3 Steps: How to Move a WordPress Site to a New Host (2024)

Learning how to move a WordPress site, whether from one host to another or to a new domain name, can be a tedious process wrought with peril should something go wrong. You want the transition to go quickly to minimize downtime, but any misstep could extend your misery.

Thankfully, however, many of the top hosts will handle migrations for you — and provide tools that make manual transfers extremely simple.

We’ll share our recommendations and step-by-step guides for moving your WordPress site to a new host, new domain, and new server.

Free Migration Hosts (3) | Switching Hosts | Domain Transfer | Server Migration

Beginners, experts, and brands large and small tackle WordPress host migration every day, so you’re not alone. Please keep in mind the steps below are general guidelines you must follow. Depending on the structural complexity of your site and server, there may be additional housekeeping needed to ensure a flawless migration.

Moving any site involves three elements: the website files (your blog content, media library, themes), the host server on which they’re stored, and the domain where visitors can find your site on the web. Rest assured, your WordPress website will be snuggled into its new home by the day’s end.

1. Choose a Web Host With Free WordPress Migration Assistance

First, you’ll need a new host, preferably one that specializes in WordPress plans. We recommend choosing one that offers free migration assistance — that is, of course, assuming you’d rather not perform tasks, such as exporting and creating a new database from the migrating site or editing the wp-config.php file, on your own.

Note that hosts that offer free WordPress migrations primarily only do so for new customer accounts. The free WordPress migration is an incentive to sign up. If you’d like to migrate someone’s WordPress site to your existing hosting account, you’ll either be directed to the host’s knowledgebase for a tutorial, or you may be asked to pay a small fee for someone to do it for you.

Regardless, these hosts strike the right balance of free migrations and friendly WordPress support:

See other top WordPress hosts »

2. Back Up and Transfer Your Website Files

Once you’ve selected your new WordPress hosting plan, follow the setup prompts provided by the company. Do not install WordPress yet, as you’ll want to back up your files in your existing control panel (e.g., cPanel or Plesk) first.

Even if you don’t know what the backup means or its exact contents, you’ll have it on hand in the event of an unexpected error that makes you wish you could travel back in time.

If you’re using a free migration host, now’s the time to request a transfer service! A quick Google search for “HostName website transfer request” will guide you to the appropriate form and migration instructions.

You’ll get a confirmation email that says your new host is working on your project, and it will likely include a contact person to stay in touch with. Stay up to date with the transfer by emailing your contact at the new host.

If you’re handling the migration yourself, this guide sums up the steps well:

1. Backup your WordPress site files using an FTP program.
2. Export your WordPress database within the phpMyAdmin program in your control panel.
3. Create a new WordPress database on your new host server.
4. Edit the wp-config.php file to reflect the new database name and user info.
5. Import your saved database and upload your WordPress files to your new host.

And, voila! Your WordPress site has a new home. The final step is to point your WordPress site’s domain name to your new host’s nameservers.

3. Switch Your DNS Record Settings

Once your site transfer is complete, you’ll need to change the DNS of the domain name to point to the new host. To do this, simply log into the original domain registrar of the WordPress site, navigate to the DNS section, and change the two name servers to those given to you by your new web host.

For example, if you’re switching your DNS from GoDaddy, your nameservers might be:

NS41.DOMAINCONTROL.COM
NS42.DOMAINCONTROL.COM

To point your domain to InMotion’s nameservers instead, you would change them to:

NS.INMOTIONHOSTING.COM
NS2.INMOTIONHOSTING.COM

That’s it, except for that slightly annoying propagation time your domain might experience!

Your website will now live on a new web host, and you can explore the tools your new host offers. At the same time, you should click around your site to test any broken links or images. Never underestimate the importance of QA!

Moving a WordPress site to a new domain is actually a bit trickier than moving to a new host. But, as with most tasks in WordPress, where there’s a will, there’s a way!

Think back to when Mark Zuckerberg decided to change TheFacebook.com to Facebook.com. Unfortunately, he couldn’t just delete the “the” and call it a day. Changing domain names isn’t as simple as adding or deleting characters. You have to move files and change some database information. Let’s take a look at how to do this.

Note: I strongly recommend pulling up the live chat support to guide you through this process, because, depending on the web host, there may be additional steps required.

1. Purchase a New Domain Name Registration

First, create a new domain name in your hosting account. You can browse available domains and purchase the one you want from a third-party registrar, or you can skip the middleman by selecting a hosting provider that lets you handle your domain registration at signup (often covering the initial year’s registration fees!). Make sure your new domain is pointed to the host that is or will be supporting your WordPress site. Here are our three favorite hosts for domain registration and support:

See other top domain hosts »

2. Migrate Your WordPress Site Files

Next, log into your cPanel file manager and copy the entire set of public_html files from the site you’d like to move.

Head to the new file manager file of your new domain name. Paste the previously copied files there. You’ll now have two copies of the same site in two separate locations. Next, head to your phpMyAdmin account.

Find the directory labeled “wrdp” associated with your old domain name on the left. If you own and operate several domains, this can be a bit challenging at first.

Click the plus sign next to your domain to expand options. Click “wp_options,” and in the section labeled “siteurl” at the top, click on the pencil icon to edit. In the middle box, change the old URL to your new URL, then click “Save” or “Go.”

3. De-Index URLs of the Old Domain Site

You’ve now moved your WordPress site to a new domain name, but people can still access your WordPress site at your old domain name. It would be wise to install a plugin, such as Yoast SEO, on the old site, and have search engines de-index any/all URLs of the old site you’d rather people not use or find.

If you strictly want to move your WordPress site or blog to a new (upgraded) server, there’s good news and bad news.

The bad news is that your current server isn’t getting the job done. It’s too slow, too expensive, or too cheap. Or perhaps it won’t let you host multiple domains or isn’t equipped with cPanel — or maybe it got hacked by foreign robot spies. That’s a lot of potentially bad news, so, hopefully, it doesn’t all apply to you.

The good news: It’s easy to move a site to a new server. In fact, most hosts will upgrade servers for you and move everything as well. You’ll simply pay them the difference. Of course, if you need to migrate to a new host altogether as part of your server migration, see above first. To recap, here are the steps to migrate your WordPress site itself:

Step 1: Log into your control panel, back up your site files via the file manager, and export your site database via phpMyAdmin.

Step 2: Create a new database on your new host server, and edit the wp-config file to include the new database name and login credentials. Import your saved database, and upload your WordPress files.

Step 3: Ensure your DNS settings are in place, and conduct a final QA before shutting down your old server or canceling your shared hosting account.

By using the free resources at your disposal, you can move into your WordPress site’s new home in just a few minutes. You don’t need to be a tech expert, but do take notes on what your live chat helpers tell you for future migrations.

Take your time and methodically go through each step to ensure everything goes smoothly. Although the process may seem daunting, breaking everything down into small steps makes things much more manageable.

Now, go impress your clients and have fun in your new hosting environment!