How to move a WordPress site to a new host
Moving a WordPress site isn't hard, but it's easy to miss a step. The site itself usually comes across fine. It's the contact form that stops sending, the mailbox nobody remembered, or the DNS change made at 4pm on a Friday that causes the trouble. Here's the order we do it in.
Last updated
The short answer
Copy the WordPress files and database to the new host, test the site on a temporary address, then lower the DNS cache time and point the domain at the new server. Keep the old host running for about a week. Check forms, email, SSL and logins straight after the switch, and don't forget mailboxes if email is on the same hosting.
What a WordPress site is made of
Every WordPress site is two things: files (WordPress itself, your theme, plugins and the uploads folder with every image) and a database (pages, posts, settings, users and, for a shop, orders). Both have to move together and match. Email, DNS records and SSL sit alongside the site and need their own attention.
The parts people forget
Email on the same hosting
If your mailboxes are on the old host, they need moving too, or mail stops the moment DNS changes.
Website email
Contact forms and order emails often rely on the old server's mail setup. Test that they still send from the new one.
Other DNS records
Records for Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, newsletters or booking tools must be copied exactly when DNS moves.
Hard-coded addresses
If the domain or temporary address changes, a proper search and replace in the database stops broken images and links.
Who this is for
- Business owners changing hosts who want to understand the steps, or check their web person's plan.
- Web designers moving a client site and wanting a checklist.
- Anyone whose last move broke the contact form or lost email.
Step by step
- List everything on the old host. Every domain and subdomain, mailboxes, cron jobs, and where the DNS is managed. Take a full backup first.
- Copy the files and database. Use a migration plugin, the host's backup tools, or copy files by SFTP and export the database. Bring the uploads folder in full.
- Test on a temporary address. Load the site on the new server before DNS moves. Click through pages, send a test form, log in, and run a test order if it's a shop.
- Lower the DNS cache time. A day before, set the TTL on your records to five minutes or so. The switch then spreads quickly instead of over a day or two.
- Switch the DNS. Point the domain at the new server, copying every other record exactly. Do it early in the week, not before a weekend.
- Check, then wait a week. Confirm SSL, forms, email and backups on the new host. Keep the old hosting for about a week before cancelling it.
How WaTo can help
- We move WordPress sites to our Australian hosting for free, including email, tested before the switch.
- If the move turns up problems, like outdated plugins or a hacked file, we can fix them on the way.
- We handle the DNS change, or give you the exact records and stay on hand while you make it.
WordPress migration questions
Will my site go down while I move it?
It shouldn't. The old site stays live until DNS changes, and both copies run while the change spreads. Downtime usually comes from switching DNS before the new copy has been tested.
Do I need a migration plugin?
No, but it helps for small sites. Large sites and shops are often more reliable to move with the host's own tools or a manual copy of the files and database.
How long should I keep my old hosting?
About a week after the switch. That covers anyone whose network was still pointing at the old server, and gives you a fallback if something was missed.
Will moving hosts affect my Google rankings?
Not if the domain and page addresses stay the same and the site stays up. Changing the domain or page addresses is a bigger job that needs redirects.
How WaTo can help with this
Sources & references
WaTo Consulting. Last reviewed 2026-10-17. Review after major WordPress or hosting changes.
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