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The safest ProcessWire migration is a controlled copy of the entire application and database, followed by configuration changes, a test on the new VPS, and only then a DNS switch. Back up everything first, keep the old server untouched for rollback, and schedule a short content freeze so the final database dump and file synchronization describe the same site state.
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What must move for a complete ProcessWire migration
A ProcessWire site is more than a database and a theme folder. The destination must receive the complete installation and every site-specific asset that affects page rendering, administration, uploads, modules, scheduled jobs, and integrations.
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| Item | Why it matters | Migration action |
|---|---|---|
/wire |
Core ProcessWire installation and modules supplied by the system. | Copy the directory intact, including its subdirectories and files. |
/site |
Site-specific configuration, templates, stylesheets, scripts, cache files, uploaded assets, and custom modules. | Copy the complete directory; do not select only template files. |
Root index.php |
Front controller that boots ProcessWire. | Copy it to the document root of the new virtual host. |
Root .htaccess |
Rewrite and access behavior on Apache installations. | Copy hidden files and verify the new server allows the required directives. |
| Other project files | Build scripts, environment files, custom libraries, deployment files, or local integrations may be outside the standard directories. | Inventory the document root and transfer anything the running site uses. |
| Database | Pages, fields, users, settings, and content are stored in the database. | Create an export from the old server and import it into the destination database. |
ProcessWire documentation describes the distinction this way: the /wire directory contains the ProcessWire installation and modules, while /site contains what is unique to a site, including configuration, templates, stylesheets, scripts, cache files, and other assets. Omitting either directory can produce a site that loads but behaves incorrectly.
1. Inventory the old VPS and plan the freeze
Before copying anything, record the environment that currently works. This inventory turns hidden dependencies into an explicit migration checklist.
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Record versions and services
- PHP version and enabled extensions, especially PDO and the image-processing extension in use.
- Database engine and version, database name, host, port, character set, collation, and account name.
- Web server, virtual-host configuration, rewrite rules, document-root path, and any security headers.
- ProcessWire core version, installed modules, custom modules, and module-specific configuration.
- Cron entries, queue workers, command-line scripts, and the user that runs each job.
- TLS certificate method and renewal job.
- Mail transport, SMTP credentials, sender addresses, webhooks, payment or analytics integrations, and API keys.
- Filesystem ownership, permissions, writable directories, and any mounted storage.
- Backup schedules, retention, off-server destinations, and the procedure for restoring them.
Choose a cutover window
Lowering DNS TTL before the move can reduce the time some resolvers keep the old address, but TTL changes are not instantaneous and do not force every cache to refresh. Make the change early enough to be useful for your operational plan.
Schedule a short content freeze. During the freeze, prevent editors and automated jobs from changing content while you create the final database dump and synchronize files. If the site receives uploads, pause those as well or record and transfer every file created after the first copy.
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Decide who can point DNS back to the old VPS, how long the old server will remain available, and which checks must pass before you declare the migration complete. Do not delete the source database or dismantle its web configuration during the initial verification period.
2. Build a compatible destination VPS
Install the operating system and web stack before transferring the site. ProcessWire’s installation requirements list a Unix- or Windows-based web server running Apache or a 100% compatible server, PHP 8.x as the recommended branch, PDO database support, MySQL 5.6 or newer (with equivalent MariaDB versions supported), URL rewrite support, and PHP GD2 or ImageMagick for image processing.
Apache versus nginx or another server
Apache is the straightforward path because ProcessWire’s standard .htaccess behavior is designed for it. If you use nginx or another non-Apache server, translate the rewrite and access rules deliberately instead of copying .htaccess and assuming it will be read. ProcessWire’s official support is for Apache; a non-Apache deployment therefore requires an equivalent configuration and its own security review.
Prepare the PHP runtime
- Install the PHP version selected during inventory, or a compatible PHP 8.x version after confirming that all modules used by the site support it.
- Enable PDO and the driver for the chosen database.
- Enable GD2 or ImageMagick as required by the site’s image fields and image manipulation code.
- Match relevant upload, memory, execution-time, and post-size limits to the old server before testing large uploads.
- Load the same timezone and locale assumptions used by scheduled jobs and date formatting.
Prepare the database service
Install a supported MySQL or compatible MariaDB release, create an empty database, and create a dedicated account with only the privileges the application needs. Set the intended character set and collation before importing. Confirm that the PHP process can reach the database over the selected host and port.
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Configure the virtual host and TLS
Create a virtual host whose document root is the directory that will contain index.php. Enable rewrite support and allow the required .htaccess directives on Apache. Restrict directory listing, protect configuration and backup files, and ensure the web process can write only to directories that genuinely require it. You can issue or renew the production certificate after the hostname points to the new VPS, or use a temporary hostname and a separate certificate while testing.
3. Create recoverable backups before touching production
ProcessWire’s upgrade guidance is explicit: back up the database and all site files so you can revert. Treat the backup as a recovery asset, not merely as a copy for the migration.
Export the database consistently
Use the database engine’s dump utility with options appropriate to your version and workload. A typical MySQL-compatible export is:
mysqldump --single-transaction --routines --triggers --events --default-character-set=utf8mb4 -u DB_USER -p DB_NAME > processwire.sqlUse a locking strategy suitable for the tables and storage engine if a consistent transactional dump is not possible. Check the command’s exit status and inspect the dump for an error message before copying it. Compressing the file reduces transfer time:
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Include hidden files, particularly .htaccess, and do not exclude /site/assets merely because it contains generated files. A tar archive from the document root can preserve paths and permissions:
tar -czf processwire-files-YYYY-MM-DD.tgz --xattrs --acls .If you use an archive tool with different options, verify that symbolic links, ownership metadata, and hidden files are retained as intended. Copy the archive and database dump to storage outside the old VPS. Record cryptographic checksums and keep the rollback copy until the new site has operated successfully for the agreed period.
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Test the recovery path
When time permits, restore the dump and unpack the archive into a disposable location on the destination. A backup that cannot be read, decompressed, or imported is not a usable rollback plan.
4. Transfer the ProcessWire files
Make the first file copy before the content freeze so the final outage is short. Use a method that preserves the directory structure and hidden files, such as an archive transfer or rsync over SSH.
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Verify the expected layout
- The new document root contains
index.phpand.htaccesswhere the virtual host expects them. /wireand/siteare complete and at the same relative paths as before.- Uploaded files under
/site/assetsexist and retain their names and directory hierarchy. - Custom modules and any libraries outside the standard ProcessWire directories are present.
- Ownership allows the web process to read application code and write only to required asset, cache, or session locations.
Do not run a blanket permission command that makes the entire site world-writable. Broad write access creates a security problem and can hide an ownership mistake that will reappear under load.
5. Create and import the destination database
- Log in to the destination database service and create the database with the intended character set and collation.
- Create a dedicated application user with a strong password and the minimum required privileges.
- Copy the compressed dump to a private directory outside the web root.
- Import it with the matching client, for example:
gunzip -c processwire.sql.gz | mysql -u DB_USER -p DB_NAME. - Check the import output and database logs for rejected statements, missing tables, or character-set errors.
- Confirm that representative pages, users, fields, and configuration records exist before DNS changes.
Do not delete or modify the source database after a successful import. The source remains your fallback if the destination fails a functional check or if new content must be recovered during rollback.
6. Update /site/config.php for the new server
ProcessWire’s configuration reference notes that moving from one server to another requires updating the new hostname or hostnames in /site/config.php. Change only environment-specific values; keep site-specific settings that should remain identical.
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Database connection values
- Database name.
- Database username and password.
- Database host and port, including a socket path if the destination uses one.
- Any driver or charset setting required by the destination database.
Host and URL values
- Primary hostname and any allowed hostnames or host allow-lists.
- HTTP-to-HTTPS behavior and secure-cookie or HTTPS flags.
- Base URL or URL-root values if the site defines them explicitly.
- Filesystem paths that changed with the new document root.
Other environment-dependent settings
- Mail server names, ports, credentials, and sender addresses.
- API keys, webhook secrets, storage credentials, and service endpoints.
- Temporary debug settings used during the move.
- Cache, session, and temporary-directory locations.
Keep secrets out of publicly readable files and verify the permissions on config.php. If your deployment separates secrets from code, update the environment mechanism as well as the ProcessWire configuration that consumes it. Remove temporary debugging output before exposing the VPS to public traffic.
7. Test the new VPS before changing DNS
Use a temporary hostname or a hosts-file override that maps the production hostname to the new VPS from your own computer. This lets you exercise the real host rules and URLs without sending visitors there.
Functional test checklist
- Open the home page, representative detail pages, listings, pagination, and 404 pages.
- Log in to the ProcessWire administrator, edit a page, save it, and confirm permissions for each relevant role.
- Upload, replace, crop, and delete an image or file in a non-critical test page.
- Submit every important public form and verify validation, email delivery, and stored submissions.
- Run site search and inspect results for links, encoding, and pagination.
- Check redirects, canonical URLs, robots behavior, sitemap generation, and trailing-slash rules.
- Open the site over HTTPS and confirm that mixed-content warnings, secure cookies, and certificate coverage are correct.
- Execute cron jobs manually or in a staging-safe mode, then confirm their schedules and log output.
- Exercise third-party integrations and webhooks with test transactions where the service supports them.
- Inspect PHP, web-server, database, and ProcessWire logs for warnings, fatal errors, permission failures, and connection errors.
Look specifically for migration-only failures
A page can appear correct while a less-visible dependency is broken. Test an old uploaded asset, a newly generated image variation, an administrator password reset, a scheduled task, and an outbound message. Compare generated URLs and filesystem paths with the old environment. Check that writable directories are writable by the web process but not by every local user.
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8. Perform the final synchronization and DNS cutover
- Announce the content freeze and disable editorial changes and automated writers.
- Create a final consistent database dump from the old VPS.
- Synchronize files changed since the first transfer, including new uploads and generated assets.
- Import the final dump into the destination database and repeat the key smoke tests.
- Confirm the destination virtual host, firewall, TLS configuration, backups, and monitoring are ready.
- Change the DNS records to the new VPS address.
- Obtain or renew the production TLS certificate if it was waiting for DNS validation.
- Watch access logs, error logs, uptime checks, administrator activity, forms, mail, and scheduled jobs.
DNS propagation is gradual. Some visitors may continue reaching the old VPS while resolvers update, so keep the old site available and prevent split-brain edits. If the old server must remain online during propagation, use the same content-freeze policy or a deliberate replication plan rather than allowing two independent databases to accept changes.
When to retire the old VPS
Wait until public traffic reaches the new address, administrative operations work, scheduled jobs and mail have remained healthy, and the new backup has completed successfully. Preserve the final rollback backup even after shutting down the old machine.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Choosing the destination VPS for ProcessWire
ProcessWire’s compatibility requirements tell you whether a server can run the software; they do not rank providers or publish current prices. Compare the operational characteristics that determine whether a migration stays reliable.
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| Decision area | Questions to answer |
|---|---|
| Version control | Can you select and patch the required PHP, database, and image-processing versions without breaking the site? |
| Web-server control | Can you manage Apache modules and .htaccess, or deliberately maintain an equivalent nginx configuration? |
| Storage and I/O | Is there enough capacity for the database, /site/assets, backups, logs, and future growth? Are disk performance and quotas documented? |
| Snapshots and backups | Are snapshots separate from the VPS, encrypted, retained long enough, and restorable without excessive downtime? |
| Region and latency | Does the data-center location suit visitors, administrators, external APIs, and any database connections? |
| Network addressing | Are IPv4 and IPv6 available and configurable, and can DNS and TLS validation reach the server? |
| Monitoring | Can you monitor HTTP status, TLS expiry, disk space, memory, database health, cron execution, and backup success? |
| Support and recovery | What is the response path during an outage, and how quickly can you restore a snapshot or rebuild the instance? |
| Total cost | Include the VPS, backup storage, snapshots, extra disks, IPv4 charges, traffic, support, and any managed-service fees. |
Troubleshooting common migration failures
Every URL returns a 404 or the home page ignores rewrites
Confirm that the virtual host points to the correct document root, Apache rewrite support is enabled, and .htaccess overrides are permitted. On nginx, inspect the translated rules rather than expecting nginx to process Apache directives.
The site shows a database connection error
Recheck the database host, port, name, username, and password in /site/config.php. Verify that the PHP PDO driver is installed, the database user is allowed to connect from the web server, and the destination service is listening on the address you configured.
Images fail to upload or resize
Check GD2 or ImageMagick availability, PHP upload limits, disk space, and ownership of the relevant /site/assets directories. Confirm that the image-processing tool’s binary path or PHP extension matches the configuration used by the site.
Administrator login works but pages or modules are missing
Compare the transferred /wire and /site trees with the source. A partial copy can leave the database intact while omitting custom modules, templates, or assets. Review PHP logs for version incompatibilities and clear or rebuild caches only after correcting the underlying file problem.
Forms or scheduled jobs stop sending mail
Verify SMTP or mail transport settings, firewall egress, DNS resolution, sender-domain requirements, and cron user permissions. Run the job manually with logging enabled and check whether it is using a path or environment variable that changed with the new VPS.
Redirect loops or mixed-content warnings appear
Check the configured hostname, HTTPS flags, proxy or load-balancer headers, canonical URL logic, and TLS certificate coverage. Ensure the application receives the correct scheme when HTTPS terminates before PHP.
Quick Recap
Migration completion checklist
- Database and full file backups exist outside the old VPS and have recorded checksums.
- The destination meets the supported web-server, PHP, PDO, database, rewrite, and image-processing requirements.
/wire,/site,index.php,.htaccess, assets, custom modules, and project files are present.- The destination database imported cleanly with the intended character set and a least-privilege account.
/site/config.phpcontains the new host, database details, paths, HTTPS settings, and service credentials.- Front-end pages, admin actions, uploads, forms, search, redirects, HTTPS, mail, cron, integrations, and logs have been tested.
- Final database and file synchronization occurred during a controlled content freeze.
- DNS, TLS, monitoring, backups, and rollback contacts are ready.
- The old VPS remains intact until the rollback period ends.
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