Migrating between hosting providers

Your website is stored on a server run by a hosting company. Switching to a different hosting provider (maybe for better performance, lower cost, or better support) is called a hosting migration.

Done carefully, a hosting migration is invisible to your visitors. Done carelessly, it can cause hours of downtime and data loss.

Hosting is the service that stores your website files and makes them accessible on the internet. Think of it like renting space on a server. When you move to a new host, you're moving all your website's files and data to a different company's server.

For WordPress sites (the most common migration type), this includes:

All WordPress files (your theme, plugins, uploaded images, etc.)
Your WordPress database (this holds all your content: pages, posts, settings, user accounts)
Your email, if it's hosted on the same server (see email migrations)

Website hosting and email hosting are often separate

Many businesses have their website on one host and their email on another (such as Google Workspace or Microsoft 365). If your email is already on a separate provider, a website hosting migration won't affect your email at all. If your email is on the same server as your website, it needs to be migrated separately or preserved carefully.

Why businesses migrate hosting

Reason	Common scenario
Better performance	Current host is slow; new host has faster servers
Better support	Current host has poor response times
Lower cost	Found equivalent service at a better price
More features	Need staging environments, better backups, or a CDN
Upgrading to managed hosting	Moving from cheap shared hosting to managed WordPress hosting
Host is shutting down or being acquired	Forced migration

How we migrate your site

PrepareBack up the old site and set up the new account
Copy and testMove files and database, then test on the new server
Switch DNSLower the TTL, point DNS at the new server and watch the change
ConfirmCheck everything works and let you know

Stage 1 of 4: Prepare

We back up your current site. A full backup is taken from your existing host before anything else happens. This is the safety net if anything goes wrong.

We set up the new hosting account. Your new hosting account is created and configured: server settings, SSL certificate, PHP version, and any host-specific optimizations are applied.

Stage 2 of 4: Copy and test

We copy your site files to the new server. Using migration tools or direct file transfer, we copy all your WordPress files to the new host. For large sites, this can take time.

We export and import your database. Your WordPress database is exported from the old host and imported to the new host. Your content, settings, and user accounts are all in this database.

We test the site on the new server. Before changing anything visible to the public, we access the site directly on the new server using a temporary URL or by editing local host settings. We confirm everything works correctly.

Stage 3 of 4: Switch DNS

We lower your DNS TTL. TTL (Time To Live) is how long other servers remember your DNS settings. Lowering this before the switch means DNS changes propagate faster, reducing the window where some visitors go to the old server and some go to the new one.

We update your DNS settings. We change the DNS records for your domain to point to the new server. See what is DNS if this is new to you.

We monitor the switchover. The change spreads gradually: every other DNS server keeps its cached copy of your old record until that record's TTL runs out, which is why we lowered it first. A nameserver change takes longer: registrars commonly tell you to allow 24 to 48 hours. We monitor the site on both servers during this window and keep the old server running until the switch is complete.

Stage 4 of 4: Confirm

We confirm and wrap up. Once DNS has fully propagated and the site is confirmed working on the new host, we let you know. We keep the old hosting account active for a short period before cancellation.

How long will my site be down?

For most hosting migrations, there is no noticeable downtime. Here's why:

We run both the old and new site in parallel during the DNS propagation window. Visitors who have already loaded your site from the old server continue to see it there until their DNS cache updates. Visitors whose DNS has already updated see the new server. Both servers have identical, working content.

While DNS propagates, both servers are genuinely live, and visitors are redirected to the new one gradually rather than all at once. An edit made in that window goes to one server only, and if that is the old host, it might not appear on the new server at all.

Read this as text

After we point your domain at the new server, both servers stay switched on until DNS has finished propagating, up to 24 hours. Visitors are redirected to the new server gradually rather than all at once.

In the diagram, one visitor has already been redirected, so they arrive at the new host and see your migrated site. The other has not been redirected yet, so they arrive at the old host and see the site exactly as it was. Neither of them sees anything wrong. They are simply looking at two different machines.

That is why an edit made during this window is risky. It lands on one of the two servers only, and if that is the old host, the change might not appear on the new server. Let us know if you need to make urgent updates, and we’ll coordinate.

The only scenario where visitors see a problem is if they visit during the very brief moment when DNS is changing and caching is stale. This is typically seconds to minutes, not hours, and we time it during low-traffic periods.

Don't make content changes during migration

During the migration window (typically 24 to 48 hours), do not publish new content, change passwords, or process orders on the old site. Changes made after the database was copied to the new server won't exist there. Wait until we confirm the migration is complete before editing.

Common hosting providers we work with

Provider	Type	Best for
Flywheel	Managed WordPress	Small to mid-sized WordPress sites
WP Engine	Managed WordPress	Growing WordPress businesses, staging needs
Kinsta	Managed WordPress	High-performance, enterprise WordPress
SiteGround	Shared / managed	Budget-conscious, smaller sites
Cloudways	Managed cloud hosting	Technical users who want server control

See the hosting section for detailed guides. It has walkthroughs for Flywheel, WP Engine and Kinsta, plus general guides that apply to any host.

What you need to provide

For us to migrate your site, we need:

Admin access to your current hosting account
Admin access to (or permission to create) the new hosting account
Access to your domain's DNS settings (usually through your domain registrar)

Share access with support@chykalophia.com unless your project lead has given you a different address.

Common questions

Do I need to cancel my old hosting immediately after migration?

No. Keep the old hosting account active for at least four weeks after the migration. This gives you time to confirm everything is working correctly. It also means you can restore from the old server if something unexpected comes up. Cancel only after you're fully satisfied.

Will my email address change?

No. Your email address stays exactly the same either way. What changes is whether your email has to move as well. If you use Google Workspace or Microsoft 365, your email sits with a separate provider and a website hosting migration doesn't touch it. If your email is in the hosting account (cPanel, for example), the mailboxes need to be migrated separately: the address still doesn't change. Tell your project lead so we can plan this.

Will my site's speed improve immediately after migration?

Often yes, if you're moving to a faster host. However, new server settings like caching, CDN, and image optimization may need to be configured after migration to get the full benefit. We'll set these up as part of the migration.

Can I migrate hosting myself?

Some hosts do offer this. WP Engine and Flywheel both use the WP Engine Site Migration plugin, which has to be installed on the new site and on the old one. Some hosts will also do the move for you: Kinsta offers unlimited free migrations from any host for standard WordPress installations, and Flywheel offers to migrate your site for free too. However, database migrations, DNS timing, and SSL certificate setup have a number of ways to go wrong. For business-critical websites, we recommend letting us handle it.

When to call a pro

A hosting move touches DNS, email records, SSL and the database at the same time. One missed step can take your site or your email offline, sometimes for a day or more while DNS changes spread.

If any of that sounds risky for your business, book a free call and we'll tell you whether you need help. Clients can email support@chykalophia.com.

Migrating between hosting providers

What you'll need

What is a hosting migration?