not evident, clear your browser cache. If the changes still aren’t visible, clear your server cache.
Note: The All-In-One WP Migration plugin has a site size limit of 128MB for migration.
For considerably larger websites, the following alternative plugins can assist you in migrating your WordPress site from one host to another:
- Duplicator.
- UpdraftPlus.
- Migrate Guru.
Prior to proceeding, ensure to thoroughly review all instructions associated with the chosen plugin. This guarantees its suitability for the specific type of migration you intend to undertake.
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WordPress Site Migration With SFTP/FTP
For numerous migrations, employing a plugin should suffice. Yet, for migrations of a more intricate nature, manual migration of your WordPress site might be necessary. This can be accomplished either via the File Manager within your hosting provider’s cPanel or by utilizing an FTP or SFTP connection.
To use an SFTP/FTP client like Filezilla or Cyberduck, it’s advisable to seek guidance from your hosting provider(s) to ensure the accurate setup of this connection. Typically, you will require your hosting account’s username and password, the FTP or SFTP address, as well as the appropriate port number.
Here are the steps to migrate a WordPress site using SFTP/FTP:
Step 1: Using either the File Manager in cPanel or the SFTP/FTP connection, navigate to the root folder (typically labelled as public_html) of the destination site for the migration. If you’re uncertain about the location of the root folder, consider contacting your hosting provider as it might have an alternative name for security reasons.
Step 2: If you are using the File Manager in cPanel, opt for “public_html” and proceed to download it to your computer.
Alternatively, if you’re using an SFTP/FTP client, select the “public_html” folder and download it to your computer. For a smoother migration process, consider creating a compressed zip file of the downloaded folder.
Step 3: The next step involves downloading your WordPress databases. Log in to phpMyAdmin on the hosting platform where the site currently resides.
Step 4: Proceed to export the database. (Note: If you encounter multiple databases listed in phpMyAdmin, you might need to consult your hosting provider to determine which database to use).
Step 5: Select the specific database for export. Click on “Export” and then choose “Quick” as the export method and “SQL” as the file format. Finally, click “Go.”
Step 6: If you plan to use phpMyAdmin for importing the site, you can compress the database into a zip file after downloading it to your computer. Alternatively, within phpMyAdmin, you can opt for compression before downloading.
Step 7: Ensure that no installations are present on the destination site.
Step 8: Navigate to your new hosting provider and establish a fresh empty database. Within cPanel, access “MySQL Databases” and proceed to name the new database appropriately before clicking on “Create Database.”
Step 9: Create a novel user within the “MySQL Users” section. Generate a username and password, then select “Create User.” It’s crucial to remember the usernames and passwords you use during database and user creation, as these details will require updating in the wp-config.php file.
Step 10: Attach the user to the database by selecting “Add User to Database,” then choose the new user and database, and click “Add.”
Step 11: Subsequently, you need to edit the wp-config.php file using the downloaded WordPress files. Ensure that if you’ve established a new database named “DB_NAME,” a new username “DB_USER,” and/or a new password “DB_PASSWORD,” you update these values here and save the file.
Before proceeding, it’s prudent to create a duplicate of the original wp-config.php file and store it in a different location on your computer.
This precautionary step ensures that you have a backup of the database information in case any issues arise and you require data from the current site location.
Step 12: Access the phpMyAdmin for the new site. Opt for the recently established empty database. Proceed to import the SQL database, which was earlier exported from the original location. To do so, select the new database in the left window, navigate to the “Import” tab, choose the file for import, and then click “Go.”
Select the database zip file you previously exported, ensuring it’s ready for import as an SQL file. Finally, initiate the import by clicking “Start Import.”
Step 13: Your subsequent task involves uploading the WordPress files to the new installation. Access the File Manager in the cPanel of the newly established site installation, or connect via SFTP/FTP to the new site’s location. Proceed to upload the “public_html” folder to its new location.
Step 14: In scenarios where you’re migrating from a staging site, subdomain, or a distinct domain name, consider installing a plugin like Better Search Replace on the migrated site. This plugin aids in transitioning all old site URLs to the new domain name URLs.
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How to Pointing Your Domain Name To The New Website
Once you have successfully migrated your WordPress site to a new host, the next step involves connecting your new site to your domain name.
To accomplish this, you can either update the new IP address in the DNS records or if you prefer to retain the DNS records on your web hosting, you can modify the nameserver settings on your domain hosting account.
Here is a step-by-step guide:
Step 1: Log in to your domain hosting account. (For the purpose of this demonstration, I’ll be using Namecheap.)
Step 2: Select the specific domain that you intend to use for your new site.
Step 3: Click on “Manage Domain” and then choose “Advanced DNS.”
Step 4: In the A Record section, input “@” for Host and include the new IP address provided by your new web hosting provider in the “Value” field. The TTL (Time to Live) setting should be set to automatic.
Step 5: In the CNAME record section, use “www” for the Host, your new domain name for the “Value,” and set the TTL to “Automatic.”
Step 6: Save the changes you’ve made.
Adhere to the guidelines provided by your particular domain hosting provider to ensure that all DNS records are accurate and updated to direct to your new website’s location. Please be patient and allow a timeframe of 24 to 72 hours for full internet propagation to take effect.
Effortless Approach to Transfer a WordPress Website
The process of migrating a WordPress website can be smooth and hassle-free. If your hosting provider cannot handle the migration, there are plugins available that simplify the entire process. In certain exceptional cases, you might need to resort to SFTP/FTP for migrating a more intricate site.
Nevertheless, the steps involved in WordPress migration are consistently similar but ensure you allocate ample time for the migration process. With practice, you will become proficient in effortlessly transferring WordPress sites from one host to another!
Would you like to read more about how to move a WordPress Site to a New Host-related article? If so, we invite you to take a look at our other tech topics before you leave!
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