What Is a Hosting Migration and How It Is Done

What is hosting migration

Hosting migration is the process of transferring your site, database, email accounts. See our detailed migration guide with step-by-step instructions, and all related files from one hosting provider to another. Reasons for migration can be varied: better performance, lower price, higher-quality support, need for more resources, or simply dissatisfaction with the current provider. Regardless of the reason, migration must be carefully planned to go smoothly and without data loss.

Many site owners avoid migration because they're afraid something will go wrong. An understandable fear, but with the right plan and tools, migration is a routine process hosting providers perform daily. This guide will take you through the entire process step by step so you know exactly what awaits you and how to prepare.

When it's time for migration

Signs you need to change hosting

• The site is slow and loading time exceeds 3 seconds
• Frequent server crashes and site unavailability
• Slow or low-quality technical support
• Lack of important features (SSL, backup, PHP versions)
• Too high price for the resources you get
• The server is abroad while target audience is v České republice
• Lack of scalability for a growing site

Migration preparation

Before starting migration, make a complete list of everything to transfer. This includes site files, database, email accounts with messages, SSL certificates, cron jobs, and DNS records. Document the current server configuration including PHP version, modules, and settings because new configuration should be identical or better.

Make a complete backup of the entire hosting account before starting migration. This is your safety net in case something goes wrong. Verify the new hosting supports all technologies your site uses like specific PHP version, MySQL or PostgreSQL database, Node.js or Python environments. It's best to plan migration for a period of low traffic, usually overnight or on weekends.

Pre-migration checklist

• Complete backup of all files and databases
• List of all domains and subdomains
• List of email accounts being used
• PHP version and configuration documentation
• List of cron jobs and automations
• New hosting compatibility check
• Access credentials for both hosting accounts

Migration tools

For WordPress sites, there are specialized plugins automating the entire migration process. All-in-One WP Migration is the most popular plugin packaging the entire site into one file simply imported on the new hosting. Duplicator is another excellent option creating a complete site copy ready for installation. For larger sites, UpdraftPlus Premium supports direct transfer between hostings.

For non-WordPress sites, migration is usually done manually via FTP or SSH. Files are downloaded from the old server and uploaded to the new, and the database is exported using phpMyAdmin or mysqldump command and imported on the new server. Many hosting providers including BeoHosting offer free migration for new clients where our technical team performs the entire process instead of you.

cPanel migration

If both hostings use cPanel, migration is even simpler. cPanel has built-in functionality for creating a complete account backup including all files, databases, email accounts, and settings. This backup is transferred to the new server and restored via the WHM tool. The entire process can be completed in less than an hour for an average site without any change in content or configuration.

DNS settings

The DNS system is the system that translates your domain name into the server IP address. After transferring files and database to new hosting, you must update DNS records to point to the new server. This is the most critical step because while DNS propagates, the site can be unavailable or show the old version depending on visitor location.

Change the A record to point to the new server IP address. If you use email on your domain, also update MX records. DNS propagation takes from a few minutes to 48 hours, though in practice for .com domains it's usually completed within 2-4 hours. During propagation, some visitors will see the site on the old server and some on the new, so it's important that both are functional during this period.

Downtime reduction

To minimize downtime during DNS propagation, reduce the TTL (Time To Live) value of DNS records to minimum, ideally 300 seconds, at least 24 hours before migration. This means DNS cache will refresh faster after the change. Keep the old hosting active at least 48 hours after DNS change to cover propagation delay. Only when you're sure all traffic goes to the new server can you deactivate the old account.

Testing after migration

Thorough testing is key for successful migration. Before DNS change, test the site on the new server using the hosts file on your computer or temporary URL the new hosting provides. Verify all pages load properly, links work, images aren't broken, and forms send data correctly.

What to test

• All pages and blog posts
• Contact forms and other interactive elements
• Images, videos, and downloadable files
• SSL certificate and HTTPS redirection
• Email sending and receiving
• Login functionality and user accounts
• Loading speed on the new server
• Mobile responsive view
• E-commerce features (cart, checkout, payment)

Common problems and solutions

Broken links and missing images are the most common problem after migration, usually caused by path differences on old and new server. The solution is search and replace of old paths in the database using a tool like Search Replace DB or WP-CLI for WordPress sites. Never use regular find and replace in SQL file because it can corrupt serialized data.

Email problems are another common issue because MX records must be properly configured on the new hosting. If you use an external email service like Google Workspace or Microsoft 365, verify MX records point to the right service not the new hosting server. PHP version error is also common because the new server may have a different PHP version, requiring updating settings or adapting code to be compatible.

BeoHosting free migration

If the entire process seems complicated, BeoHosting offers completely free migration for all new clients. Our technical team takes over the entire process from old site backup to testing on the new server and DNS configuration. You just need to provide us with access credentials for the old hosting and we'll take care of everything else. Migration is performed within 24 hours with minimal downtime and complete testing before redirecting traffic.