Moving a website to a new hosting provider can feel risky. Business owners often worry that the website may go offline, emails may stop working or important files may be lost during the process.

The good news is that a carefully planned migration can be completed with little or no noticeable interruption for visitors.

The safest approach is simple: prepare the new hosting first, copy and test everything while the old website remains active, and change the domain settings only when the new copy is ready.

This guide explains the process in practical steps.

What does “without downtime” really mean?

A zero-downtime migration means visitors can continue using your existing website while the new hosting account is being prepared.

The old website remains online during the transfer. After the files, databases and settings have been copied and tested, the domain is directed to the new server. During the DNS change, some visitors may briefly reach the old server while others reach the new one.

When both copies are working correctly, most visitors will not notice the change.

For websites that receive orders, registrations, comments or other live data, extra care is needed because information may be added to the old database during the final changeover.

Before you begin: create a migration plan

Do not start by cancelling your old hosting account.

Keep the existing account active until the website, SSL certificate, email and important forms are working correctly on the new hosting. Depending on the website, it is sensible to keep the old account for several days after the move.

Write down the services that may be affected:

  • Website files
  • Website database
  • Business email accounts
  • DNS records
  • Subdomains
  • SSL certificates
  • Scheduled tasks or cron jobs
  • Contact and payment forms
  • Redirects
  • Third-party integrations
  • API keys and webhooks

This checklist helps prevent smaller settings from being forgotten.

Step 1: Confirm the new hosting requirements

Before purchasing or activating the new hosting, check that it supports the technology used by your website.

Important items may include:

  • PHP version
  • MySQL or MariaDB databases
  • WordPress support
  • Required PHP extensions
  • Storage space
  • Email accounts
  • SSL certificates
  • Cron jobs
  • File upload limits
  • Memory and execution limits

A simple HTML website usually has fewer requirements than a WordPress site, online shop or custom application.

You should also confirm that the new plan has enough storage for the website files, databases and email you intend to move.

Step 2: Collect your account and domain details

You will normally need access to:

  • The existing hosting control panel
  • The new hosting control panel
  • The domain registrar or DNS manager
  • Website administrator access
  • Database credentials
  • Email account information

Make sure the email address attached to the domain and hosting accounts is current. Security codes and migration notices may be sent there.

For a business website, avoid sharing the main account password through unprotected messages. Create temporary access where possible and change migration passwords after the work is complete.

Step 3: Back up the existing website

Create a complete backup before changing anything.

Your backup should contain:

  • All website files and folders
  • The complete database
  • Configuration files
  • Email data, when email is being migrated
  • DNS records
  • A list of subdomains
  • Redirect rules
  • Cron jobs
  • SSL or application settings that may need to be recreated

Download a copy to a safe location outside the hosting account.

For WordPress, the files and database must both be backed up. The files contain themes, plugins and uploads, while the database contains pages, posts, users and most website settings.

Do not assume that copying only the wp-content folder is a complete backup.

Step 4: Lower the DNS TTL before the migration

DNS tells browsers and email services where to find your website and mail server.

A DNS record normally has a Time to Live, known as TTL. This controls how long other systems may remember the record before checking for an update.

When possible, reduce the TTL of the website’s main DNS records before the migration. A lower TTL can help changes take effect more quickly when you point the domain to the new server.

Do this in advance, because systems that already cached the old value may continue using it until that period expires.

Do not change the nameservers or main website record yet. At this stage, the old website should remain live.

Step 5: Set up the domain on the new hosting

Add the domain to the new hosting account without changing its public DNS.

Create the required:

  • Website or hosting space
  • Database
  • Database user
  • Email accounts
  • Subdomains
  • PHP settings
  • Cron jobs
  • Redirects

The new host may provide a temporary address or preview method. Keep the public domain connected to the old host while this setup is taking place.

If the website uses a content management system, avoid installing a second empty copy unless it is part of your migration method. In many cases, you will copy the existing installation directly.

Step 6: Copy the website files

Transfer the website files from the old hosting to the new account.

Common methods include:

  • A hosting migration tool
  • A WordPress migration plugin
  • File Manager
  • FTP or SFTP
  • A compressed archive uploaded and extracted on the new server
  • A professional migration service

Preserve the original folder structure. Hidden files such as .htaccess can be important for redirects and application routing, so make sure they are included.

After the transfer, confirm that file permissions are sensible and that the website is placed in the correct document root.

Step 7: Export and import the database

Database-driven websites require a separate database transfer.

The general process is:

  1. Export the database from the old hosting.
  2. Create a new database and database user.
  3. Import the database into the new hosting.
  4. Update the website configuration with the new database name, username, password and server address.

For WordPress, these details are usually stored in wp-config.php.

For a custom PHP application, they may be stored in an environment file or configuration file. Do not make configuration files publicly accessible.

Large databases may exceed the control panel’s upload limit. In that case, the host may need to assist or provide a different import method.

Step 8: Update paths and application settings

A website may contain settings linked to the previous server.

Check for:

  • Old file paths
  • Temporary domain addresses
  • Cached URLs
  • Database connection details
  • Email sending settings
  • Storage paths
  • API callback addresses
  • Redirect rules
  • Security or caching plugins

If the domain name is staying the same, many website URLs will not need to change. However, the server path and account username may be different.

Clear application caches after updating the settings.

Step 9: Test the new website before changing DNS

This is one of the most important steps.

The new website should be tested while the public domain still opens the old hosting. Depending on the hosting setup, you may use:

  • A temporary preview address
  • A staging domain
  • A local hosts-file override
  • A provider preview function

Test more than the homepage.

Check:

  • Main pages
  • Images and downloadable files
  • Navigation menus
  • Contact forms
  • Login pages
  • Search
  • Mobile layout
  • Online shop functions
  • Payment gateway callbacks
  • Member or client portals
  • Password reset emails
  • Admin area
  • Error pages
  • Redirects
  • SSL availability

Look for mixed-content warnings, missing images, broken links, database errors and incorrect file permissions.

Step 10: Plan the final data sync

A brochure website that rarely changes is easier to move than a busy online shop or membership website.

During the migration, the live website may continue receiving:

  • New orders
  • Contact enquiries
  • User registrations
  • Comments
  • Support requests
  • Profile changes
  • Uploaded files

If those changes are written to the old database after your first backup, they may not appear on the new server.

For a busy website, schedule a short maintenance window for the final sync. During that period, temporarily pause new orders or account changes, export the latest database, import it into the new hosting and then change DNS.

Inform affected users in advance when a short maintenance window is necessary.

Step 11: Migrate business email carefully

Email is often the most overlooked part of a hosting migration.

Before changing mail-related DNS records:

  • Create the same mailboxes on the new server
  • Use the correct passwords or prepare new ones
  • Copy old messages where required
  • Recreate forwarders and autoresponders
  • Record the current MX, SPF, DKIM and DMARC settings
  • Confirm the new outgoing and incoming server details

Do not remove the old email service immediately. During DNS propagation, some messages may still be delivered to the old mail server.

Check both systems during the transition and copy any late-arriving messages before closing the old account.

When the website and email are hosted separately, avoid changing mail records unnecessarily.

Step 12: Point the domain to the new hosting

Once the new website has been tested and the latest data has been copied, update the domain.

The exact change depends on how DNS is managed. You may need to:

  • Change the domain nameservers, or
  • Update the website’s A and AAAA records, or
  • Update a CNAME record

Do not replace unrelated DNS records unless the migration requires it. Accidentally deleting MX or verification records can interrupt email and third-party services.

Save a copy of the old DNS zone before making changes.

Step 13: Activate and verify SSL

The new hosting needs a valid SSL certificate so that the website opens securely over HTTPS.

After the domain begins reaching the new server:

  • Issue or activate the SSL certificate
  • Confirm that https:// works
  • Redirect HTTP visitors to HTTPS
  • Test both the main domain and the www version
  • Check for mixed-content warnings
  • Confirm that forms and logins submit securely

A certificate may not issue successfully until the domain points to the new server.

Step 14: Monitor the website after the change

Do not assume that a successful homepage test means the migration is complete.

Monitor the website closely for at least the next few days.

Check:

  • Uptime
  • Website speed
  • Error logs
  • Contact form delivery
  • Orders and payments
  • Admin login
  • Email delivery
  • Scheduled tasks
  • Disk usage
  • SSL status
  • Traffic analytics

Ask team members to report anything unusual. Customers may discover a page or feature that was not included in the initial tests.

Step 15: Keep the old hosting temporarily

Do not cancel the old account immediately after changing DNS.

Keep it available until:

  • DNS changes have settled
  • The website works on the new server
  • Email delivery is confirmed
  • The latest database information is present
  • Backups are working
  • Important forms and integrations have been tested

Before cancellation, take one final backup of the old account.

Also confirm that cancelling the hosting will not accidentally cancel the domain name or another service you still need.

Common website migration mistakes to avoid

Cancelling the old hosting too early

This removes your fallback option and may delete files or email before the move is fully verified.

Forgetting the database

Copying website files without the database can leave a WordPress or application website unusable.

Changing DNS before testing

Visitors may be sent to an incomplete website, missing files or an unconfigured database.

Ignoring email records

Changing nameservers can replace the entire DNS zone and interrupt business email if the required records are not recreated.

Migrating from an outdated backup

New orders, enquiries or content added after the backup may be missing.

Forgetting SSL

The new website may display browser security warnings even though the files were copied correctly.

Failing to test forms and payment systems

A page may look correct while important submissions or callbacks are failing in the background.

Website migration checklist

Before changing DNS, confirm that you have completed the following:

  • A full backup has been downloaded
  • The new hosting account is ready
  • Website files have been copied
  • The database has been imported
  • Configuration details have been updated
  • The website has been tested on the new server
  • Email accounts and records have been prepared
  • The latest live data has been synced
  • A copy of the old DNS records has been saved
  • A rollback plan is available

After changing DNS, confirm that:

  • The website loads from the new hosting
  • HTTPS works correctly
  • Forms are delivering messages
  • Email is sending and receiving
  • Orders, logins and integrations work
  • Scheduled tasks are running
  • Backups are active
  • The old hosting remains available temporarily

Final thoughts

A successful website migration is mainly about preparation.

Keep the old website running, build and test the new copy separately, move the latest information, and change the domain only when everything is ready. This approach greatly reduces the risk of downtime and lost data.

For a simple website, the process may be straightforward. For an online store, membership system, custom application or website with large email accounts, professional assistance can prevent costly mistakes.

Need help moving your website?

Intek Host can help you review your hosting needs and prepare a suitable environment for your website. Visit intekhost.net to explore hosting options or contact the team for migration guidance.