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One free scan finds every outdated or missing driver and matches the right update for your exact hardware.Free scan · exact hardware matchIf WordPress shows “Server Not Found” immediately after a hosting move, first determine whether the failure is local or public. Check for an old hosts-file entry, flush DNS, test from another network, then verify the registrar’s nameservers and the domain’s A record. Keep the old hosting account online until the new copy works, because deleting the old site too early can turn a fixable DNS problem into an outage.
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What “Server Not Found” means after a host change
The message usually means the browser cannot obtain a usable destination for your domain. A hosting migration changes the server that should answer requests, but visitors reach that server through DNS. Until DNS settings and caches agree, different devices can send the same domain to different places.
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There are three common states:
- Your computer is still using the old destination. A hosts-file line or cached DNS answer can force one machine to use the previous server or a temporary migration IP.
- Public DNS still points to the old host or to no server. The registrar may still list the old nameservers, or the authoritative zone may contain an outdated A or CNAME record.
- DNS is correct, but the new server rejects the request. WordPress URL settings, domain mapping, caching, redirects, or SSL configuration can prevent the site from loading even after the domain resolves.
A worldwide DNS checker can show the new value while your own device still fails. That result is not contradictory: the checker queries many resolvers, while your operating system, router, browser, or internet provider may retain an older answer.
Protect the migration before changing anything else
Do not remove the domain from the old host or cancel the old account while the new copy is unverified. A WordPress.org forum case describes a fatal error after the old host was removed before the backup had been tested. Keeping the old site available gives you a working fallback while DNS changes take effect.
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- Keep the old hosting account and its DNS service active.
- Confirm that you have a recent database backup and a copy of
wp-content, especially uploads, themes, and plugins. - Record the new server’s IP address and the nameservers supplied by the new host.
- Write down the current DNS records before editing them so an accidental change can be reversed.
Make one change at a time and retest. If the error changes from “Server Not Found” to a WordPress or web-server error, DNS is probably working and the next problem is on the new server.
Follow this diagnostic order
1. Test whether the problem is limited to one device or network
Open the domain on a phone using cellular data, or ask someone on a different connection to test it. Also try a private browsing window. If another network loads the site, the public DNS change is likely working and the original device or router is caching the old answer. If every network fails, inspect the public DNS and new server configuration.
Note the exact result on each test: an address-not-found message indicates name resolution; a timeout suggests the destination is unreachable; an HTTP status or WordPress error means the request reached a server.
2. Remove an obsolete hosts-file entry
A hosts file overrides public DNS on the machine where it exists. During a migration, an entry may have been added to preview the new site and then forgotten. If it points to the old host or a temporary IP, the machine will continue using that address regardless of what the registrar publishes.
Open the file with administrator privileges and search for your domain and its www variant. Delete or comment out lines that point to the obsolete address, then save the file.
- Windows: edit
C:WindowsSystem32driversetchostsin Notepad started with “Run as administrator.” - macOS and Linux: edit
/etc/hostswith an administrator account, for example withsudo nano /etc/hosts.
Leave unrelated entries alone. If you still need a temporary preview mapping, use it only on a test machine and remove it after public DNS is correct.
3. Flush local DNS caches
After correcting the hosts file, clear the operating system’s resolver cache and restart the browser. The exact command depends on the operating system:
| System | Command or action | Expected result |
|---|---|---|
| Windows | ipconfig /flushdns in an elevated Command Prompt |
A message reports that the DNS Resolver Cache was successfully flushed. |
| macOS | sudo dscacheutil -flushcache; sudo killall -HUP mDNSResponder in Terminal |
The command returns to the prompt; macOS gives no success message. |
| Linux using systemd-resolved | sudo resolvectl flush-caches |
The local resolver cache is cleared. |
| Home router | Sign in to the router and use its DNS/restart control, or power-cycle it according to the manufacturer’s instructions. | Devices obtain a fresh DNS answer from the configured resolver. |
These commands clear local caches; they do not change the registrar or force other networks to update. Retest on a second connection to distinguish a local cache from a public DNS error.
4. Check public DNS from several locations
Use a reputable worldwide DNS propagation checker for the domain’s A record and nameservers. Look for the new server IP or the new nameserver set in multiple regions. A mixture of old and new answers is normal while resolver caches expire, but a consistently old answer indicates that the authoritative settings have not been changed correctly.
Do not treat a completely green checker as proof that the site must load on every device. It confirms what the checker’s resolvers see; it does not clear a local hosts file, router cache, browser cache, or ISP resolver cache.
There is no single guaranteed propagation duration. The time depends on the record’s previous TTL, resolver behavior, and whether nameservers were changed. Avoid promising visitors a fixed number of hours; continue testing from independent networks instead.
5. Verify nameservers at the registrar
Log in to the company where the domain is registered and open the domain’s nameserver settings. The listed nameservers must match the authoritative DNS service that contains your new host’s zone. Changing records at the old DNS provider has no effect if the registrar delegates the domain elsewhere.
After saving nameservers, allow the change to become visible and check again with the propagation tool. Confirm that both the bare domain (for example, example.com) and www.example.com are covered by the intended DNS zone.
6. Check the A and CNAME records for conflicts
In the authoritative DNS zone, verify that the root domain’s A record points to the new server IP supplied by the host. Check the www record separately: it may be a CNAME to the root domain or an A record to the new IP, depending on the host’s instructions.
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Remove stale records that still point to the old server, but do not delete records required for mail, verification, or other services. An old A record and a new CNAME for the same name can conflict; so can multiple A records when the old server is no longer serving the site. If you are uncertain, copy the zone first and change only the web records.
| Symptom | Likely DNS cause | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Only some networks fail | Resolver caches contain different answers | Compare A-record results from several networks and wait for cached values to expire. |
| All networks show “address could not be found” | Missing delegation or web record | Registrar nameservers, authoritative zone, and root A record. |
Root domain works but www fails |
Missing or conflicting www record |
Its CNAME/A record and the host’s domain-alias setting. |
| Requests reach the old site | Old A record or nameserver delegation | Every authoritative answer, not just the local DNS display. |
7. Confirm the new server accepts the domain
DNS can point to the right IP while the web server is not configured for your domain. In the new hosting control panel, confirm that the domain is added as the primary domain, an alias, or an addon domain as appropriate. Make sure the document root contains the migrated WordPress files and that the database connection works.
If the host provides a temporary URL or preview method, use it to verify the files and database before relying on public DNS. You can also test from your own computer by temporarily mapping the domain to the new IP in the hosts file; remove that mapping after the public record is correct.
8. Check WordPress’s two URL settings
Once the request reaches the new server, open the WordPress dashboard and go to Settings > General. Check both WordPress Address (URL) and Site Address (URL). They should use the live domain and the intended protocol (https if the certificate is ready). A leftover staging hostname or old domain can create redirects to an unreachable address.
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If the dashboard is inaccessible, inspect the wp_options table for the siteurl and home values, or use temporary WP_HOME and WP_SITEURL definitions in wp-config.php. Back up the file and database before editing. Remove temporary overrides after the database values are corrected so there is one authoritative configuration.
9. Review domain mapping, cache, redirects, and SSL
Migration plugins, multisite domain mapping, page-cache systems, and redirect rules can route the domain to an old host or staging URL. Purge the WordPress cache and any server-side cache after changing the domain. Review plugin settings for the old hostname, and inspect redirect rules in the web-server configuration or .htaccess.
Confirm that the new server has a certificate covering the exact names visitors use, including the www variant if it is active. A certificate problem normally produces a security warning rather than “Server Not Found,” but an incorrect HTTPS redirect can make a working HTTP endpoint appear broken. Test both protocols and follow the redirect chain.
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How to tell when DNS is fixed
Consider DNS work complete only when all of these checks pass:
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- Independent DNS lookups return the new server IP for the root domain.
- The
wwwhostname resolves as intended. - Several networks reach the new server, not the old one.
- The server presents the migrated WordPress installation for the requested domain.
- WordPress URLs, HTTPS, redirects, and login pages use the live hostname.
Keep monitoring while some resolvers still return the old address. Leave the old host online until those checks are stable and you have confirmed that forms, media, scheduled tasks, email records, and important game-site pages work on the new server.
Preventing the same outage on the next migration
Lower the DNS TTL before the move
Lower the TTL on the relevant DNS records well before changing the server. Shorter TTLs allow recursive resolvers to discard old answers sooner, although they do not control caches that ignore or extend TTLs. Restore a normal TTL after the migration is stable.
Preview the new site privately
Before changing public DNS, point a test computer’s hosts file at the new server IP. Check the homepage, permalink pages, media uploads, administrator login, search, contact forms, and any game downloads or embedded content. This method changes only that computer and does not expose an unfinished site to visitors.
Use a staged cutover
- Copy the files and database to the new server.
- Set up the domain and SSL certificate on the new server.
- Test privately with a hosts-file mapping.
- Record the old DNS zone and confirm the new A/CNAME records.
- Change the registrar delegation or web records.
- Test from multiple networks and clear local caches where necessary.
- Keep the old host available until the new site is verified across the checks above.
This sequence separates a WordPress application problem from a DNS problem and gives you a rollback path if the new copy fails.
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Contact the registrar when the nameserver change is not visible or the authoritative zone cannot be edited. Contact the new host when DNS resolves to its IP but the server returns the wrong site, refuses the domain, cannot issue the certificate, or produces database and PHP errors. Provide the domain, the time of the DNS change, the observed IP from each test network, and screenshots or exact error text. Do not send passwords or private backup files in a support ticket.
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