How to move your website to a new host without any downtime

The fear of breaking something keeps a lot of people with a host they’re unhappy with. But moving a website doesn’t have to mean downtime, lost email or a weekend of stress. The secret is doing things in the right order.

The golden rule: copy first, switch last

Your website should keep running at your old host until the new copy is complete and checked. Only then do you point your domain at the new host. Done this way, visitors never see a gap.

Step 1: take stock

Make a list of everything that lives at your current host: the website files, any databases (WordPress has one), email accounts and their messages, and any extras such as subdomains or scheduled tasks. Note where your domain is registered and where its DNS is managed. These are often, but not always, the same company.

Step 2: lower your DNS TTL

A day or two before the move, reduce the TTL (time to live) on your DNS records to something short, such as 300 seconds. This tells the internet to check for changes more often, so the final switch takes effect quickly.

Step 3: copy everything to the new host

If both hosts use cPanel, a full cPanel backup can be restored at the new host in one go, including email. Otherwise, files are copied across and databases exported and imported. If you use WordPress, the site’s address and file paths may need updating afterwards.

Step 4: test before anyone sees it

You can preview the copied site before switching by editing the “hosts” file on your own computer, so only you see the new server. Click through key pages, submit a form, and check any shop or login areas.

Step 5: switch the DNS

Update your nameservers, or the A and MX records, to point at the new host. Thanks to the short TTL, most visitors will reach the new server within minutes to a few hours.

Step 6: catch the last emails

During the switch, a few emails can still arrive at the old server. Keep your old account open for a few days and check it, or copy any stragglers across, before you cancel.

Step 7: cancel the old hosting

Only once everything has been working for a few days. And remember: if your domain is registered with the old host, cancelling hosting doesn’t automatically move the domain. Transfer it separately if you want everything in one place.