Migrating a website from old web hosting to a new web host is not that much hard you think. But it is a bit stressy of not losing your site data. This guide is a step by step to help you transfer WordPress site without downtime.
Moving a static website to new hosting doesn’t have any problem because it doesn’t have any database. A site without a database is just a folder with HTML, CSS, Image and some data files. But a dynamic website contains SQL database, and you need to know more about before moving a dynamic website to a new web hosting.
Transfer WordPress site without Downtime
Let’s do it with a business website. I’m going to do this on a business website which needs migrate it to a new host for speed and web site performance. A WordPress installed and configured with a premium WordPress theme on this website and works fine. I must migrate it to a new host without downtime and problems.
There are some all in one WordPress migration plugins that help you migrate a WordPress website to a new WordPress website. But can not migrate the entire directories of your website. It just exports your WordPress website including the database, media files, plugins and themes with no technical knowledge required. Then you can upload your site to a different location with a drag and drop into WordPress.
Step 1: Create Website Full Backup
Before migrating to a new host, you must make a full backup from your entire site. The site backup must contain the entire home directory and SQL Database. The home directory is where your website files stored, and the SQL database is the records of your website database.
You can make a full backup from the cPanel of your website using Backup Wizard or Backup tools.
The Backup Wizard and Backup tool help you create a full or part backup from your site. Both are works perfect without any problem. This feature allows you to download a compressed copy of all or part of your website.
The system will include the following items in the backup file:
- The home directory.
- MySQL® databases.
- Email forwarder configurations.
- Email filter configurations.
After generating backup using backup feature, download the generated backup file to your computer or move it to some cloud backup services. It is better to download it to your computer, instead of uploading to cloud backup services.
OK, I assumed you have created a full backup of your entire website and download it to your computer. So let’s continue to the next step making MySQL database backup.
Create MySQL Database Backup for Website Migration
The database of a WordPress site stored on MySQL server which is accessible from cPanel of the website. The screenshot shows all the website database management tools.
The phpMyAdmin tool helps us to create a backup or export the website database. Open the phpMyAdmin and see the list of all database. Check the inside each database for tables and recorded information.
phpMyAdmin is a free and open source administration tool for MySQL and MariaDB. As a portable web application written primarily in PHP, it has become one of the most popular MySQL administration tools, especially for web hosting services.
To backup or export a database from phpMyAdmin tool, select the database from left side or phpMyAdmin page and click the Export button. It will continue to export the specific selected database from phpMyAdmin.
So, on the next page export method select “Quick – display only the minimal options” and clicks Go button to export the database. When the export process has completed, you will have “your database name .sql” file. Remember that do not edit or bring any change to this file.
Now, you have a full backup of your WordPress home directory and its database. Let’s begin the website migration to new web host.
Step 2: Migrate to new WebHost
If you don’t have a new host, try to find and purchase it some well-known web host service providers. I’m using webjow business web innovative solutions. Try to create the new website the same as old one. For example, if your previous website account name was autowrec, create the new one with the same name. Otherwise next you must configure and fix the differences.
Restore website database:
- Login to new host cPanel and create a new database with the same name as previous one.
- From phpMyAdmin import, the exported .spl file to new database and assign the appropriate privilege.
The result must be successful without any errors. In the case of database issue, try to read the error and fix the problem or comment us to help you with solving the issue. I assumed that you had restored website database without any problem. Now the next step is to restore the home directory.
Restore website home directory:
As simple as website backup process is restoring the backup to the new host. So, just log in to new host cPanel and open Backup Wizard. This feature allows you to restore parts of your cPanel by uploading your partial backup zip file(s) that you downloaded from the backup feature.
The following can be restored:
- Home Directory
- MySQL Databases
- Email forwarders configuration.
- Email filters configuration.
1. From the Backup Wizard click the Restore and click Home Directory then select the backup file and click the Upload button.
2. When the backup uploaded successfully, navigate to cPanel home directory using File Manager and check where the backup files restored. Try to find the home directory and copy the contents to the main public_html directory of the host.
Note: Find the WordPress home directory backup from “backup-8.17.2017_17-33-32_autowrec/homedir/public_html” restored directory using File Manager.
3. Now try to copy the contents of public_html restored folder to main public_html folder. Select all contents, and hidden files then copy it. Do not move because later you may need the restore files.
Note: Hidden files like .htacess are not shown by default from file manager. You must configure file manager settings to show the hidden files when you move contents of a folder to another location.
Finally, check the list everything should be done correctly and then change the name server of the domain. The name servers of the domain could be changed from domain name registration, where your domain name is registered.
Step 3: Change Domain Name Servers
So good, you are on the final step where changing domain name will redirect your website from old web host to new web host. Go to domain registrar where you registered your domain name and find the name server and change the old name servers with the new name servers.
You need to wait 24 or more hours to propagate the new name server. When this period has finished, try to ping your website and see whether it load’s from the old web host or new web host. Hope you can transfer WordPress site without downtime like mine. If you need help to transfer WordPress site without downtime don’t hesitate, just comment us.
Conclusion
Moving a website from old web hosting to the new host is not your responsibility’s. The new web hosting support team will transfer your website without downtime. If you need to transfer WordPress site without downtime quickly, you must pay more for new hosting. Otherwise, they will apply the normal support for you that takes too much time. So, this is the step by step guide to migrate a website from old web hosting to a brand new host.
Related Questions:
- Moving WordPress Site to new Domain.
- Move WordPress site to new Server.
- Migrate WordPress Plugin.
- Moving WordPress from Localhost to Server.
- WordPress Migration Service.
- How to Copy a WordPress site from one domain to another.
- Move WordPress site to root.
- How to Migrate a Website from one server to another.
Anyway, we are ready to help you quickly move your website without any problems and downtime to new web host. And finally thanks to WebJow business web innovative solutions support team.