Migrate WordPress Website to New Host Without Downtime

Hosting is a foundational element of a WordPress, and since it’s a self-hosted platform, you get choices. You can select the best hosting for your website based on a range of key features. But what if your current hosting isn’t working well? Can you migrate WordPress website to new host? Yes. But will it result in downtime?

Well, if you are a business relying on the online presence, even a few hours of downtime can result in lost revenue. And the user satisfaction will go down. But don’t worry; there are ways to migrate a WordPress website to a new host without downtime.

Through this blog, I’ll explain the key migration approaches adopted by a professional WordPress development company and what you need to do. Let’s begin.

Why Migrate Your WordPress Website to a New Host?

There are several scenarios where migrating the site to a new host would be a good idea. Here are a few common ones.

• Poor Performance & Slow Loading Times: Anytime your site is slow or goes down due to server problems, a faster, more reliable host will help optimize the user’s experience and rank better on search engines.
• Frequent Downtime or Unreliability: Should your current host frequently suffer outages or lack proper uptime guarantees, migrating to a more stable one ensures better availability.
• Inadequate Customer Support: If the hosting company that you are with has poor, unhelpful, and sometimes even nonexistent customer support, switching to a completely different company where you can talk to someone that can actually help you-can save you a lot of time and aggravation.
• Security Concerns: If your host has weak security measures (e.g., no SSL, poor malware protection, or frequent breaches), moving to a more secure host can protect your site from attacks.
• Outgrowing Your Current Plan: If your site sees more traffic with no growth on your current host and needs an upgrade to a better-performing VPS, cloud, or dedicated server, then it might be time to look for other options.
• High Costs & Poor Value: If you’re overpaying for limited resources, migrating to a more affordable host with better features (e.g., free backups, CDN, or SSL) can save money.
• Need for Better Features or Technology: Has your host not kept up with commonly accepted standards (for eg., SSD storage, HTTP/3, PHP 8+ support, staging environments)? Then consider a faster and more efficient host.
• Server Location & Latency Issues: If your audience is mostly in a different region than your server, migrating to a host with data centers closer to your visitors can reduce latency.
• Restrictive Hosting Policies: If your host imposes strict limits (e.g., CPU/RAM throttling, banned plugins, or forced ads on free plans), move to a more flexible host. It gives you better control.
• Mergers or Hosting Company Shutdowns: If your hosting provider is being acquired or shutting down, migrating proactively avoids unexpected disruptions.

Migrating your WordPress website may seem complex, but it improves site performance, security, and scalability. By choosing the right host, you can ensure seamless website operations without unnecessary downtime.

How to Migrate a WordPress Website Using Plugin?

Migrating a WordPress website to a new host using the Duplicator plugin is one of the easiest and most reliable methods. The Duplicator plugin simplifies the migration process by packaging your entire site into a single package that can be easily transferred to the new host. Here are the steps to migrate your site:

Step 1: Install and Activate the Duplicator Plugin on Your Current Site

• Log in to your WordPress dashboard of the site you wish to migrate.
• Navigate to Plugins > Add New.
• In the search bar, type ‘Duplicator’.
• Locate Duplicator – Backups & Migration Plugin by Snap Creek and click ‘Install Now’, then ‘Activate’.

Step 2: Create a Backup Package of Your Website

After having been activated, Duplicator displays its menu on the dashboard.

• Click on Duplicator > Packages.
• Click on ‘Create New’ to start creating a new package.
• In the ‘Setup’ section, you can assign a name to the package for identification purposes.
• Click ‘Next’ to proceed.
• The plugin scans the system to check that everything is working well.
• Click ‘Build’ after the scanning is complete and passes all the tests. Next, you can wait until the build is finished.

The successful build will yield two files. An installer file (installer.php) and archive file (a compressed version of your site).

Step 3: Prepare the New Hosting Environment

• Log in to the hosting cPanel.
• To create a new MySQL database, proceed to the ‘MySQL Databases’ section.
• Create a new database and jot down the name of the database.
• Create a new database user. Give a strong password to this user and grant all privileges on the newly created database to this user.

Note down the database name, username, and password for further use.

Step 4: Upload the Duplicator Files to the New Host

• Either use an FTP client (e.g., FileZilla) or the file manager in your hosting control panel for uploading files to your new hosting account.
• Go to the root directory (usually called public_html or www) of your new site.
• Both the installer.php file and archive file (.zip) should go into this particular location.

Step 5: Run the Duplicator Installer

• Open your web browser and type http://yournewdomain.com/installer.php. Replace the placeholder ‘yournewdomain.com’ with your actual domain name.
• The Duplicator installer will launch.
• Review the Pre-Installation checks to ensure all requirements are met, then check the acknowledgment box and click Next.

Step 6: Deploy the WordPress Site

In the deployment step, verify the archive file is detected.

• Provide the same database details you created before; that is the name of the database, username and password.
• Test the connection for the database, so that you may confirm if the credentials are right.
• Click ‘Next’ if the test is successful.

Once the installation is complete, follow the final prompts to test everything is functioning correctly.

Step 7: Update Your Domain’s DNS Settings

Access your domain registrar’s account. Make modifications to DNS records; pointing them toward nameservers of your new web host.

DNS propagation can take from a few hours to as long as 48 hours for your site to be up and down between the older host and the newer host.

Step 8: Verify the Migration

• Ensure all pages load correctly by testing each.
• Look for broken links and missing images.
• Test forms, interactive elements, and any custom functionalities.

By following the above steps, you can migrate your WordPress website to a new host using the Duplicator plugin. Now let’s find out how WordPress migration services providers migrate the site manually.

How to Migrate a WordPress Website to a New Host Manually? (Without Plugin)

Manually migrating a WordPress website from one host to another can be a more complicated process compared to the use of a plugin. But it gives you entire control in the process. Here’s how it goes.

Step 1: Backup Your Website Files

• Connect to your present server using either an FTP client (for example, FileZilla). Or you can use the file manager provided by your host.
• Go to the public_html or root folder, where your WordPress files can be found.
• Choose all the files and folders and download them to a safe location in your local computer. This will include the core WordPress files, themes, plugins, and media uploads.

Step 2: Export Your WordPress Database

• Log into your hosting control panel and go to phpMyAdmin.
• Select the database for your WordPress site.
• Click on ‘Export’ to export the database.
• Choose the ‘Quick export’ method and ensure the format is set to SQL.
• Click ‘Go’ to download the database file to your computer.

Step 3: Create a New Database on Your New Host

• Log into the new hosting account.
• Locate the section on MySQL Databases.
• Create a new database and take note of its name.
• Create a new user and assign a strong password.
• Grant this user all privileges on the database created earlier.

Step 4: Upload Website Files to the New Host

• Connect to the new hosting server using an FTP client.
• Open the public_html directory or appropriate root folder.
• Transfer all your website files from the local computer into the newly created directory.

Step 5: Import the Database to the New Host

• Go to the new host’s control panel, open up ‘phpMyAdmin’.
• Select the database that you created.
• Click on the ‘Import’ tab to start importing the Database.
• After that, click ‘Choose File’ and select the SQL file you exported from your old host.
• Confirm that it is in SQL format, then click ‘Go’ to start the import.

Step 6: Update the wp-config.php File

• Search for the wp-config.php file in the root directory of your website files on the new host. 
• Now, update the database information by opening the file in a text editor. 
• Update the following lines with your new database credentials:

define('DB_NAME', 'new_database_name');
define('DB_USER', 'new_database_user');
define('DB_PASSWORD', 'new_database_password');
define('DB_HOST', 'localhost');

• Save and upload your updated wp-config.php file back to the server.

Step 7: Update DNS Settings

• Obtain the nameserver details from your new hosting provider.
• Login to the account where your domain is registered.
• Replace the old nameservers with the new ones given by your hosting provider.

Understand that the DNS changes can take up to 48 hours for global propagation.

Step 8: Finalize and Test Your Website

• Go to your website to be sure all the pages load properly.
• Check that the internal links and forms and other user-interactive areas are working just like they should.
• Log in to your WordPress dashboard, go to Settings > Permalinks, and click ‘Save changes’ to flush all links.

By following the above steps, you can successfully migrate your WordPress website to a new host without the need for plugins. This manual approach ensures you have complete control over each aspect of the migration process.

But since it’s more complex than just installing a plugin, it’ll be better to hire professionals. Our dedicated WordPress migration services can sort out the shift to a new domain, hosting, or even a new platform, effectively.

Tips to Ensure a Smooth Migration Without Downtime

Migrating a WordPress website without downtime requires careful planning and execution. Follow these best practices to ensure a seamless transition:

• Choose the Right Hosting Provider: Choosing the appropriate hosting provider is very important so that you don’t get hassle while using services from them. It would be best if you chose a host that offered free migration services or even tools that would help you to ease the process.
• Keep Your Current Host Active: First, wait until the migrated site is fully working on the new host. Then cancel your existing hosting plan.
• Use a Staging Environment: A place where you test a site before you make it go live. You can always resolve design or functionality issues before anything disruptive happens.
• Backup Your Website Completely: Before migration, a complete backup of your website should be taken. Use UpdraftPlus or Duplicator or any other plugin to make your files and database safe and secure.
• Update Your Domain’s DNS Records Last: Updating your domain DNS records is the last action of migration. The TTL settings need to be lowered beforehand to facilitate speedy DNS propagation.
• Keep the Old Site Running: Keeping the old site running as a fallback prevents potential downtime. Wait until you confirm the new site is fully functional before canceling the old host.
• Test Website Functionality: A functionality test run post-migration compares the performances. It is to compare performance for the tasks as being performed by GTMetrix or Google Page Speed Insights in optimizing speeds for loading.

With these tips, you can make sure the migration of your WordPress website with absolutely no downtime.

FAQs About Migrating WordPress Website to New Host

Wrapping Up

If you have the right planning and approach, you can migrate your WordPress website without having any downtime. The method you will use will depend on the requirements you have and your preferences.

• Use a Plugin if: You prefer a fairly easy-to-do and automated process requiring very little technical work. Duplicator or All-in-One WP Migration would be great plugins for users looking for fast, hassle-free migration.
• Manual Method if: You want complete control over the migration, or the website is too complex for simple plugins to make the move. This method does suit the technically experienced user who enjoys handling files and databases manually.

If you are looking to migrate your WordPress website, consider having a consultation with us today!