A well executed site move is invisible to visitors - mishaps come from skipped steps, not from the difficulty of the operation itself. Moving a website to a new server is essentially three things: copying the site, checking the copy works, and pointing traffic at the new place. Problems start when someone does it in the wrong order or forgets the elements that travel with the site as a package - above all the mailboxes.
Below I walk through the whole thing: when a move makes sense at all, what exactly gets moved, how to do it without downtime and what it costs.
When moving to a different host makes sense
Not every problem with a site is the server’s fault, so before you start packing, make sure the reason is on the right side. Good reasons are:
- Hosting holds the site back despite the site being slimmed down - if the site is already optimized and still drags, the server can be the culprit; how to recognise that I described in the piece on how hosting affects site speed
- Support does not answer - when an outage leaves you waiting days for a reply, you are paying for hosting without the most important part of the service
- No current PHP versions - an old host that does not offer newer versions eventually blocks WordPress and plugin updates, which is the shortest route to an outage
- The price rises for no reason - renewal gets more expensive year on year while the scope of the service stays the same
If, on the other hand, the site is slow because it is overloaded with plugins and heavy images - a move will change nothing, because the problem travels with it. When in doubt: diagnosis first, decision second.
What gets moved: files, database, domain and email
A WordPress site is two worlds: files (the engine, theme, plugins, images) and the database (content, settings, orders) - if you read my piece on the WordPress backup, you already know that split. On top of that comes the configuration: SSL certificate, PHP version, server settings.
Two things people think about least often, and which cause the most damage:
- The domain - good news: the domain does NOT have to change registrar. It stays where it is, and all you change are its DNS records, meaning you point the internet at the server where your site now lives.
- Mailboxes - the most commonly forgotten element. If mail runs on the old host, you have to create the mailboxes on the new one and move the messages before you repoint the domain. Skip that and after the move email stops arriving or the correspondence archive disappears.
Two scenarios: the host moves it for you, or you do it by hand
Scenario one: the destination host moves it. Many hosting companies move a site for free when you switch to them - for them it is a customer acquisition cost. Before you pay anyone for a move, ask the new host whether they will do it as part of the switch. The downside: they move the site, but they rarely watch everything else - the email, the tests, the order of the repointing.
Scenario two: a manual move - by you or by a developer. Full control over every step: a fresh copy, restoration on the new server, testing, DNS repointing. More work, but it is the only route when the site is non-standard, has a store or has mail with years of archive.
Moving a WordPress site step by step - with no downtime
The order matters more here than the tools. It goes like this:
- Lower the TTL on the DNS records the day before the operation. TTL tells the internet how long to remember the old server address - the shorter it is, the faster the world notices the change.
- Take a fresh copy of the site (files plus database) and set it up on the new server. The old site keeps running normally the whole time.
- Test the copy on a temporary address - hosts provide a preview address like that. You click around the site, check subpages, forms, the basket.
- Repoint the domain’s DNS to the new server.
- Do not delete the old version. DNS spreads across the internet gradually - some visitors will keep landing on the old server for a while, and the site has to work there too. You switch the old hosting off only once all the traffic has moved to the new one.
What helps: freeze changes on the site for the duration of the move - new posts, edits - and for a store pick the quietest hours. Anything saved on the old server after the database was copied will not move by itself and will be lost.
What to check after the move
Repointing DNS is not the end - here is the checklist for day one after:
- The SSL certificate on the new server - without it browsers scare visitors with an unsafe-site warning
- Email works both ways - send and receive a test message on every mailbox
- Forms send - a contact form can quietly stop working after a move, and you find out after a week of silence
- Backups set up again - backups from the old host did not move themselves, and a site without a copy is asking for trouble
- Database details in the config - a typical mishap after a manual move is wrong database credentials in the wp-config file, which ends in the “Error establishing a database connection” message
What moving a website to a new server costs
First check the free option: as I wrote above, some hosts move a site for free when you switch to them. If you commission the move from a developer, moving a typical WordPress site on the market usually runs from a few hundred zloty to around 1,500 PLN - and I stress, that is rough market reality, not a price list. The upper part of the range covers sites with mail on many mailboxes, stores and cases where there is simply more to test.
And if you do not know whether your problem is the server or the site itself - do not guess and do not pay for a move blind. Send me a link to the site and as part of the free diagnosis I will check where the problem sits and whether a move is needed at all. For clients I look after permanently I do operations like this within ongoing site care - together with the tests and watching the email.
Frequently asked questions
How long does moving a site take? The technical move of a typical site is hours of work, not days. It is still worth planning the whole operation across a day or two, mainly because of how DNS spreads, not because of the work itself.
Will the site be unavailable during the move? With the right order - no. The old version keeps running until all the traffic has moved to the new server, so visitors notice nothing.
Do I have to move the domain to the new host? No. The domain can stay with your current registrar - you only change the DNS records in its settings so it points at the new server.
What about email after moving the site? If the mailboxes run on the old host, you have to create them on the new one and move the messages before repointing the domain. Skipping that step is the most common reason for “vanishing” email after a move.
Would rather not watch over it every month yourself? I take sites and stores under ongoing care - backups, updates, monitoring, and priority when something breaks. Tell me what you run and I will send back scope and price.