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10 Lifesaving Steps To Moving Your WordPress Blog To Your New Webhost

February 13, 2013 by 60 Comments
D. Dixon

D. Dixon

I'm a former rat-racer, lapsed Computer Engineer, who left the US in July 2011 (after 26+ years) and returned to my homeland Jamaica WI. There I started a farm business, became an online business entrepreneur and social media blogger. I mostly write for my social media business blog 1!SingularSensation as well as EzineArticles.com and a few other places. Recently I created a series of e-books called BackIIBasix© (aka BIIBx). Check out my growing list of E-books including Blogger Secrets: How To Create A Blog & Earn Money.
D. Dixon

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D. Dixon
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[capt
ion id="attachment_18865" align="aligncenter" width="150"]10 steps to help move your wordpress blog with less stress Image credit: David Castillo Dominici & Free Digital Photos[/caption]

Migrating a WordPress blog is a very delicate operation where things can go VERY wrong. Thanks to my difficult migration, I learned a few lessons that helped me get through.

I thought moving my WordPress blogs would take me about six to eight hours at most but that was not to be. My experience was incredibly difficult thanks in total to my ISP. Despite that and with the help of some fantastic tech support reps, my blogs were successfully moved to their new home. Here are 10 steps that helped me keep some of my sanity during the process:

1. Decide when you’ll initiate the migration

If you have a blog that has a lot of traffic, you will need to plan for potential downtime. As you know more about your WordPress blog than anyone, you are the best person to decide when is the best time to make your move to your new webhost.

2. Test your FTP login

As a blogger and site owner, an FTP client, like FileZilla or CuteFTP should be a staple in your software arsenal. One of the things you want to do is to test your FTP login with the new webhost. I did his and found that I was receiving an error message when I tried to access my FTP site.

3. Download new emails

This is something that I forgot to do before my migration so I most likely lost some emails. Like some, I use MS Outlook to get email. What I didn’t do but should have done was to download new emails into Outlook ahead of time so that I minimize the chance of losing messages that come in during the migration. Once your start moving your WordPress blog to the new webhost, you will no longer have access to the old host’s mail server; that’s why it’s good to do ahead of time.

4. Use a plugin to backup your WordPress blog

The idea of moving each file one by one was not appealing and I needed a way to get this done quickly. Thanks to some great advice, I found a free WordPress plugin called BackWPup that not only backed up my blogs but really saved my sanity during a critical moment

5. Test the backup

Once you have the zip file of your WordPress blog(s), it’s always wise to test them. My webhost provided a test site for me to upload my extracted files. Once I took a look around and saw that everything was good, I knew the back up was sufficient and ready.

6. Create a new Database in your cPanel’s phpMyAdmin

This is where things get a little technical, so bear with me. If you’re going to moving an existing WordPress blog to a new host, you need to create a blank database in phpMyAdmin and import the table from your existing SQL database into that blank database. This is absolutely necessary if you want your blog to work at all.

7. Change your nameservers to the new host

Once you’ve tested and made sure everything is working, you change your nameservers to the new host. This means going back to the place where you bought your domain name and changing the ns1 and ns2 fields to the new webhost. If you don’t have these new nameservers, ask your webhost. This process takes about 4 hours to complete for each site so you have no choice but to wait.

8. Check to make sure your WordPress Blog is pointing to the right URL

When I moved by blogs, I was unable to get the login screen. So I had to go into the phpMyAdmin to modify two fields in my database table that were pointing to the test site and not the main url. Once I did that, I was able to login and get into my blog.

9. Create your Email accounts

Once everything was done, I still had to login and create my webmail accounts. I did this and then configured my Outlook to retrieve mail from the server. If you don’t have the addresses for your incoming and outgoing mail servers, ask your webhost. It’s also a good idea to configure your client to keep a copy of your messages on the server just in case you have problems with your mail client.

10. One important last step…Breathe

After 44 hours of what I thought would take eight, I realized that I was actually holding my breath. Once I made sure I was able to log into WordPress admin and get my emails, I actually breathed.

Moving your blogs to a new webhost is not an easy task but it does take some organization. Things can go wrong so it’s important to have great technical support staff who’s able to help you whenever and however you need it.

You can read more about my experience of moving my WordPress blogs to my new webhost and how I survived the curve balls. 

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Comments

  1. Justin Musiker says:
    February 13, 2013 at 3:33 pm


    Twitter:
    Hi D,

    nice article here. I recently moved a WP site to a new domain and just tried the export / import tool on WP. It worked for about half the content, but the other half, well who knows where it went…lol..

    But it is def not as easy and quick as we think…I am sure this will help many people…
    Justin Musiker recently posted..Link Building Strategy For 2013My Profile

    Reply
    • D. Dixon says:
      February 13, 2013 at 4:19 pm


      Twitter:
      Hi Justin,
      That’s terrible. I can only imagine how rough that is. To lose half your content, ugh! Hope things are better on your end I envy those who go through the process without a hitch but at the same time, it’s a new learning experience and I got a couple of posts out of it :)
      Thanks for commenting

      Reply
  2. Evan says:
    February 13, 2013 at 3:38 pm

    Oh, that might be a headache, Looks like you’ve gone it all through. Thanks for the tutorial. will keep it in mind for future, who knows what’s going to happen)))
    Evan recently posted..Impressive Dark WordPress Themes 2013My Profile

    Reply
  3. Ravi says:
    February 13, 2013 at 3:46 pm


    Twitter:
    I have seen many blog authors whose Hosting Transfer has failed because they did not test the Backup. Thanks for other 9 tips
    Ravi recently posted..9 Proven Tips to Get more Comments to Blog PostsMy Profile

    Reply
  4. Rohan Mod says:
    February 13, 2013 at 6:35 pm


    Twitter:
    thanks for the information i also have faced these once in my life but did not even dare to write a post about this …you memorized me that day and yes a great tips so that no any other would have to go through that
    Rohan Mod recently posted..High CPC KeywordsMy Profile

    Reply
  5. prabhat says:
    February 13, 2013 at 6:38 pm


    Twitter:
    Hey dixon,
    nice post. when i moved one of my sites i got confused and ended up with loosing my database. that was the worst thing that has ever happened to me. now i take care of everything before i move a blog.
    prabhat recently posted..UC Browser for PC Download : iEatTrafficMy Profile

    Reply
  6. Irfan says:
    February 13, 2013 at 6:56 pm


    Twitter:
    very very important article was written by you. Its very much help me to get idea about how to get wordpress migrate to another. Thanks for this nice article.
    Irfan recently posted..How to Register in ElanceMy Profile

    Reply
  7. Jacob Arvin says:
    February 13, 2013 at 7:13 pm

    What was your motivation for switching to a new webhost to begin with? I find myself in a similar situation right now in regard to several of my niche blogs that I would like to move, but I know that it would be a endeavor that would end with a huge headache! I’m too concerned about something going terribly wrong, so I’ll probably just leave everything as it is for as long as I can.
    Jacob Arvin recently posted..BloggingWithJohnChow.com Review: A Niche-Blog BlueprintMy Profile

    Reply
    • D. Dixon says:
      February 14, 2013 at 4:36 pm


      Twitter:
      Hi Jacob,
      I was starting to outgrown them. I had an issue that happened outside of “business hours,” and my blog was down for 2 days. I couldn’t get in touch with anyone and then when I called them up on a business day, I was told they had sent me an email response to my ticket. That floored me because my entire system was down so an email wouldn’t have helped. I just needed more support and MAN I got it from my new host.
      I know you’re on the fence but I will say this: don’t wait until something REALLY goes wrong to follow your instincts. What I went through is not typical but it taught me a lot. If your gut is telling you to make that change, listen to it. You work hard on your blogs so don’t leave anything to chance. Let me know either way

      Reply
  8. Rehmat Alam says:
    February 13, 2013 at 8:00 pm

    Helpful article, not much helpful for me but for newbies :) It was really tough when I moved my WordPress blog from one host to another. We have to move all media and database content safely to new host. Not an easy job. Your article will help newbies a lot. Good effort.
    Rehmat Alam recently posted..10 SEO Practices Beginner Bloggers Must Do for Their BlogsMy Profile

    Reply
  9. Phil M says:
    February 13, 2013 at 8:13 pm


    Twitter:
    Hey D,
    Nice post ! I have been looking into moving my blog to Hostgator for a while as a lot my my blog visitors are from america but i did not really have any idea of how to do it.
    These are some great tips that will come in useful to me :)
    Thanks
    Phil M recently posted..5 Lessons I Learnt To Increase Blog Traffic Within A WeekMy Profile

    Reply
  10. Robert Koenig says:
    February 13, 2013 at 8:25 pm

    Backing up is so important! I’ve seen others that lost thousands of posts in a move because they didn’t make a local back up. Starting from scratch in terms of content is a terrible way to go.
    Robert Koenig recently posted..Modesto Hospital Fined 2x by Dept. of Public HealthMy Profile

    Reply
  11. Robert says:
    February 14, 2013 at 1:17 am


    Twitter:
    Excellent how to guide Dixon. You’re right, moving a blog is a tedious task and should be well thought out. I recently moved one of my blogs from a subdirectory to root. It’s not exactly a server migration, but the task is quite similar.

    I found that if you use a WP export from myphpAdmin, it’s necessary to open it in a text editor and copy/replace all the urls inside to the new one. This may be well known to some folks, but to me the knowledge came after the fact.

    Anyway, thanks for the list of advice, it will save some a huge headache.
    Robert recently posted..Alien Proof, Seeing is BelievingMy Profile

    Reply
    • D. Dixon says:
      February 14, 2013 at 5:17 pm


      Twitter:
      Hi Robert, I think anything move we perform requires as much case as we can give it. I had to go into the db and make some changes as well so, it was definitely a learning experience. I hope that this post will not only save some headaches but some crying, cursing and gasps of “OMG, NO!” Cheers!

      Reply
  12. Fauzi Ahsan says:
    February 14, 2013 at 2:24 am


    Twitter:
    Very helpful article.
    Maybe you can try Duplicator plugin, available in WordPress p;lugin repository. You can back up entire website like WordPress installation, database, themes, plugins, etc.
    You must download and upload about 28 MB of file to backup and restore to your new webhost.

    Reply
  13. Carlos Baud says:
    February 14, 2013 at 3:01 am


    Twitter:
    Thank’s a lot for this useful and updated Guide.
    We will use this info translating it to spanish to inform our web clients how this steps can be done one by one.
    Great Job !!!

    Reply
  14. cutekavya says:
    February 14, 2013 at 5:53 am

    This worked perfectly for me. Great article about protecting your WordPress site. These are great ways to improve wordpress security. Thank you so much for sharing this.

    Reply
  15. Helen Wright says:
    February 14, 2013 at 5:55 am

    Great point . Well detailed . “Back up” so important
    Helen Wright recently posted..HomeMy Profile

    Reply
  16. Neil says:
    February 14, 2013 at 8:30 am

    Thanks for the advice, I will be moving my blog in the not too distant future.
    I think I better start looking into the BackWPup plugin.
    I have bookmarked this, no doubt at all I will be back :)
    Neil recently posted..What is SEO and how can it benefit my business?My Profile

    Reply
  17. Jane says:
    February 14, 2013 at 1:52 pm

    thank you for this I’m planning to change my webhost and got hard time finding way how to transfer all of my blogs. this is really a life saver… :)

    Reply
  18. Mike Howg says:
    February 14, 2013 at 10:34 pm


    Twitter:
    Very informative article. I’ve been thinking of changing my web host recently and am kind of overwhelmed at the thought of doing so. It seems like it might not be too much of a chore though.
    Mike Howg recently posted..Redirect Commenters to a Thank You PageMy Profile

    Reply
    • D. Dixon says:
      February 15, 2013 at 4:14 pm


      Twitter:
      Taking the necessary steps before can mitigate some of the difficulties but don’t be surprised if you have some issues. As long as you have a good webhost who’s willing to work with you, it really helps alleviate the anxiety. Thanks Mike and let us know how it goes when you make your move!

      Reply
  19. myles says:
    February 15, 2013 at 5:00 am


    Twitter:
    yes i’m gonna do it next month , everything is planned , hope it goes well ;)
    myles recently posted..Killer Ways to Speed Up Slow Running MacbookMy Profile

    Reply
  20. Pankaj says:
    February 15, 2013 at 8:23 am


    Twitter:
    Changing your hosting is not an easy task, as not just it could disappoint your audience if takes long time. Plus also sends bad signal to search engines.
    Pankaj recently posted..Mobile Recharge Software FreelancersMy Profile

    Reply
    • D. Dixon says:
      February 15, 2013 at 4:51 pm


      Twitter:
      You’re totally right, Pankaj. I had prolonged downtime because of my migration issues and I had a regular mention it when I wrote a post about my migration nightmare. She was understanding but what about the ones who came and didn’t know the story behind it. First impressions mean a lot! Thanks for your comment

      Reply
  21. Vineet Sajwan says:
    February 15, 2013 at 8:39 am

    Right information at the right time as i was planning for planning for moving by my blog to another host. This post saved my lot of time and helped me a lot. Thanks alot :)
    Vineet Sajwan recently posted..MH One News Channel Office Contact Address Phone NumberMy Profile

    Reply
  22. mccullem ashley says:
    February 15, 2013 at 1:17 pm

    thanks for the share i moved my domain successfully but lost the back links how to retain them or i have to start a fresh any help will be so kind
    mccullem ashley recently posted..KENNEDY HEALTH CARE IS IN FULL BLOOMMy Profile

    Reply
  23. Aamir Rizwan says:
    February 15, 2013 at 8:30 pm


    Twitter:
    Very detailed article. I was thinking of changing host. Now this will come handy. Is there a way to test backups if webhost does not provide this feature ?

    Reply
    • D. Dixon says:
      February 16, 2013 at 10:42 pm


      Twitter:
      Hi Aamir,
      Thanks for sharing it. As far as testing our backup, I would suggest that you create a subfolder under your domain test it there. The problem with that is that the locations here some of the files are pointing to will need to be changed manually because the links might point to your old path. I had to do the same things before my migration and some of my links were broken because the folders had changed but the backup looked good from what I could see. Hope that helps
      D. Dixon recently posted..As AdBrite Dies, What Are Other Active Google AdSense Alternatives?My Profile

      Reply
  24. Richard says:
    February 19, 2013 at 2:58 pm


    Twitter:
    I’m coming up to the point when my site subsciption is up and was looking at a new Hosting Plan. I was dreading it. I’ve never run a website before so it was made even worse. I will follow your guide when i’m ready
    Richard recently posted..Advice on Buying a New CarMy Profile

    Reply
  25. Winson Yeung says:
    February 24, 2013 at 12:06 pm


    Twitter:
    Backuping up is the most important step but lots of the webmaster did not follow. I just shifted all my sites to the new server last week and realize that I didn’t shift my new email over. Luckily I can access my backup and get back my data from my old emails.

    Reply
  26. WInson Yeung says:
    February 28, 2013 at 3:32 am


    Twitter:
    Beside upgrading to a better server, I also shift my DNS to the CloudFlare which is a cloud server that helps to block bad request as well. It helps to enhance the security, improve website loading speed and also save bandwidth all for at no cost.

    Reply
  27. Bill Moody says:
    March 12, 2013 at 4:12 am

    Yes, this is definitely a process! Especially changing to a new domain. Great tutorial. I was looking for a good tutorial I can send someone a link to.

    Reply
  28. Leslie Edwards says:
    March 23, 2013 at 9:37 pm


    Twitter:
    Thanks for the tips! I wish I read this earlier. I tried moving one of my sites to another webhost and somewhere along the way I totally screwed up. Worst thing about that was that I didn’t even save a backup.
    Leslie Edwards recently posted..The Basics On How To Make Electronic Music: Drum LoopsMy Profile

    Reply
  29. Keral Patel says:
    March 24, 2013 at 4:29 am


    Twitter:
    Another good tip is to back it all up and still ask for a professional help. If you don’t know what you are doing then losing everything for some dollars is not worth it. And yes I always close my previous hosting account 15 days later when my new one is up and running.

    Reply
  30. Prakash says:
    March 25, 2013 at 6:54 pm


    Twitter:
    Thanks for this step by step tutorial steps. We should take care of all the points. Nice post thanks for sharing this info.
    Prakash recently posted..Facebook Login | Facebook Sign up | Facebook Sign inMy Profile

    Reply
  31. Sudipto says:
    May 1, 2013 at 9:36 am

    Hey Dixon,
    Nice post and Thanks for sharing these step by step tutorial for moving wordpress blog. Yes, creating backup is most important part when we moving wordpress blog. I will surely apply these all points whenever I move my wordpress blog to new webhost.
    Sudipto recently posted..Best Android Phone Under 10000My Profile

    Reply

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