If you’re running a WordPress site, there may come a time when you need to migrate your site to a new server. This could be for a number of reasons, such as wanting to switch hosting providers or simply because you need to upgrade your server’s hardware.
Migrating a WordPress site to a new server can be a bit daunting, especially if you’ve never done it before. But don’t worry – we’ll walk you through the entire process step-by-step in this article.
1. Backup your WordPress site. This is absolutely essential – without a backup, you could lose all your data if something goes wrong during the migration process.
There are a few different ways to backup a WordPress site. We recommend using a plugin like Updraft, which makes creating and scheduling backups easy.
2. Create a new database on your new server. You’ll need this in order to migrate your WordPress data.
3. Make sure you have all the login credentials for your new server. This includes things like your FTP login, cPanel login, and MySQL database login.
The first step is to export your WordPress database from your old server. This will give you a file containing all the data from your WordPress site, which you can then import into your new database on the new server.
To export your WordPress database, you’ll need to login to phpMyAdmin on your old server. Once you’re logged in, select your WordPress database from the list of databases on the left.
Next, click on the “Export” tab at the top of the page. On the next screen, make sure “SQL” is selected as the format to export your database in. Then, scroll down and click on the “Go” button to download your database file.
Now that you have a copy of your WordPress database, it’s time to import it into your new server.
To do this, login to phpMyAdmin on your new server and create a new database. Once you’ve created your database, select it from the list of databases on the left and click on the “Import” tab at the top of the page.
On the next screen, click on the “Browse” button and select the database file you exported from your old server. Then, scroll down and click on the “Go” button to start importing your database.
The next step is to upload your WordPress files from your old server to your new server. You can do this using an FTP client like Filezilla.
Once you’re connected to your new server via FTP, navigate to the folder where you want to install WordPress. This is usually the “public_html” or “www” folder.
Then, simply drag and drop all the files from your old server into this folder on your new server.
Now that your WordPress files are on your new server, you need to edit the “wp-config.php” file to update your database connection settings.
To do this, open the “wp-config.php” file in a text editor and update the following lines:
define(‘DB_NAME’, ‘YOUR_DATABASE_NAME’);
define(‘DB_USER’, ‘YOUR_DATABASE_USERNAME’);
define(‘DB_PASSWORD’, ‘YOUR_DATABASE_PASSWORD’); define(‘DB_HOST’, ‘YOUR_DATABASE_HOST’);
Be sure to replace “YOUR_DATABASE_NAME”, “YOUR_DATABASE_USERNAME”, “YOUR_DATABASE_PASSWORD”, and “YOUR_DATABASE_HOST” with the appropriate values for your new server.
If you’re migrating your WordPress site to a new domain name, you’ll need to update your DNS records to point to your new server.
This is usually done by logging into your domain registrar’s control panel and updating the “A” record for your domain name. The “A” record should be updated to point to the IP address of your new server.
If you’re changing domains or moving your WordPress site to a new directory on the same domain, you’ll need to update your WordPress URLs. This can be done by going to Settings » General in your WordPress admin dashboard.
On the next screen, simply update your WordPress Address (URL) and Site Address (URL) to the new values.
Once you’ve updated your WordPress URLs, be sure to click on the “Save Changes” button at the bottom of the page.
Now that you’ve migrated your WordPress site to a new server, it’s time to test things out and make sure everything is working properly.
To do this, simply visit your WordPress site in a web browser and see if everything looks normal. If you see any errors or broken images, be sure to check your settings and update them as needed.
Once you’ve confirmed that your WordPress site is working properly on your new server, you can cancel your old web hosting account.
Be sure to export a backup of your WordPress database before cancelling your account so you have a copy just in case.
Migrating a WordPress site to a new server: The Bottom Line
If you’re planning on moving your WordPress site to a new server, be sure to follow the steps in this article. By following these steps, you can avoid common mistakes and ensure that your WordPress site is migrated successfully.
Hosted WP can Host and migrate your WordPress site for you. Our team can help you with everything from finding the right hosting plan to migrating your WordPress site. Contact us today and let us help you get started.
We provide fully managed WordPress hosting services. This means that we take care of all the technical aspects of running your WordPress site. All you need to do is focus on creating content and growing your business.
Happy migrating!
There are a few signs that you may need to migrate your WordPress site. If your site is loading slowly, if you’re seeing error messages, or if you can’t access your WordPress admin dashboard, then it’s time to migrate your site.
If you don’t migrate your WordPress site correctly, you could lose data or break your site. That’s why it’s important to follow the steps in this article and to contact us for support if you run into any problems.
Yes, there are a few plugins that can help you migrate your WordPress site. However, we recommend following the steps in this article to avoid any problems.
Yes, you should always backup your WordPress site before migrating. This way, you can restore your site if anything goes wrong during the migration process.
The amount of time it takes to migrate a WordPress site depends on the size and complexity of your site. A simple WordPress site can usually be migrated in a few hours, while a more complex WordPress site may take a day or two.