How to Migrate WordPress Site to New Host

If you’ve never done it before, figuring out how to migrate a WordPress site to a new host can feel risky. You don’t want broken pages, white screens, or a site that disappears while DNS catches up.

The good news is you can move your WordPress site safely if you follow a clear checklist: back up everything, copy your files and database, update configuration, point your domain to the new server, and test before going live.

In this guide, you’ll learn step by step how to migrate a WordPress site to a new host using the traditional manual method. We’ll also look at plugin-based and host-assisted options so you can choose the WordPress migration style that fits your comfort level.

What You Need Before You Migrate a WordPress Site to a New Host

• Admin access to your current WordPress dashboard.
• cPanel or hosting control panel access (old host and new host).
• FTP/SEO and UX, and where you will see it in daily work.”>SFTP credentials or File Manager access on both servers.
• Access to your domain DNS (domain registrar or DNS provider).
• Optional: A staging subdomain on the new host for testing.

Step 1: Choose and Prepare Your New Host for WordPress Site Migration

Before you can move anything, your new hosting account must be ready to receive your WordPress site.

1. Sign up for your new hosting plan and complete account setup.
2. In the new host’s control panel, create a new site or add your domain (often called Add-on Domain or New Site).
3. Note down:
   • The document root path (e.g. public_html or example.com/public).
   • FTP/SFTP host, username, and password.
   • Database host (often localhost), name, username, and password (you’ll create these soon).
4. If your new host offers a staging subdomain, create it now so you can test the migrated copy before switching DNS.

Step 2: Back Up Your WordPress Site Before You Migrate to a New Host

To migrate a WordPress site to a new host safely, you need two things from the old server:

• All WordPress files (core, themes, plugins, uploads).
• Your WordPress database (posts, settings, users, etc.).

2.1 Download WordPress Files for Migration to a New Host

1. Connect to your current host using FTP/SFTP or open File Manager in cPanel.
2. Navigate to the directory where WordPress is installed (often public_html or a subfolder).
3. Select all files and folders, including:
   • wp-admin, wp-includes, wp-content
   • wp-config.php and all other PHP files
4. Compress them into a single ZIP file if using File Manager (faster for download).
5. Download the ZIP or all files to your computer.

2.2 Export the WordPress Database for Site Transfer

1. In your current host’s control panel, open phpMyAdmin.
2. Select the database used by your WordPress site from the left sidebar.
3. Click the Export tab.
4. Choose Quick export method and SQL format.
5. Click Go to download the .sql file to your computer.

Step 3: Put Your Old WordPress Site in Maintenance Mode During Migration

While you migrate a WordPress site to a new host, you want to avoid new orders, comments, or posts being added to the old site because they won’t exist in your migrated copy.

1. Install a simple maintenance mode or coming soon plugin on the old site.
2. Activate it so regular visitors see a maintenance page.
3. Keep yourself logged in so you can still access the admin area if needed.

If your site is small and low traffic, you can sometimes skip this step, but it’s safer to enable maintenance mode during WordPress migration.

Step 4: Create a New Database for Your Migrated WordPress Site

Your migrated WordPress site needs a new database to import into.

1. Log in to the new host’s control panel and open MySQL Databases (or equivalent).
2. Create a new database (e.g. wp_mysite).
3. Create a new database user and assign a strong password.
4. Grant the user All Privileges on the new database.
5. Note down:
   • Database name
   • Database username
   • Database password
   • Database host (usually localhost on shared hosting)

Step 5: Upload WordPress Files to the New Hosting Server

Now you’ll copy your WordPress files to the new server as part of the migration.

1. Connect to the new host with FTP/SFTP or open its File Manager.
2. Go to the document root of your new site (e.g. public_html or example.com).
3. Upload the ZIP file containing your WordPress files.
4. Use File Manager to Extract the ZIP so all files are in the correct directory.
5. Confirm that wp-admin, wp-includes, wp-content, and wp-config.php exist on the new host.

Step 6: Import Your WordPress Database on the New Host

With your empty database created, it’s time to import your old content.

1. On the new host, open phpMyAdmin from the control panel.
2. Select the new database you created in Step 4.
3. Click the Import tab.
4. Click Choose File and select the .sql file you exported earlier.
5. Leave most settings at default and click Go.
6. Wait for the success message indicating all tables have been imported.

If your SQL file is very large, your host may have upload size limits. In that case, ask support to import it for you or use a command-line tool if available.

Step 7: Update wp-config.php After WordPress Site Migration

To complete the core migration, your WordPress configuration file must point to the new database.

1. In the new host’s File Manager, open wp-config.php for editing.
2. Find the lines that define your database settings:

   define( 'DB_NAME', 'old_db_name' ); define( 'DB_USER', 'old_db_user' ); define( 'DB_PASSWORD', 'old_db_password' ); define( 'DB_HOST', 'localhost' ); 

3. Replace DB_NAME, DB_USER, and DB_PASSWORD with the values from your new host.
4. Leave DB_HOST as localhost unless your host specifies a custom value.
5. Save the file.

If your domain name is staying the same, this is usually enough for WordPress to load correctly on the new host once DNS is updated.

Step 8: Update URLs After You Migrate a WordPress Site to a New Host

If you’re migrating a WordPress site to a new host with a different domain (or moving from example.com/blog to example.com), you need to update URLs in the database.

1. Temporarily log in to the WordPress dashboard on the new host using the server’s preview URL or hosts file trick (many hosts provide a preview link).
2. Install a reliable search and replace plugin or use a dedicated script recommended by your host.
3. Search for your old domain (e.g. https://oldsite.com) and replace it with your new domain (e.g. https://newsite.com).
4. Also update paths if you moved from a subfolder to root (e.g. /blog to /).
5. Run the tool and then clear any caches.

Step 9: Point Your Domain to the New WordPress Host (DNS Update)

Once your site looks correct on the new host, it’s time to send real visitors there.

9.1 Update Nameservers When You Migrate WordPress Hosting

1. Log in to your domain registrar (where you bought your domain).
2. Find the DNS or Nameservers section.
3. Replace the old nameservers with the new host’s nameservers (your host will provide these).
4. Save changes.

9.2 Or Update A Records to Point to the New Server

1. Locate the DNS zone for your domain (Cloudflare, registrar, or DNS provider).
2. Update the A record for @ and www to point to the new server’s IP address.
3. Save and apply changes.

DNS changes can take anywhere from a few minutes to 24 hours to propagate worldwide. During that time, some visitors may still see the old host while others see the new one.

Step 10: Test Your Migrated WordPress Site and Clean Up

After you migrate a WordPress site to a new host and update DNS, you should thoroughly test the live site.

1. Clear your browser cache or open a private/incognito window.
2. Visit your domain and confirm the site loads from the new host.
3. Click through key pages: Home, About, Services, Blog posts, Contact.
4. Test forms, checkout (if eCommerce), search, and login.
5. Check images, downloads, and embedded media.
6. Disable maintenance mode on the old site once you’re sure everything works.
7. After a few days, remove old backups from the previous host and cancel the old hosting plan if you no longer need it.

Quick Comparison of Ways to Migrate a WordPress Site to a New Host

Use this table to choose the best method for your situation when you migrate a WordPress site to a new host.

Conclusion: You Can Safely Migrate a WordPress Site to a New Host

You’ve seen how to migrate a WordPress site to a new host using a clear, repeatable process: back up files and database, copy them to the new server, update your configuration and URLs, point DNS to the new host, and test everything before shutting down the old account.

Once you’ve done this WordPress migration once, future moves become much less intimidating. Keep a copy of this checklist, document your host-specific details, and you’ll always have a reliable way to move your WordPress site without unnecessary downtime or surprises.

Frequently Asked Questions About Migrating a WordPress Site to a New Host