How to Move Your Website to a New Host With Minimal Downtime

Moving hosts doesn’t have to be risky

Switching to a new hosting provider can feel risky, but with the right preparation most websites can be moved with little or no noticeable downtime. The biggest difference comes from a few steps people often skip: lowering the DNS TTL in advance, testing before the switch, and keeping email records intact.

Some setups can still need a short interruption, for example:

• when a migration tool needs the domain to point at the new server
• when a fresh install has to be overwritten
• when the old host restricts access or external backups
• when email is moving to a new platform at the same time
• when DNS has to change before final testing is possible

The key is knowing what to expect and planning the move properly.

Why businesses move hosting

• slow performance
• frequent outages
• poor support
• security problems
• rising prices
• outdated technology
• having outgrown cheap shared hosting

If speed is the main reason, our guide to choosing the right web hosting for your business explains how to spot when your host is the bottleneck.

What you need before starting

Good preparation is what keeps downtime short. You’ll need:

• access to your current hosting account
• access to your domain registrar and DNS provider
• a recent, tested backup of the site files and database
• your new hosting plan set up
• a copy of every DNS record, especially email records
• email account details if mailboxes are moving too

If your new host offers a managed migration (DevEdge does), you usually only need to share login details.

Step-by-step migration process

This is the standard, safe sequence.

1. Lower your DNS TTL 24 to 48 hours before the move

The TTL (time to live) on a DNS record tells resolvers how long to cache it. If your A record has a TTL of several hours, some visitors will keep reaching the old server for that long after you switch. A day or two before the move, lower the TTL on the records you’ll be changing (usually the A/AAAA records for the domain and www) to something short, such as 300 seconds. Cloudflare’s guide to DNS TTL explains how it works. You can raise it again once the move has settled.

2. Take a full backup

Back up the files, database and, if they’re moving, email accounts. Make sure you can actually open or restore the backup before you rely on it.

3. Copy the site to the new server

Either manually or with a migration plugin or tool.

4. Update URLs if the address is changing

If the site was built or tested on a temporary URL, or you’re moving from http:// to https:// or to a new domain, the old address will be stored throughout the database. Use a proper search-replace tool rather than editing the database by hand, because WordPress stores some data in serialised form. WP-CLI’s search-replace command handles this safely, and you can run it with --dry-run first to see what it will change. If the domain itself is changing, follow Google’s guidance on site moves with URL changes and set up 301 redirects.

5. Test the site on the new server

Use a temporary URL, a staging address or a hosts-file preview to check pages, forms, logins and checkout before any DNS changes. If you can’t test until DNS has changed, plan for a short window of downtime.

6. Set up SSL

Make sure an SSL certificate will be in place on the new server as soon as traffic arrives. Some hosts can issue it before the switch; others (for example with Let’s Encrypt validation) need the domain to point at the new server first. Either way, check straight after the switch that HTTPS works with no browser warnings and that http:// redirects to https://.

7. Final sync (and pause orders on shops)

Content added to the old site since you copied it will be lost unless you sync it. Just before switching, pause content edits and copy the latest database and uploads. For a WooCommerce shop, schedule this for a quiet period and briefly put the shop into maintenance mode, or stop taking orders, so no orders are placed on the old server between the final sync and the DNS switch.

8. Update DNS

Point your domain at the new host. Change only the web records (A/AAAA and www), and leave your MX, SPF, DKIM and DMARC records as they are unless email is moving too.

9. Propagation and final checks

With a low TTL, most visitors move to the new server quickly, but some resolvers cache records for longer, so expect a short overlap where a few visitors still reach the old server. Check that pages load over HTTPS, forms send, logins work, email still flows in both directions and, for shops, that a test order goes through.

10. Retire the old hosting

Only once everything is confirmed working on the new server. Keep the old account active for a while so you have a fallback.

Don’t forget your email records

Email problems are the most common side effect of a host move. If your email is hosted with Microsoft 365, Google Workspace or another provider, it doesn’t need to move with your website, but its DNS records do need to survive. Before you change nameservers or DNS providers, copy every MX, SPF, DKIM, DMARC and verification record and recreate them exactly. Our guide to SPF, DKIM and DMARC explains what each record does and how to check them.

Understanding DNS (a simple explanation)

DNS doesn’t move your website. It simply tells browsers where your website lives. Moving hosts means copying the site to a new server and then updating DNS to point at it.

When you can avoid downtime entirely

• you can test the site on the new host before switching
• the migration tool doesn’t need the live domain
• email isn’t changing platform
• the old host gives you full access

When a small interruption is unavoidable

• the new host needs the domain to resolve before installing or restoring
• a fresh install has to be overwritten
• the old host heavily restricts access
• plugins or software are tied to the live URL
• email systems need reconfiguring

In these situations, downtime is normally minutes rather than hours, as long as the TTL has been lowered in advance.

Common mistakes that increase downtime

Avoid:

• changing DNS before the backup has been tested
• forgetting to lower the TTL in advance
• letting the old host delete your account straight away
• migrating at peak business hours
• forgetting to copy email DNS records or recreate mailboxes
• skipping the final sync of new content, orders or bookings
• assuming propagation is instant

Moving a WooCommerce store or a portfolio of client sites

Online shops need extra care because orders can arrive at any moment. Our WooCommerce hosting includes a standard store migration, with add to cart, checkout, payment and transactional emails tested before the switch.

Agencies moving client sites in bulk can use our agency hosting, which includes migration of standard client sites in planned batches. If you also need help with the builds themselves, our white label development team works under your brand.

When to use a managed migration service

If you want the least possible downtime, or you’re not confident with the technical side, a managed migration handles:

• backups
• the transfer
• testing (where possible)
• DNS and SSL
• email records
• post-migration checks

This is the safest option for business-critical websites.