Website move without downtime
Move a website without losing anything on the way
Whatever your site is built with, the move always consists of the same four parts: files, database, email and domain. Here's how to move each of them and where the traps are. Or give me the access details and I'll do it for free.
Already know what this is about? Migrate WordPress · Move the domain only
One move, four parts
Files and database
The visible part of your site lives in files, the content usually in a database. Both have to come along, and afterwards the configuration file has to point at the new credentials. Separate the two and you end up with an empty site.
Email, the part people forget
There are almost always mailboxes attached to the domain. Forget them and no mail arrives after the switch. I move them over IMAP with all the old messages and folders before anything is switched.
Domain last, never first
Only once the site has been checked at its new home does the domain get pointed there. In that order, your visitors notice nothing at all.
Move a website in 7 steps
This is how it goes if you do it yourself. The order matters more than the technique: build everything at the new home, check it, and point the domain last.
- 1
Take stock
Write down what belongs to the site: files, database, mailboxes, domain, plus extras such as a newsletter sender or a payment provider. Whatever is missing from this list will be missing after the move.
- 2
Take a complete backup
Download all files over FTP or SFTP and export the database, usually through phpMyAdmin. Keep this backup until the move is finished. It is your way back.
- 3
Prepare the new hosting
Create the database at the new provider and note the database name, user and password. Check that the PHP version matches your system, otherwise the site won't start after the move.
- 4
Load files and database
Upload the files and import the database export. Then adjust the configuration file so it points at the new database. Depending on the system it's called wp-config.php, configuration.php or settings.php.
- 5
Move the mailboxes
Create the email accounts at the new provider with the same addresses and copy the existing messages over IMAP. Only after that is the MX record switched, otherwise mail runs into a void.
- 6
Test on a temporary address
Open the site through a temporary address or via the hosts file before the domain moves. Click through it: home page, menus, images, forms, login, checkout. Check that form mails arrive, too.
- 7
Point the domain
Only once everything works, point the domain at the new server via DNS: the A record for the site and the MX record for mail. Leave the old environment standing for a few days until the change has reached everyone.
Too many moving parts that could go wrong? I'll do the whole move for free, in exactly that order and without downtime.
Move it yourself or let me move it
| Point | You do it | I do it |
|---|---|---|
| Effort | several hours for files, database, mail, DNS | none, I handle it |
| you copy the mailboxes over IMAP yourself | they arrive with all the old messages | |
| Risk if something breaks | site or mailbox can go down | parallel move, switched over only at the end |
Doing it yourself is feasible if you're comfortable with FTP and a database export. What I take off you is the work and the risk, and it costs nothing.
Data protection as standard, no surcharge
The servers are in Germany and the data processing agreement under Art. 28 GDPR is included. That suits law firms, accountants and anyone handling sensitive data.
Fixed price. What you see is what you pay, today, tomorrow, and on renewal.
✓ Cancel monthly · ✓ Free migration · ✓ SSL included · ✓ Daily backups
All prices net (+ VAT). Cancel monthly. Free migration included. Servers in the EU.
Frequently asked questions about moving a website
How do I move my website myself?
In this order: back up the files over FTP or SFTP, export the database, load both at the new provider, adjust the credentials in the configuration file, check the site on a test address, and only then point the domain via DNS. The detailed steps are below.
Will my site go offline during the move?
No, as long as you work in the right order. The site is built and checked at its new home while the old one keeps running. The switch happens last, through the domain. That's exactly how I do it when I take the move on.
Does this work without WordPress?
Yes. The four parts are the same for every system: files, database, email, domain. Joomla, TYPO3, Drupal, a shop or a hand-written site, the approach doesn't change, only the name of the configuration file. If your site runs on WordPress, there's a separate guide for that.
What happens to my mailboxes?
They come along. I create the mailboxes at the new host and copy the existing messages with their folder structure over IMAP before the MX record is switched. That way no mail is lost during the move.
How long does moving a website take?
Most sites are moved within a day. What takes a little longer afterwards is DNS: how fast the change reaches everyone depends on the TTL of your current records. That's why the old environment stays reachable until the last visitor lands on the new server.
What does the move cost?
Nothing. The migration is free whether you pay monthly or yearly and whatever the product. No minimum contract, no setup fee.
What if something isn't right after the move?
Before switching over I check every page, the forms and outgoing mail. If you still spot something afterwards, you message Martin directly on WhatsApp. And if the move turns out not to suit you, I'll put you back where you were.