What I do and who it’s for
WordPress site migration means moving your site’s files, database and settings to a new server or a new domain, following a plan. The goal is simple: lose no data, keep downtime short and protect your search visibility.
I do this for businesses and agencies that want to change hosting companies or move to a new domain. I also handle switching a site from HTTP to HTTPS and moving it from a subfolder to the root directory. It’s fine if someone else built the site.
If you want to switch hosts because your site is slow, let’s measure first. If the problem isn’t the server, moving won’t make the site faster. For that, see the WordPress speed optimization page.
I start every migration with a preparation checklist and a full backup. First, I set up and test the site on the new server, in a test environment hidden from search engines. Once everything works, we go live. Then I check the forms, emails, SSL certificate and redirects one by one. If needed, I move your email accounts too.
The fee depends on the scope of the migration, not on a fixed rate card. Briefly describe your site and what you need moved in the free quote form, and I’ll get back to you within one business day. We settle the exact scope, timeline and price together after a technical review and a short exchange of messages.
Which type of migration applies to you?
Whether your URLs change determines which steps you need from the start.
| Migration type | URLs | What else it needs |
|---|---|---|
| Hosting change | Stay the same | DNS and email plan, SSL; no redirects needed |
| Domain or subdomain change | Change | One-to-one 301 redirects, the Change of Address tool in Google Search Console |
| HTTP to HTTPS | “http” becomes “https” | 301 redirects, updating old http links on the site |
| Subfolder to root directory | The folder name drops out of the URL | 301 redirects and WordPress address settings |
A WordPress hosting migration is the simplest case. The URLs stay the same, and most of the work is in the server, DNS and email settings. A WordPress domain migration usually means moving the site to a new domain name. Changing the company your domain is registered with (a domain transfer) is a separate process, and you don’t need it to move your site.
How a WordPress site migration works
If your site has an error, like a white screen or a form that doesn’t work, let’s talk before the migration. Moving the site won’t fix an error that comes from the site itself. It just carries it over to the new server. In that case, it may be better to start with WordPress error fixing.
- Preparation checklist: I list the PHP version, plugins, connected services and the domain’s DNS records, including the MX record that decides where your email goes. If the URLs will change, I map every old URL to its new one, images included.
- Full backup: I back up the files and the database and confirm that the backup can actually be restored.
- Test environment: I set the site up on the new server as a copy hidden from search engines. You review and approve this copy too.
- Files, database and URLs: I update the old URLs in the database with tools that don’t break theme and page builder settings. A manual find-and-replace in the SQL file can break those settings, so I don’t use that method.
- SSL certificate: When possible, I get the certificate ready before the switch, so browsers don’t show a security warning in the first few minutes.
- DNS plan: If your DNS provider stays the same, I only change the A record, which points to your site’s server. If I have DNS access, I shorten how long this record is cached (its TTL) at least a week before the switch, as Google recommends. That keeps the switch fast and under control. If the nameservers are changing, shortening the TTL doesn’t help. In that case, I enter every record into the new DNS ahead of time, exactly as it is, email records included.
- Going live: We choose the moment of the switch together. On sites that take orders, memberships or form entries, new submissions may need a short pause during this time.
- Rollback plan: The old server has to stay up until all traffic has moved to the new one. So please don’t close your old hosting account right away. If something unexpected goes wrong, we can switch the DNS back and return to the old site. That also depends on DNS timing and doesn’t happen instantly. Any orders or form entries that reached the new server after the switch are carried over to the old site separately.
A migration usually needs access to the old and new hosting panels, the DNS panel and the WordPress admin account. If you have them, I may also need your email service and payment gateway dashboards. Instead of sharing your main passwords, I suggest creating a separate, temporary user for me where possible. That access is closed once the work is done.
Keeping your search visibility when the domain changes
When your domain or URL structure changes, redirects are the most important job. I connect each old URL to the new URL with the same content, using a single permanent (301) redirect. Redirecting all old pages to the home page looks easy, but Google often treats that as a page that can’t be found (a soft 404).
- Redirects should stay in place as long as possible, generally at least a year, as Google recommends. So I suggest you keep renewing the old domain for at least that long, and longer if it still gets traffic from Google.
- Google offers site owners a Change of Address tool in Search Console. I only use it when the domain or subdomain changes. You don’t need it for an HTTPS switch, a www change, a move from a subfolder to the root or a hosting change alone.
- I update canonical tags, internal links and the sitemap to the new URLs, then submit the sitemap in Search Console.
Temporary ups and downs in rankings are normal after a domain change. For medium-sized sites, it can take a few weeks or longer for Google to start showing the new URLs. I can’t guarantee rankings. What I can promise is to follow every step Google recommends. If you’d like to rework your site structure as part of the migration, take a look at SEO and GEO consulting.
What I check after going live
The real test of a migration comes in the days after launch. That’s when the things one-click migration tools miss come to light.
- Working contact forms, and notification emails from the site that actually arrive
- The SSL certificate, and mixed content that triggers a “Not secure” warning in the browser
- Leftover settings from the test environment that keep the site out of Google (the “Discourage search engines from indexing this site” option, noindex, robots.txt)
- Search Console verification and access to the sitemap
- Scheduled posts, automatic backups and security plugins
- Business email that can be sent and received without landing in spam (MX, SPF, DKIM and DMARC records)
If you want to keep your site updated and backed up after the migration, the WordPress maintenance service is the natural next step.
Extra steps for WooCommerce stores
If the domain changes, the notification (webhook) URLs of your payment gateways have to be updated too. Otherwise, an order can show as unpaid even though the customer has paid.
On stores that sell subscriptions, automatic renewal payments can stop when the domain changes. I check them after the switch and turn them back on. Moving a store from another platform to WooCommerce is a separate job, which I handle as part of my e-commerce website service.
What determines the cost and timeline?
Every migration is different, so I don’t have a fixed price list or timeline chart. These affect the cost and timeline most:
- Whether only the hosting changes, or the domain too
- The size of the files, media library and database
- Whether the site has WooCommerce, memberships or a multilingual setup
- The page builder in use and any custom integrations
- Whether email accounts need to move too
- How many sites are moving, and how long a pause is acceptable during the switch
The time it takes for a DNS change to reach everyone isn’t part of this timeline, and it depends on the switch method chosen. I don’t put steps your site doesn’t need into the quote.
Why work with me?
Migration is work where a small detail can have big consequences. A forgotten MX record can affect your email, and a badly set up redirect can hurt your search traffic. This is where my eye for detail pays off most.
I keep all communication in writing: WhatsApp, email, the contact form and, during the project, my own tracking panel. That way, there’s a record of what you approved. From start to finish, you deal with the same person: me.