How to Move a WordPress Site to a New Host (2026)

Moving a WordPress Site: The Short Version

Moving a WordPress site to a new host comes down to five jobs: back up the site, copy its files and database to the new server, test the copy, switch your domain's DNS, and confirm everything works before cancelling the old account. Done in that order, visitors should not notice the move.

The easiest route by far is to let the new host do it. WPX migrates unlimited WordPress sites for free with its own staff, ScalaHosting includes free website and email migration, and Bluehost offers a free WordPress migration tool. If you would rather do it yourself, or want to understand what happens behind the scenes, this guide covers every step.

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Three Ways to Migrate a WordPress Site

Before You Start: Pre-Migration Checklist

• List everything on the old account: domains, subdomains, email accounts, databases, cron jobs and any custom PHP settings.
• Check your renewal date so you do not pay for a new term you won't use.
• Note where your domain is registered (it may not be your host) and where its DNS is managed.
• Lower your DNS TTL to around 300 seconds a day ahead, so the switch spreads faster.
• Pause publishing and orders during the move if it's a store or busy site, so no new data is lost.
• Take a full backup of files and database, and store a copy away from the old host.

Method 1: Let Your New Host Migrate the Site

1. Choose and buy your new plan. Make sure it is big enough for your site's storage and traffic.
2. Submit the migration request. You usually provide your old host's control panel or WordPress admin login. WPX and ScalaHosting both handle this for free.
3. Wait for confirmation. The host copies files, the database and (with Scala) email, then tells you it is ready.
4. Test the copy using the temporary URL or preview link they provide.
5. Update DNS to the new host's nameservers or IP address (see Step 6 below).

This is the method we recommend for nearly everyone. It removes the riskiest steps from your hands, and the host's team knows exactly how its servers are configured.

Method 2: Migrate With a Plugin or Tool

1. Install WordPress on the new host using its one-click installer.
2. Install the same migration plugin on both the old and new sites, or use the new host's own tool (Bluehost provides one).
3. Export the old site into a single package, or connect the two sites using the plugin's migration key.
4. Import into the new site. The plugin replaces the fresh install with your content, settings, themes and plugins.
5. Log in again using your old site's admin credentials, which are now on the new server.

Free versions of migration plugins often limit the size of the site they can move. Large sites with big media libraries may need a paid version or the manual method.

Method 3: Migrate Manually

Step 1: Download Your Files

Connect to the old server with SFTP or the file manager and download the entire WordPress directory, including wp-content (themes, plugins and uploads) and the wp-config.php file.

Step 2: Export the Database

Use phpMyAdmin's export tool or run wp db export with WP-CLI to create a .sql file of your database.

Step 3: Create a New Database

In the new host's control panel, create a database and a database user with full privileges. Note the database name, username, password and host.

Step 4: Import the Database and Upload Files

Import the .sql file into the new database, then upload your WordPress files to the new server's web root.

Step 5: Update Your WordPress Configuration File

Edit wp-config.php with the new database name, user, password and host. If your domain is not changing, no URL changes are needed in the database.

Step 6: Point Your Domain to the New Host

Either change your domain's nameservers to the new host's, or keep your current DNS provider and update the A record (and AAAA, if used) to the new server's IP address. Remember to recreate any MX records if your email moves too.

Special Cases

Moving Email Accounts

If your old host also runs your email, mailboxes do not move with your WordPress files. List every address, recreate them on the new host (or move email to a dedicated provider), then migrate old messages with an IMAP migration tool or your email client. ScalaHosting includes free email migration on its plans, which saves this step. Update your MX records only when the new mailboxes are ready.

Changing Your Domain at the Same Time

If the site's address is changing as well, WordPress stores the old URL throughout the database. Run a careful search-and-replace (for example with WP-CLI's wp search-replace or a dedicated plugin) to swap old URLs for new ones, then set up 301 redirects from every old URL to its new equivalent so you keep search rankings and links.

Migrating a WooCommerce Store

Stores take new orders constantly, so time the move for a quiet period and enable maintenance mode on the old site just before the final copy. After the move, place a test order, confirm payment gateway webhooks point to the new server, and check that order emails send. A host with dedicated store resources, such as WPX's WooCommerce plans, is worth considering at this point. See our WooCommerce hosting guide.

Very Large Sites

Sites with tens of gigabytes of media can exceed plugin limits and time out over the web. Use SSH and command-line tools to transfer files server to server, or ask the new host to handle it. WPX states its migrations are free regardless of site size.

After the Move: Post-Migration Checklist

• Confirm the SSL certificate is issued and the site loads over https://.
• Click through key pages, forms, search and (for stores) a test checkout.
• Log in to the WordPress admin and check plugins are active and updated.
• Re-save permalinks under Settings → Permalinks to refresh rewrite rules.
• Send and receive a test email if your mailboxes moved.
• Confirm automatic backups are running on the new host.
• Keep the old account for a few days, then cancel it once you are sure everything works.

Common Migration Problems and Fixes

Which Host Makes Migration Easiest?

If you are moving several sites, WPX's unlimited staff migrations save the most time. If you are also moving email accounts, Scala's free email migration is a useful extra. Compare all three in our best WordPress hosting guide.

WordPress Migration FAQs