Changing Web Host: A Migration Checklist
By CodexierPublished 5 min read
Changing web host sounds like a technical afternoon, and it often is, until email stops arriving, the site shows a certificate warning or the old host deletes the account before everything was copied. Almost every problem in a host migration comes from doing steps in the wrong order or forgetting something that lived on the old server. This checklist goes through the inventory, the copy and test, DNS timing, certificates and redirects, and the checks to do before you cancel the old account.
Inventory: site, database, email
Many small companies bought hosting, domain and email as one package years ago and do not know what depends on what. Log in to the old control panel and list everything. The item people forget most often is email: if the old host also runs your mailboxes, moving DNS without planning for mail can cut it off.
- Website files and the platform version, such as WordPress and its PHP version.
- Databases, with names, users and sizes.
- Email accounts, aliases, forwarding rules and how much mail is stored on the server.
- DNS records: A, AAAA, CNAME, MX, TXT including SPF, DKIM and DMARC, plus verification records for Google and Microsoft.
- Scheduled jobs, server-side redirects and custom server settings.
- Where the domain is registered and who has the login, which may be a different company from the host.
Copy and test on the new host
Take a full backup first and store it outside both hosts. Then copy files and databases to the new host, set the same PHP or runtime version as before, and update configuration such as database credentials. Test the copy before anyone outside can see it, either through a temporary address the new host provides or by pointing your own computer at the new server through the hosts file.
- Full backup of files and databases, downloaded and stored separately.
- Copy to the new host and match runtime versions.
- Test key pages, logins, search, forms, checkout and admin.
- Check that outgoing email from forms and orders works from the new server.
- Set up backups and monitoring on the new host before going live.
DNS timing and TTL
DNS records have a time to live, the TTL, which tells resolvers how long to cache the answer. If it is set to a day, some visitors will keep reaching the old server for up to a day after you change it. Lower the TTL to a few minutes at least one full old-TTL period before the switch, then change the records at a quiet time. After the switch has settled, raise the TTL again.
| When | Action |
|---|---|
| Two days before | Lower the TTL on the records you will change |
| Switch time | Freeze content changes on the old site; do a final database sync |
| Switch | Update A or CNAME records for the site; leave MX unchanged unless email is moving too |
| First hours | Check the site from several networks; watch error logs on both servers |
| After a few days | Raise the TTL back to normal |
If email is moving too, migrate the mailboxes first, update MX records separately and keep the old mailboxes readable until nothing new arrives there.
Take care with the TXT records for SPF, DKIM and DMARC: if the new host sends email for your domain, SPF must include it, or messages will land in spam. Our guide to SPF, DKIM and DMARC explains the records.
SSL and redirects
Most hosts issue free certificates automatically, but only once the domain points to them. Plan for a short window, or issue the certificate in advance using DNS validation if the host supports it. After the switch, confirm that every version of the address, with and without www, over http and https, ends up at the same canonical https address with a single redirect.
- Certificate valid for both the bare domain and www.
- Redirects from http to https and between www and non-www, in one hop.
- Old server-level redirects recreated on the new host.
- No mixed-content warnings from hard-coded http links.
After the move: checks and cancellation
- Submit a test through every form and check it arrives.
- Place a test order if you have a shop, and check confirmation emails.
- Check Google Search Console for crawl errors over the next week.
- Verify that the first scheduled backup on the new host ran and can be restored.
- Download a final backup from the old host, then cancel it, noting the notice period.
When you do not need help: a simple site where the host offers a migration tool and email is handled elsewhere can often be moved by the owner in an evening with this list. Help pays off for shops, sites with custom server setups, or when email moves at the same time. Our monthly maintenance package covers hosting, backups and monitoring after the move; see pricing or book a call. For what hosting should cost, see web hosting costs explained.
Frequently asked questions
Will the website be down during the move?
Not if the steps are done in order. The copy is tested before DNS changes, and with a low TTL visitors move to the new server within minutes. The only freeze is on content changes during the final sync.
Do we have to move the domain too?
No. The domain registration and the hosting are separate. You can keep the domain where it is and just point its DNS records at the new host. Moving the domain is a separate task you can do later.
What happens to our email when we change host?
If email is hosted elsewhere, such as Google Workspace or Microsoft 365, nothing, as long as the MX records are left unchanged. If the old host runs your mailboxes, plan a separate mailbox migration before you cancel.
How long should we keep the old hosting account?
At least until forms, email, orders and backups are verified on the new host, typically one to two weeks. Download a final backup before cancelling.
Move host without losing mail or visitors
Tell us where the site, domain and email are today and where you want to move. In fifteen minutes we can list the risks and tell you whether it is a DIY job.
Book a free 15-minute call