How to Migrate a WordPress Site to New Hosting: A Beginner’s Step-by-Step Guide

Learning how to migrate a WordPress site to new hosting can feel risky, especially when your website already has traffic, rankings, forms, plugins, and customer data. The biggest concern is usually downtime. Many site owners worry that visitors will see errors, pages will disappear, or the website will break after the move.

The good news is that a WordPress migration is manageable when you follow the right order. You first create backups, set up the new hosting account, copy the site files and database, test the migrated version, and only then point your domain to the new server.

This guide uses Hostinger as the main example because it offers a migration request option through hPanel. The same process works with most quality hosting providers, whether they use cPanel, Plesk, or a custom dashboard.

Why Migrating Your WordPress Site to New Hosting Matters

Website owners usually move hosting for one of these reasons:

Their current website is slow
Hosting support is not helpful
Renewal prices are too high
Their plan has limited storage or resources
They need better backups and security
They want stronger WordPress performance
Their website has outgrown shared hosting
They need a better server location for visitors

A better hosting plan can improve loading times, uptime, caching, backup options, and WooCommerce performance. However, the migration itself needs careful handling.

The main goal is simple: move your WordPress files, database, themes, plugins, images, and settings to the new host without changing your website content or losing traffic.

Pro Tip: Do not cancel your old hosting account before the migration is complete. Keep it active until you have tested the new website, confirmed email delivery, and checked that your domain is loading from the new server.

How to Migrate a WordPress Site to New Hosting: What You Need Before Starting

Before you begin, make sure you have the following:

Access to your existing WordPress dashboard
Access to your current hosting account
Access to your new hosting account
Your domain registrar login details
A full backup of WordPress files and database
FTP or File Manager access, if needed
Database access through phpMyAdmin or a similar tool
A migration plugin, if using the plugin method
Around 30 to 60 minutes for a small to medium website
More time for large WooCommerce, membership, or media-heavy sites

For a normal WordPress website, you have three main migration options:

Use your new host’s migration service
Use a WordPress migration plugin
Move files and databases manually

Hostinger recommends completing the migration before pointing your domain to its servers. This keeps the old website live while the new copy is being prepared.

How to Migrate a WordPress Site to New Hosting Using a Host Migration Service

Step 1: Create a Complete Backup of Your Existing Website

Before making any changes, create a full backup of your WordPress website.

A full backup should include:

WordPress core files
Themes
Plugins
Uploads folder and media files
WordPress database
.htaccess file
wp-config.php file
Email settings, if you use hosting email
Custom code or scripts

Do not rely only on a backup from your hosting provider. Download a copy to your computer or store it in a secure cloud account.

For WordPress, you can create a backup using a plugin such as All-in-One WP Migration, WPvivid, UpdraftPlus, or another reliable backup tool. You can also download files through File Manager or FTP and export the database through phpMyAdmin.

Pro Tip: Make two copies of the backup. Keep one on your computer and one in cloud storage. A backup is your safety net if a migration fails.

Step 2: Purchase and Set Up Your New Hosting Plan

Choose a hosting plan that can handle your existing website. A small blog may work well on shared WordPress hosting, but a WooCommerce store, membership site, or high-traffic affiliate website may need cloud hosting or managed WordPress hosting.

After purchasing your new hosting plan, do not point your domain immediately.

In Hostinger, you can access the migration section through Websites, then Migrations, and click Migrate website. You can choose Use login details when the website is currently online and you have login access to the existing host.

You may be asked for:

Current website URL
WordPress administrator login
Current hosting login details
FTP credentials
Control panel login
Backup file, depending on the migration method

Pro Tip: Give the new host only the access required for migration. Once the move is complete, change WordPress, hosting, FTP, and database passwords.

Step 3: Choose the Best Migration Method for Your Website

The right method depends on your website size, technical confidence, and hosting provider.

Option 1: Host Migration Service

This is the easiest option for beginners. Your new host may move the website for you using your old hosting login details or a backup file.

This method is useful when:

You do not want to handle files or databases
Your site has multiple plugins and custom settings
You are moving a WooCommerce store
You want less risk of technical mistakes
Your host includes migration support

Option 2: Migration Plugin

A plugin is a practical option for small to medium WordPress websites. It creates a backup package that can be restored on the new hosting account.

All-in-One WP Migration is one popular option. Its WordPress.org listing describes the plugin as a tool for migrating, backing up, and restoring WordPress sites.

Option 3: Manual Migration

Manual migration involves downloading files, exporting the database, uploading files to the new host, importing the database, and updating the wp-config.php file.

This method is useful when:

Your site is too large for plugin limits
You have custom WordPress settings
You want full control over the move
A plugin migration fails
Your website has a large database or media library

Pro Tip: For a small business website or blog, use a host migration service or plugin. Use manual migration only when necessary.

How to Migrate a WordPress Site to New Hosting With a Plugin

Step 4: Export Your Website From the Old Host

Go to Plugins, click Add New Plugin, search for your chosen migration plugin, and click Install Now. After installation, click Activate.

Using All-in-One WP Migration as an example:

Go to All-in-One WP Migration.
Click Export.
Select File.
Wait for the export process to complete.
Click Download to save the backup file to your computer.

The file usually includes your database, themes, plugins, uploads, and WordPress settings.

Do not make major changes to your old website while the backup is being created. Avoid publishing new posts, updating WooCommerce products, changing orders, or adding new user accounts during migration.

Pro Tip: Put busy ecommerce stores into maintenance mode shortly before the final transfer. This reduces the risk of missing new orders or customer data during the move.

Step 5: Install WordPress on Your New Hosting Account

In your new hosting dashboard, create a fresh WordPress installation on the destination domain or a temporary domain.

With Hostinger, go to Websites, choose Add website, select WordPress, and complete the basic installation process. You can also use Auto Installer from hPanel if you are setting up WordPress manually.

Do not spend time designing the new WordPress installation. It will be replaced by the imported version of your old website.

After installing WordPress:

Log in to the new WordPress dashboard.
Install the same migration plugin.
Open the plugin’s Import section.
Upload the backup file you downloaded from the old website.
Confirm that you want to replace the fresh WordPress installation.
Wait for the import process to finish.
Log in again with your old WordPress administrator credentials.

Hostinger’s migration documentation notes that plugin-based restoration is suitable for smaller sites and uses a fresh WordPress installation on the destination plan before restoring the export file.

Pro Tip: After importing, your old WordPress username and password usually replace the new credentials you created during installation. Use your original site login details.

How to Migrate a WordPress Site to New Hosting Manually

Step 6: Move Website Files and Database Manually

Manual migration is more technical, but it gives you greater control.

First, download your existing WordPress files from the old host using File Manager or an FTP client. The files are normally located inside the public_html folder or another website root folder.

Download everything, including hidden files such as:

.htaccess
wp-config.php
wp-content
wp-includes
wp-admin

Next, export your existing database.

Open phpMyAdmin in the old hosting account.
Select the WordPress database.
Click Export.
Choose Quick and select SQL.
Click Export to download the database file.

Then open your new hosting account.

Create a new database and database user.
Assign the user to the database with full permissions.
Upload WordPress files to the new site’s public_html folder.
Open phpMyAdmin on the new host.
Select the new database.
Click Import.
Upload the SQL database file.
Open the wp-config.php file.
Update the database name, username, password, and database host if needed.

Hostinger’s manual migration documentation explains that files should be copied from the old host and uploaded to the destination website folder, while database information must be transferred separately.

Pro Tip: Never open and edit a large SQL file with a regular text editor unless you know what you are doing. It can corrupt the file or remove important serialized WordPress data.

How to Migrate a WordPress Site to New Hosting Without Downtime

Step 7: Test the Website Before Changing DNS

Before pointing your domain to the new host, test the migrated website.

Check these pages and features:

Homepage
Main menu
Blog posts
Images
Contact forms
Login page
Search function
WooCommerce products
Cart and checkout
Customer account area
Email notifications
SSL certificate
Mobile layout
Important plugins

Some hosts offer a temporary URL, staging URL, or preview option. You can also use a hosts file method, but that is more advanced and should only be used if you understand how local DNS overrides work.

Check for broken images, missing pages, incorrect links, or plugin errors. If you see a 404 error, log in to WordPress, go to Settings, select Permalinks, and click Save Changes.

Pro Tip: Clear all cache layers before testing. Clear the WordPress cache plugin, hosting cache, CDN cache, and browser cache. Otherwise, you may still see an older version of your website.

Step 8: Point Your Domain to the New Hosting and Monitor the Move

Once your new website is working properly, update your domain’s nameservers or DNS records.

You have two choices:

Change nameservers: This gives the new hosting provider control over your DNS settings.

Change A records: This keeps DNS management at your domain registrar or DNS provider while directing website traffic to the new server.

In Hostinger, open Websites, choose the website, and use Check guide to view the correct nameserver or DNS connection instructions for your account.

DNS propagation may happen quickly, but full changes can take several hours. During this time, some visitors may see the old server while others see the new server.

After the domain points to the new hosting, check:

Website loads over HTTPS
Contact forms send correctly
WordPress admin works
Email records are intact
Analytics tracking works
CDN is connected correctly
Redirects are working
WooCommerce checkout works

Pro Tip: Wait at least 48 to 72 hours before cancelling the old hosting plan. This gives DNS enough time to settle and gives you time to catch any missed issue.

Common WordPress Migration Problems and Fixes

The Website Shows “Error Establishing a Database Connection”

This usually means the database credentials in wp-config.php are incorrect.

Fix: Check the database name, username, password, and database host in your new hosting dashboard. Update the same details inside wp-config.php.

Images Are Missing After Migration

Images may be missing if the wp-content/uploads folder was not copied correctly.

Fix: Re-upload the missing uploads folder or restore it from your old backup. Also clear cache after uploading files.

You See a 500 Internal Server Error

A broken .htaccess file, unsupported PHP version, plugin conflict, or file permission issue may cause this.

Fix: Rename the .htaccess file temporarily, log in to WordPress, go to Settings, select Permalinks, and click Save Changes to generate a fresh file.

Your Website Redirects Back to the Old Host

This can happen because of caching, CDN settings, old DNS records, or hard-coded URLs.

Fix: Clear browser, plugin, host, and CDN caches. Confirm that your A record or nameservers point to the new hosting account.

Your Email Stops Working After Changing Nameservers

Changing nameservers can remove existing email records if they are not recreated on the new DNS zone.

Fix: Copy your MX, SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records before changing nameservers. Add them to the new host’s DNS settings after the switch.

WooCommerce Orders Are Missing

Orders may be missing when new customer activity happens on the old server after you created the backup.

Fix: Put the store into maintenance mode before the final backup, then create a fresh backup and import it again before switching DNS.

Performance and Security Tips After Migrating Your Website

After migration, take a few minutes to optimize the new hosting environment.

Update WordPress, plugins, and themes
Delete unused plugins and themes
Enable server-level caching
Use a reliable WordPress cache plugin
Compress large images
Turn on HTTPS redirects
Enable automatic backups
Use strong administrator passwords
Enable two-factor authentication
Check your PHP version
Test website speed on desktop and mobile
Connect a CDN for international visitors
Schedule regular backup downloads

A new hosting environment can have different PHP settings, cache layers, and security rules. Test your website carefully after the move instead of assuming it will behave exactly like the old server.

Why Hostinger Can Make WordPress Migration Easier

Hostinger can make migration easier for beginners because it offers a dedicated migration area inside hPanel. Users can submit a migration request through Websites, select Migrations, and provide access details or backup files. The provider also advises migrating the website before repointing the domain, which helps keep the original website online during the transfer.

For smaller sites, a plugin migration can work well. For larger, more complex, or business-critical WordPress sites, using a host migration service reduces the chance of missing files, database settings, or domain configuration details.

The same rule applies to any hosting provider: choose one that offers reliable backups, easy WordPress installation, clear migration support, useful documentation, and a simple upgrade path.

How to Migrate a WordPress Site to New Hosting: Final Thoughts

Knowing how to migrate a WordPress site to new hosting gives you the freedom to leave a slow, unreliable, or expensive provider without putting your website at unnecessary risk.

Start by creating full backups. Set up your new hosting account without changing DNS. Use a host migration service, plugin, or manual migration method to copy your website. Test every important page and function before pointing your domain to the new server.

Once the new website is live, monitor it for a few days, confirm that forms and email are working, and keep your old hosting account active until you are fully confident that everything transferred correctly.

FAQs About How to Migrate a WordPress Site to New Hosting

Can I migrate a WordPress website without downtime?

Yes. The best approach is to migrate and test the website on the new host before changing your domain DNS. Your old site stays online while you prepare the new version.

Will I lose my SEO rankings after moving hosting?

Changing hosting alone should not damage rankings if your domain name, website URLs, content, redirects, HTTPS settings, and page structure remain the same. Check for broken pages and redirects after migration.

Do I need to move my domain name to the new hosting provider?

No. You can keep your domain registered with the current registrar and simply update its DNS settings to point to the new host.

Can I use a plugin to migrate a large WordPress website?

You can, but free plugin versions may have import size limits. Large websites with many images, products, orders, or users may need a premium migration plugin, manual migration, or host-assisted migration.

Should I change nameservers or only update A records?

Changing nameservers is simpler when you want the new host to manage all DNS records. Updating A records is better when you want to keep DNS with your domain registrar, Cloudflare, or another provider.

How long does WordPress migration take?

A small website may take less than an hour. A large website, ecommerce store, or complex membership platform can take several hours because there are more files, databases, testing steps, and DNS changes involved.