Are you trying to move your WordPress website to a new host without taking your site offline?
Moving a website is quite similar to changing your house to a new house. More specifically it is a quite challenging task if you have to move it without downtime. A small amount of time inaccessibility of your site can bring a huge amount of loss both of your sales and search engine rankings.
Taking this into mind, in this article, we will describe how to move WordPress to a new host without any downtime.
So, let’s begin!
How To Move WordPress To A New Host?
There are a few steps you have to follow to move WordPress to a new host server. We will describe each step below in more dept. These are-
Select Your New WordPress Host
Backup All Your Files
Import Your WordPress Site To Your New Host
Change The Host’s File To Turn Aside From Your Site Offline
Create A Database On Your New Host
Run The Duplicator Website Migration
Redirect The Domain Name
Step 1: Select Your New WordPress Host
Before breaking the ties to your old hosting service provider, at first do some research to choose a new host in terms of performance, speed, server configuration etc. Again we will advise you to select the new host carefully so that you do not need to move your website again. It’s also important to mention that your new web hosting account should be completely empty with no files or folders in your main directory. We will do it in a later step.
Step 2: Backup All Your Files
When you think to move your WordPress to another web host, let’s back up your all files of your website. There are lots of plugins you will get in the market that will provide you with a smooth backup experience.
Here, we will suggest you use the Duplicator plugin because it is a free plugin and it can be used on all hosts.
So, at first install the Duplicator- WordPress Migration plugin from your plugin library. After installing it, activate it in your dashboard. Now, go to the Duplicator ►Packages page in your WordPress admin area. Next, click the ‘Create New’ button in the top right corner.
After that, you need to click the Next button to start creating your package.
Once you will click on it, it will scan your whole site like the screenshot below:
Now when your scan is completed and all the results are good, simply click on the Build button.
Once you have clicked on it, it takes time to finish the process based on your website size. Once the process is complete, you’ll see a confirmation message like below:
Now, click on One-Click Download because you’ll need both your Installer and Archive files. Here, the backup of your full website lies on the archive file and the Installer file will help you automatically download the installation process.
Step 3: Import Your WordPress Site to Your New Host
Now, in the next step you have to do is upload those files on your new web host. To do so, you can use an FTP client to connect to your new web host. In the FTP client, you can easily upload both the Installer and Archive files to the root directory (usually /username/public_html/ folder) of your website.
Before uploading, you’ll need to check whether the folder is completely empty or not as many WordPress hosting companies automatically install WordPress when you sign up. So, we will recommend you to delete if it’s already been installed by your host.
One important thing you have to remember is that if your domain name is still indicating your old host when you are trying to connect with FTP, then you will have to connect by using server hostname or server hostname. If you can’t find it, ask your new web hosting company for assistance.
Step 4: Change the Host’s File To Turn Aside From Your Site Offline
As in the step 3 you have uploaded your site backup files (installer.php file and archive.zip file)on your new web host, now open the installer.php file in your browser as,
http://www.example.com/installer.php
Now, what will you see!!
404 page!! Don’t worry. It means your domain still indicates to the old web host.
Now, you have to add an entry for your domain name in the hosts’ file to indicate to your new hosting company. With the small changes allows you to access the files on your new host with your own domain name.
To do so, you need to search the IP address of your new web hosting server. For this, open your cPanel dashboard and then click on expand stats link in the left-hand sidebar. There, you will see your Shared IP Address. Some of the other web hosting companies, you will get information under the ‘Account Information’ heading.
Now, for Windows users, go to Programs ► All Programs ► Accessories, and then right-click on Notepad and select Run as Administrator.
After that, a Windows UAC prompt will appear to you with two options: Yes or No. Now, click on Yes to launch Notepad with administrator privileges.
Next on the Notepad screen, go to File ►Open and navigate to the C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc folder and select the hosts’ file and open it.
If you are Mac user then open the Terminal app and enter this command to edit hosts file:
sudo nano /private/etc/hosts
For both Windows and Mac users, you need to enter the IP address you copied and then enter your domain name at the bottom of the hosts’ file. Next, save the changes. Now, you can access your files with your domain name on your computer.
Step 5: Create A Database On Your New Host
Now, Create a new database from cPanel by going to the MySQL Databases section. Here, Create a New Database by clicking the Create database button. Then add a new username and password to create a new user. Here you can use the Password Generator to generate a strong password for securing your site.
Next, you need to scroll down to the Add User To Database section then choose the database and user you just created and click the Add button. By doing these, Your database is ready to use.
Step 6: Run The Duplicator Website Migration
Now go to your browser and search your domain as yourdomainname.com/installer.php.
This time it will take you to the main interface of the installer. here, you need to accept all the terms and click on the Next button.
After clicking the Next button, put all the details such as database name, username, password etc that you have created a couple of minutes ago. Here, the Host value should be set as localhost. Now click on the Next button to continue.
Once you have clicked it, it will now import your database from the archive zip into your new web host. Here it will ask to update the site URL or Path. If you’re not changing domain names, there’s no reason to change it here. Now click on the Site login button and login to your website on the new web host.
Step 7: Redirect the domain name
Now at the last step, you need to update your domain name so that when users go to your site, they will go to the new server instead of the old server.
Typically, this is obtained by modifying the nameservers specified to your domain name configuration. To modify that, you’ll go back to the first place where you registered a domain and include the DNS addresses of your new nameservers. You can get all those name server addresses in your new host’s user panel.
If you have faced difficulty to figure out your correct DNS addresses, we will suggest you to contact your new host provider for help.
Basically, implementing these DNS adjustments can take 4 to 48 hours.
Once it has implemented, your users will see the same content on both your old host and a new host. It means you have finally moved your site to a new host without taking our site offline.
Conclusion
In summary, having a small training and proper planning helps you to move WordPress to a new host without knowing your users.
Hopefully, this article helps you to understand how to switch your WordPress on a new host without taking your site offline. To learn more about WordPress tips & tricks, you may check our WordPress Tips section.
You may also ask any questions related to it in the comment or want us to write on some specific topics you have in your mind.
We appreciate your further comments, support or suggestions!
Editorial Staff
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Are you trying to move your WordPress website to a new host without taking your site offline?
Moving a website is quite similar to changing your house to a new house. More specifically it is a quite challenging task if you have to move it without downtime. A small amount of time inaccessibility of your site can bring a huge amount of loss both of your sales and search engine rankings.
Taking this into mind, in this article, we will describe how to move WordPress to a new host without any downtime.
So, let’s begin!
How To Move WordPress To A New Host?
There are a few steps you have to follow to move WordPress to a new host server. We will describe each step below in more dept. These are-
Step 1: Select Your New WordPress Host
Before breaking the ties to your old hosting service provider, at first do some research to choose a new host in terms of performance, speed, server configuration etc. Again we will advise you to select the new host carefully so that you do not need to move your website again. It’s also important to mention that your new web hosting account should be completely empty with no files or folders in your main directory. We will do it in a later step.
Step 2: Backup All Your Files
When you think to move your WordPress to another web host, let’s back up your all files of your website. There are lots of plugins you will get in the market that will provide you with a smooth backup experience.
Here, we will suggest you use the Duplicator plugin because it is a free plugin and it can be used on all hosts.
So, at first install the Duplicator- WordPress Migration plugin from your plugin library. After installing it, activate it in your dashboard. Now, go to the Duplicator ►Packages page in your WordPress admin area. Next, click the ‘Create New’ button in the top right corner.
After that, you need to click the Next button to start creating your package.
Once you will click on it, it will scan your whole site like the screenshot below:
Now when your scan is completed and all the results are good, simply click on the Build button.
Once you have clicked on it, it takes time to finish the process based on your website size. Once the process is complete, you’ll see a confirmation message like below:
Now, click on One-Click Download because you’ll need both your Installer and Archive files. Here, the backup of your full website lies on the archive file and the Installer file will help you automatically download the installation process.
Step 3: Import Your WordPress Site to Your New Host
Now, in the next step you have to do is upload those files on your new web host. To do so, you can use an FTP client to connect to your new web host. In the FTP client, you can easily upload both the Installer and Archive files to the root directory (usually /username/public_html/ folder) of your website.
Before uploading, you’ll need to check whether the folder is completely empty or not as many WordPress hosting companies automatically install WordPress when you sign up. So, we will recommend you to delete if it’s already been installed by your host.
One important thing you have to remember is that if your domain name is still indicating your old host when you are trying to connect with FTP, then you will have to connect by using server hostname or server hostname. If you can’t find it, ask your new web hosting company for assistance.
Step 4: Change the Host’s File To Turn Aside From Your Site Offline
As in the step 3 you have uploaded your site backup files (installer.php file and archive.zip file)on your new web host, now open the installer.php file in your browser as,
Now, what will you see!!
404 page!! Don’t worry. It means your domain still indicates to the old web host.
Now, you have to add an entry for your domain name in the hosts’ file to indicate to your new hosting company. With the small changes allows you to access the files on your new host with your own domain name.
To do so, you need to search the IP address of your new web hosting server. For this, open your cPanel dashboard and then click on expand stats link in the left-hand sidebar. There, you will see your Shared IP Address. Some of the other web hosting companies, you will get information under the ‘Account Information’ heading.
Now, for Windows users, go to Programs ► All Programs ► Accessories, and then right-click on Notepad and select Run as Administrator.
After that, a Windows UAC prompt will appear to you with two options: Yes or No. Now, click on Yes to launch Notepad with administrator privileges.
Next on the Notepad screen, go to File ►Open and navigate to the C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc folder and select the hosts’ file and open it.
If you are Mac user then open the Terminal app and enter this command to edit hosts file:
sudo nano /private/etc/hosts
For both Windows and Mac users, you need to enter the IP address you copied and then enter your domain name at the bottom of the hosts’ file. Next, save the changes. Now, you can access your files with your domain name on your computer.
Step 5: Create A Database On Your New Host
Now, Create a new database from cPanel by going to the MySQL Databases section. Here, Create a New Database by clicking the Create database button. Then add a new username and password to create a new user. Here you can use the Password Generator to generate a strong password for securing your site.
Next, you need to scroll down to the Add User To Database section then choose the database and user you just created and click the Add button. By doing these, Your database is ready to use.
Step 6: Run The Duplicator Website Migration
Now go to your browser and search your domain as yourdomainname.com/installer.php.
This time it will take you to the main interface of the installer. here, you need to accept all the terms and click on the Next button.
After clicking the Next button, put all the details such as database name, username, password etc that you have created a couple of minutes ago. Here, the Host value should be set as localhost. Now click on the Next button to continue.
Once you have clicked it, it will now import your database from the archive zip into your new web host. Here it will ask to update the site URL or Path. If you’re not changing domain names, there’s no reason to change it here. Now click on the Site login button and login to your website on the new web host.
Step 7: Redirect the domain name
Now at the last step, you need to update your domain name so that when users go to your site, they will go to the new server instead of the old server.
Typically, this is obtained by modifying the nameservers specified to your domain name configuration. To modify that, you’ll go back to the first place where you registered a domain and include the DNS addresses of your new nameservers. You can get all those name server addresses in your new host’s user panel.
If you have faced difficulty to figure out your correct DNS addresses, we will suggest you to contact your new host provider for help.
Basically, implementing these DNS adjustments can take 4 to 48 hours.
Once it has implemented, your users will see the same content on both your old host and a new host. It means you have finally moved your site to a new host without taking our site offline.
Conclusion
In summary, having a small training and proper planning helps you to move WordPress to a new host without knowing your users.
Hopefully, this article helps you to understand how to switch your WordPress on a new host without taking your site offline. To learn more about WordPress tips & tricks, you may check our WordPress Tips section.
You may also ask any questions related to it in the comment or want us to write on some specific topics you have in your mind.
We appreciate your further comments, support or suggestions!
Editorial Staff