How to prepare for a website migration

A well-prepared migration is faster, quieter and easier to verify. Most of the work happens before anything is copied, and none of it requires technical depth, only a clear picture of what you have today.

1. Take stock of what you are moving

• Websites and applications: list each domain, the platform it runs on (for example WordPress, a custom PHP or Node.js application, or a static site) and roughly how large it is.
• Databases: note the database type and which site uses each one.
• Email: is email hosted with your current provider, or elsewhere? How many mailboxes are there?
• Scheduled tasks and integrations: cron jobs, payment gateway callbacks, API keys and anything configured with a fixed IP address.

2. Know where your DNS and domains live

Find out which company your domains are registered with and which DNS service their nameservers point to. Make sure you can sign in to both. The final step of most migrations is a DNS change, so access here avoids delays at the most important moment. See Updating nameservers and DNS: the basics.

3. Make a current backup

Before anything changes, download a complete copy of your website files and export every database. Keep that backup somewhere other than the current server. A migration copies your data rather than moving it, but an independent backup protects you whatever happens at the old provider.

4. Plan the cutover

• Choose a quiet time for your business to switch DNS, avoiding busy sales periods.
• Lower DNS TTLs to around 300 seconds a day before the switch, so the change reaches visitors quickly.
• Pause content changes, such as new posts or product edits, between the final copy and the switch, or plan a final sync.
• Keep your old service active until the new one is verified. Cancel it only after everything works and email has settled.

5. Gather access details

Our team may need access to your current hosting to copy data: typically control panel, SSH, SFTP or database credentials. Never send these in a ticket or email. Enter them in the credentials section of the migration request form, which stores them encrypted. See Submitting a migration request.

Quick checklist

1. Inventory of sites, databases, email and integrations.
2. Registrar and DNS access confirmed.
3. Full backup downloaded and stored separately.
4. Cutover window chosen and TTLs lowered.
5. Credentials ready to enter in the secure form.