Before moving a website, slow down and document what exists now. A website move can affect the site itself, domain, DNS, SSL, email, forms, analytics, redirects, backups, and customer workflows.
The best migration is the one where you know what needs to move before the move starts.
Confirm the Reason for the Move
Start with the goal.
Common reasons include:
- Better hosting resources
- Moving to a different website platform
- Improving performance
- Reducing technical issues
- Consolidating domains and hosting
- Preparing for a redesign
- Moving away from an old provider
- Getting access to tools such as cPanel
The reason affects the plan. A simple hosting move is different from a redesign, domain change, email move, or platform change.
List Every Part of the Website Setup
A business website may depend on more than the visible pages.
List:
- Domain registrar
- DNS provider
- Hosting provider
- Website platform
- Database
- SSL certificate
- Business email provider
- Forms
- Booking tools
- Payment tools
- Analytics
- Search tools
- CDN
- Security tools
- Backup tools
- Redirects
If you do not know where something is managed, find out before the move. Guessing during a live migration creates avoidable risk.
Back Up the Current Site
Create a complete backup before migration work begins.
For WordPress, the backup should include both files and database. The files alone are not enough for a typical WordPress site because the database stores pages, posts, menus, users, settings, and plugin data.
Store the backup somewhere you can access even if the old hosting account becomes unavailable.
Check Domain and DNS Details
Write down:
- Domain registrar
- Expiration date
- Active nameservers
- A records
- CNAME records
- MX records
- TXT records
- SPF, DKIM, and DMARC
- SSL-related records
- Verification records
If you change nameservers, copy website and email DNS records into the new DNS zone before switching. Missing email records can stop business email even if the website migration succeeds.
Check Email Before the Move
Ask whether email is moving too.
If email is staying with the same provider, make sure its DNS records are preserved. If email is moving, create the new mailboxes before changing MX records.
Check:
- Who receives email at the domain
- Shared addresses such as
info@orbilling@ - Forwarders and aliases
- Email DNS records
- Website forms that send email
- Invoicing, booking, and CRM tools that send mail
Website moves and email moves should be planned together, even if they are handled by different services.
Check Website Features
Make a list of features to test after migration.
Include:
- Forms
- Checkout
- Booking
- Login
- Search
- Downloads
- Media library
- Menus
- Redirects
- Blog posts
- Product pages
- Mobile layout
- Tracking scripts
- Cookie or consent tools
Do not test only the homepage. Many migration issues appear on forms, checkout, uploads, redirects, or old blog URLs.
Check Server Requirements
For WordPress or custom sites, the new hosting environment must support what the site needs.
Check:
- PHP version
- Database type and version
- Required PHP extensions
- Disk space
- Memory
- File upload limits
- Cron jobs
- Email sending method
- SSL availability
- SFTP or file access
If the site uses older plugins, custom code, or ecommerce tools, compatibility testing becomes more central to the move.
Plan the Cutover Window
Choose a lower-risk time to move the public site.
Before the cutover:
- Freeze major edits if possible
- Notify people who manage the site
- Prepare the new hosting
- Test the new copy
- Confirm DNS records
- Keep the old hosting available
- Know who will test after the switch
For ecommerce, membership, booking, or high-lead-volume sites, decide how to handle orders, form entries, or account changes that arrive during the final migration window.
Know What Success Looks Like
Write a launch test list.
After the move, confirm:
- Domain loads the new site
- HTTPS works
wwwand non-wwwwork as intended- Forms send messages
- Email still works
- Priority pages load
- Redirects work
- Admin login works
- No obvious missing images
- Search tools and analytics still track
- Backups are running on the new setup
Keep notes about anything that still needs follow-up.
Prepare a Rollback Plan
Before changing DNS, know how you would reverse course if the new site fails.
That may mean:
- Keeping the old hosting active
- Saving old DNS records
- Keeping a backup of the old site
- Knowing who can change DNS
- Keeping the old database untouched until the new site is verified
You may not need to roll back, but having the option reduces pressure.
If you want a backup option before moving your site, you can explore Website Backup through Tech Help Canada Hosting.
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