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1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteTo move a WordPress site from SiteGround, copy its files and database to the new server, configure WordPress for that environment, test the copy privately, then change only the DNS records required for the web traffic. Keep SiteGround active, preserve email and other DNS records, and retain a verified backup until the new site has operated normally through propagation.
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What a SiteGround-to-new-host migration actually changes
A hosting migration is more than uploading a folder. A complete WordPress installation has two parts that must stay in sync:
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- Files: WordPress core,
wp-content, uploaded media, themes, plugins and configuration files. - Database: posts, pages, users, settings, comments, orders and other dynamic data.
The destination server must be configured to run those files and connect to the imported database. Only after that copy works should the domain be directed to the new server. SiteGround describes the process as moving files, moving databases, configuring the application for the new host and pointing the domain’s DNS to that host.
Domain registration and hosting are separate decisions. You can leave the domain registered with its current registrar while moving the website to another provider. You can also keep DNS at its current DNS provider and change only the web records. Transferring the domain registration is not required for either option.
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Plan the move before touching the live site
Inventory every dependency
Write down the details that could be forgotten during a server change:
- Primary domain, www version, subdomains and any parked or addon domains.
- Where DNS is managed and which nameservers are authoritative.
- Email provider, mailboxes and the records used for delivery and authentication.
- Current SSL certificate arrangement and whether a CDN or reverse proxy is in front of the site.
- Scheduled tasks, server cron jobs, cache layers and security rules.
- Forms, payment gateways, webhooks, API callbacks, analytics, advertising tags and IP allowlists.
- Any staging sites, multisite configuration or plugins that use absolute URLs or server paths.
Record the current DNS zone or export it if the provider supports an export. This gives you a reference if you later need to recreate the zone at a different DNS service.
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Reduce the chance of stale DNS
If you control DNS, lowering the records’ TTL before the move can make resolvers discard the old web address sooner. The useful lead time and minimum TTL depend on the DNS provider; changing it immediately before the cutover may not affect caches that already hold the previous value.
Schedule a content freeze
Choose a short period when no important data will be written to the old database. For a brochure site this may mean pausing edits and forms. For a store or community site, stop new orders, comments, registrations and other writes for the final copy, or plan a second database sync. Anything written only to the old database after the copy will not appear automatically on the new server.
Make and verify an independent backup
The backup is your rollback safety net. It must be separate from both hosting accounts and usable without relying on SiteGround’s control panel.
- Download the complete site files, including WordPress core,
wp-content, uploads, themes, plugins andwp-config.php. - Export the complete WordPress database as an SQL file. Note the database name, table prefix and character set if the export tool reports them.
- Store the files and SQL export together on independent storage, such as an external drive or SSD, in addition to any copy kept online.
- Open the archive, inspect representative files and confirm that the SQL export is readable. A backup that cannot be opened is not a rollback plan.
- Record when the backup was made and which content-freeze point it represents.
Do not cancel SiteGround or delete the old account merely because the download completed. Keep the original site available until the destination has been tested and the DNS transition has settled.
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Prepare the destination host
Create the new hosting account before the final copy. You can install WordPress into an empty document root or use the provider’s clean WordPress installation, provided you know which files will be replaced by the migration.
| Check | What to confirm |
|---|---|
| PHP and database | The supported PHP and database versions are compatible with WordPress, your theme and your plugins. |
| Storage | There is enough space for the current files, database, uploads, temporary archives and future growth. |
| Access | You have SFTP or FTP credentials, database credentials and the destination document-root path. |
| SSL | The host can issue or install a certificate for the real domain before or immediately after DNS changes. |
| Preview | A temporary URL, staging address or another way to test the new copy before public DNS changes is available. |
| Network details | You know the new server’s IPv4 address and, if supplied, its IPv6 address for an AAAA record. |
If the new provider advertises a migration service, ask exactly what it includes. File and database copying, SSL, email, DNS changes and post-migration troubleshooting are often separate services. Get the scope in writing before relying on it for a production site.
Choose a migration method
| Method | Best fit | Important limitations |
|---|---|---|
| Manual files-and-database move | Owners who need control over the copy, configuration and rollback. | You must handle credentials, SQL import, configuration edits, URL changes and testing yourself. |
| Migration plugin | Standard single-site installations where the plugin supports the site’s size, database and server setup. | Large databases, active stores, multisite networks and unusual plugins may need special handling; verify that the plugin can export and restore the whole site. |
| Managed migration | Sites where specialist help is worth the fee or where downtime risk and complex integrations justify assistance. | Confirm whether the service covers files, database, SSL, DNS, email, multisite, large databases and post-cutover fixes. “Migration” does not automatically include all of these. |
SiteGround’s Migrator is intended for transfers into SiteGround. Do not assume it will move a site out to another provider. SiteGround separately documents manual transfers and states that outgoing web-application transfers to other providers are not included in its transfer service.
Manual migration: copy the files and database
1. Upload the WordPress files
Connect to the new host with SFTP or FTP and upload the complete site into the destination document root. Include wp-content, uploads, the active theme, plugins and the existing configuration file. If the new host supplied a default WordPress installation, replace its files with the verified source copy rather than leaving two installations in different directories.
2. Create and import the destination database
Create an empty database and database user on the new host, then import the SQL export. Large exports may exceed a browser-based import limit; use the host’s documented command-line or alternative import method when necessary. Verify that the tables exist after the import and note the exact database name, username, password, server host and table prefix.
3. Adapt wp-config.php
Edit the copied configuration so its database constants match the destination account. Change the database name, user, password and database host when they differ. Preserve the existing table-prefix value unless you intentionally renamed every table in the database. Do not overwrite the authentication keys and salts without a reason, because doing so signs out every existing session.
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If the new provider uses a nonstandard database host or socket, use the value supplied by that provider. A correct SQL import with an incorrect host or password still produces a database-connection error.
4. Keep paths and permissions consistent
Confirm that the web root points to the directory containing wp-admin, wp-includes and wp-content. Check that the web server can read WordPress files and write to required upload or cache directories. A site that loads a static page but cannot upload media, update settings or run scheduled tasks is not fully migrated.
Handle domain and URL changes carefully
If the domain, protocol and installation path remain exactly the same, avoid a broad search-and-replace. Unnecessary replacements can damage serialized WordPress data and plugin settings.
If the domain, HTTP/HTTPS protocol or directory changes, update WordPress’s siteurl and home values to the new address. Replace old URLs with a serialization-aware WordPress tool or a method specifically designed to update serialized values; a plain text replacement can leave incorrect string lengths and corrupt options or page-builder data.
After a URL change, inspect redirects, canonical tags, internal links, image URLs, feeds, XML sitemaps and robots.txt. Update integrations that call the old URL, including payment callbacks, webhooks, API allowlists and analytics settings.
Test the new copy before changing DNS
Use the destination’s temporary URL or staging URL. If those are unavailable, a local hosts-file override can point your computer to the new IP while the public domain still resolves to SiteGround. This lets you test the new server without exposing an unfinished copy to visitors.
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Functional test checklist
- Load the home page, representative posts, pages, categories and custom post types.
- Log in to
wp-admin, edit content and confirm that settings save. - Open the media library and upload a test image; inspect existing images at several sizes.
- Test navigation, permalinks, search, pagination, comments and logged-in account areas.
- Submit every important form and confirm delivery, autoresponders and spam protection.
- For an online store, test product pages, cart, checkout, payment callbacks, order creation, transactional email and stock updates in the provider’s safe test mode where available.
- Run scheduled jobs and confirm that cron tasks are not still pointed only at the old server.
- Check redirects, canonical URLs, robots.txt, XML sitemaps, analytics and advertising tags.
- Test HTTPS, mixed-content warnings, HTTP-to-HTTPS redirects and both the root and www hostnames.
- Review error logs for PHP fatal errors, missing files, database warnings and blocked requests.
Do not change live DNS until this list passes on the copied site. A temporary preview is useful precisely because it exposes configuration problems while the old site remains available to visitors.
Choose the DNS cutover method
There are two different changes people call “pointing the domain.” Select the one that matches where DNS will remain managed.
| Situation | Action | Records to protect |
|---|---|---|
| DNS stays with the current DNS provider | Change the domain’s A record to the new IPv4 address and the AAAA record if the site uses IPv6. | Leave MX, SPF, DKIM, DMARC, verification, subdomain and third-party records in the existing zone. |
| DNS management moves to the new provider | Recreate the complete zone first, then change the domain’s authoritative nameservers at the registrar. | Copy MX, SPF, DKIM, DMARC, CNAME, TXT, A, AAAA and every subdomain record before switching nameservers. |
Changing nameservers changes the authoritative DNS zone. If even one mail, verification or service record is omitted, email, subdomains or external integrations can fail. A nameserver switch is not required simply because web hosting changed.
Cut over with a final content check
- Put the site into the planned maintenance or content-freeze state.
- Take a final database export if the site received writes after the first backup, and copy any newly uploaded files.
- Confirm that the new server contains the final files and database.
- Change the A and AAAA records, or switch nameservers only after the replacement DNS zone has been checked.
- Keep SiteGround serving the old site while DNS resolvers still reach it.
DNS propagation is not simultaneous. Different networks may use the old or new address for a period, so avoid making changes that would create two divergent databases during the transition.
Protect email during the move
Web hosting and email can be independent. If mail is hosted by a separate provider, changing the website’s A record should not stop mail. If you move nameservers, however, the new authoritative zone must contain the existing MX records and the authentication records used by the mail provider.
Preserve SPF and DKIM records exactly as required by the mail service. Copy DMARC, verification TXT records and mail-related CNAME records as well. Test sending and receiving from an external address after the DNS change. Also test website-generated mail, because a new server may use a different mail transport or sender policy.
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Verify the site after DNS changes
Check the domain from more than one network, such as a mobile connection and a separate broadband connection. Confirm which server each network reaches, then run the functional checklist again on the live hostname.
- Confirm DNS resolution for the root domain, www host and every required subdomain.
- Verify the new HTTPS certificate, redirect behavior and absence of mixed content.
- Log in, edit a test item and check media, forms, search and other database-backed features.
- Send and receive email, including transactional messages and form notifications.
- Test payment callbacks, webhooks, API integrations, analytics and scheduled tasks.
- Inspect server and WordPress logs for errors that did not appear in the preview.
- Check Search Console or equivalent webmaster tools for crawl, sitemap and canonical problems.
SiteGround recommends avoiding site changes for 48 hours after its DNS switch so that propagation does not leave different copies of the site with different content. Apply the same principle here: keep the content freeze or use a controlled process until traffic consistently reaches the new server.
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Rollback and retirement plan
If the new site fails
- Keep the old SiteGround account online; do not delete it while diagnosing the problem.
- If the failure is caused by DNS or an incomplete destination, point the web records back to the old server or restore the previous nameservers.
- Use the independent files-and-database backup if the destination copy was damaged.
- Correct the destination configuration, retest privately and schedule another cutover.
Rollback is easiest when the old site has remained unchanged. That is why a content freeze and a verified backup matter more than trying to make an untested change quickly.
When it is safe to cancel SiteGround
Wait until traffic is consistently reaching the new host, business-critical functions pass, email works and no required DNS records are missing. Then remove obsolete credentials, disable old cron jobs, document the final DNS records and backup locations, and only afterward cancel the old hosting plan.
Common failure symptoms and fixes
| Symptom | Likely cause | First check |
|---|---|---|
| “Error establishing a database connection” | Wrong database name, user, password or host in wp-config.php, or an incomplete import. |
Compare every database value with the destination host’s credentials and verify that the tables exist. |
| Home page works but internal links return 404 | Permalink rules or web-server configuration were not carried over. | Save the Permalinks settings once in WordPress and check the new host’s rewrite support. |
| Images are missing | Uploads were not copied, URLs still reference the old location or permissions block reads. | Inspect wp-content/uploads, image URLs and the destination file access. |
| Forms or payments fail | Callback URLs, API allowlists, mail transport or credentials still reference the old server. | Review integration dashboards, webhook endpoints, logs and notification delivery. |
| Email stopped after nameserver change | MX, SPF, DKIM, DMARC or mail-provider CNAME/TXT records were omitted. | Compare the new authoritative zone with the old zone and restore every required mail record. |
| Some visitors see the old site | DNS caches are still using the previous address. | Query DNS from multiple networks and keep the old host online during propagation. |
| Admin works but scheduled tasks do not | Server cron was not recreated, or a task still targets the old hostname. | Compare cron configuration and run a controlled scheduled task on the new server. |
Migration decision checklist
Choose manual, plugin-based or managed migration by evaluating the parts that affect your site rather than choosing by convenience alone:
- How much hands-on database and DNS work can you perform?
- Can the method preview the copy before DNS cutover?
- How will it handle a large database or frequent WooCommerce writes?
- Does it cover email and DNS, or only WordPress files and tables?
- Who issues and verifies the SSL certificate?
- Does it support multisite and unusual plugins?
- What is the rollback path if the first cutover fails?
- What is included in the total price, including post-migration fixes?
A successful move is the combination of a complete copy, a private test, a controlled DNS change and a live rollback option. Treat those as separate checkpoints, and the hosting provider change does not have to become a domain transfer or an email migration.
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