How to Migrate a Website to a New Web Hosting Provider

Migrating a website can seem intimidating, but it’s mostly about gathering the right information and sharing it with the right people. You don’t need to understand how websites work behind the scenes; you just need to follow the steps below.

Step 1: Understand What You’re Migrating

Every website consists of three components. These components are frequently with the same provider, but they don’t have to be, and it is not uncommon for each of these components to be with a different provider.

• Registrar 

This is where a domain name (i.e., mycompany.com) is purchased, registered, and renewed. Domain names are unique, meaning a domain name cannot be registered with more than one Registrar or by more than one entity at a time. The domain name is the first step to a website.

• DNS Host

DNS records are the control tower of a domain. They translate domain names into IP addresses and services that devices use to locate websites, email servers, and other resources used by domains.

• Web Host

A web host is where a domain’s website files and databases are stored. When someone accesses a website, they are accessing the server of the provider that hosts that domain. The Web Host’s server stores the following:

• • Website Files

• • • These are the “body” of the website (images, code, theme files)
    • These must be copied to the new host
  • Website Database
    • The database is the “brain” of the website, storing data needed for the site to function
    • This is the content that is edited through an admin dashboard, such as page content and blog posts, user accounts and passwords, site settings and plugin settings, contact form entries and newsletter signups, internal links and URL structure, and e-commerce data.

Step 2: Gather the Information You Need

To migrate a website (change web hosting provider), you will need someone to compress the files that are on the current Web Host, someone who can extract and set up the website files on the new Web Host, and you will need someone who can access the DNS Host so they can update the DNS records when the website is set up and ready on the new Web Host.

You’ll need access to three accounts:

• Current DNS Host
  • Common DNS Hosts: GoDaddy, Namecheap, Google Domains, Network Solutions.
  • What to find: Admin login username and password

• Current Web Hosting Provider Account
  • This account is with the provider who currently hosts your website. You log into this account to edit your website.
  • Common web host providers: Bluehost, HostGator, WP Engine, Squarespace, Wix.
  • What to find :

• • • Admin login username and password
    • Where your website files are stored
    • Where your database is stored
    • How to download a backup (many hosts have a “Backup” or “Export” option)
    • If you can’t find these, ask support: “Can you tell me how to download a full backup of my website and database?”
• New Web Hosting Provider Account

• • This is where your website will be moved.
  • What to find:

• • • Admin login username and password
    • Instructions for uploading your website
    • The new web host’s DNS information (often called A, CNAME, TXT, etc. records)
    • Your new hosting provider can walk you through this, if needed (they do it all the time).

Step 3: Get a Full Backup of Your Website

You’ll need two things:

• Website Files (these are usually downloaded as a .zip file)
• Database (these are often downloaded as a .sql file

If you don’t know how to do this, simply ask your current host: “Please provide a full backup of my website files and database.” They will either send it to you or tell you where to download it.

Step 4: Give the Backup to Your New Web Hosting Provider

Once you have the backup files:

• Log in to your new web hosting account
• Look for “Migration,” “Import,” or “Upload Website”
• Or simply open a support ticket and say: “Here is my website backup. Can you please migrate it for me?” Most hosting companies will do the migration for free or for a small fee.

Step 5: Update Your DNS Settings

Updating the DNS settings is the step that connects your domain to the new web host.

Updates to DNS settings are done at your DNS host, not your web host.

• Your new web hosting provider will give you the DNS records that will need to be updated at your DNS host. The DNS records that will need to be updated are usually a combination of A, CNAME, and TXT records.
• Log in to your DNS host and go to the DNS records page. Update the DNS records as instructed by the new web host.

Step 6: Wait for the Changes to Take Effect

DNS changes take time, sometimes many hours to fully update worldwide.

During this time:

• Your site may switch back and forth between old and new hosting
• This is normal and temporary

Step 7: Test the Website

Once the DNS has updated:

• Visit your website
• Click through all pages
• Test forms, logins, or anything interactive
• Ask a friend to check from another device

If something looks wrong, contact the new web host to ask them to fix it.

Step 8: Cancel Your Old Hosting (Optional)

Once everything works on the new host, you can safely cancel the old hosting plan.

Do not cancel it before the migration is complete.

Congratulations! Your website has now moved to a new web hosting provider.