--- title: "How to Move Your Website to a New Host | GlobalHostia" url: "https://globalhostia.com/guides/move-website-to-hostia" description: "Move your website to Globalhostia without downtime: back up, copy files and databases, test, lower the DNS TTL and switch. Or let our engineers do it for free." source: "GlobalHostia; prices are synced from the billing system and exclude any taxes shown at checkout" --- Guide # How to move a website to Globalhostia Move files, databases and email from another host without downtime, either yourself or with our free migration. 8 minute read · Prices on this page are live from our billing system ## On this page 1. [The easy way: let us do it](#free) 2. [Doing it yourself, step by step](#diy) 3. [Common pitfalls](#pitfalls) 4. [Questions](#ln-faq-h) Rather ask a person? [WhatsApp our team](https://wa.me/971507341578?text=Hello%20GlobalHostia%2C%20I%20have%20a%20question%20about%20%22How%20to%20move%20a%20website%20to%20Globalhostia%22.) ## The easy way: let us do it Migration is free. Tell us where the site is hosted and our engineers copy the files, databases and email, test the site on our servers and help you switch DNS when you are ready, with no downtime. [Request a free migration](https://globalhostia.com/free-migration) ## Doing it yourself, step by step 1. ### List what you are moving Write down every website, database, mailbox, cron job and subdomain on the old host, and where the domain is registered. Note the PHP version your site uses. 2. ### Order hosting at Globalhostia Pick a plan with enough storage, websites and mailboxes for that list. The [plan finder](https://globalhostia.com/plan-finder) helps if you are unsure. Do not cancel the old host yet. 3. ### Take a full backup Download a full backup from the old control panel, or at least a copy of the files and an export (.sql) of every database. Keep it on your computer until the move is finished. 4. ### Copy files and databases Upload the files to `public_html` with the file manager or FTP, create a new database and user in the control panel, and import the .sql file with phpMyAdmin. For WordPress, update the database name, user and password in `wp-config.php`. ` define( 'DB_NAME', 'account_dbname' ); define( 'DB_USER', 'account_dbuser' ); define( 'DB_PASSWORD', 'your-new-password' ); ` 5. ### Recreate mailboxes and copy mail Create the same email addresses on the new hosting. To keep old messages, connect both accounts in a desktop mail app over IMAP and drag the folders across, or ask us to copy them. 6. ### Test before switching Preview the site on the new server before DNS changes, for example by adding the new server IP for your domain to your computer’s hosts file. Click through forms, logins and checkout. 7. ### Lower the DNS TTL, then switch A day before, lower the TTL of your DNS records to a few minutes. Then change the nameservers, or the A and MX records, to the values in your welcome email. Our [nameserver guide](https://globalhostia.com/guides/change-nameservers) shows both ways. 8. ### Check, then cancel the old host Once the new site and email work for everyone, and no new mail arrives on the old server, take one last backup and cancel the old hosting. ## Common pitfalls - **Cancelling the old host too early.** Keep it until DNS has fully switched and mail has stopped arriving there. - **Hard-coded old addresses.** Search the database for the old server path or temporary URL and replace it. - **Different PHP version.** Select the same version in the control panel first, then upgrade on purpose later. - **Forgotten cron jobs and email forwarders.** Recreate them from your list in step one. ## More hosting guides - [How to point a domain or change nameservers](https://globalhostia.com/guides/change-nameservers) - [How to set up business email on your domain](https://globalhostia.com/guides/business-email-setup) - [How to install WordPress](https://globalhostia.com/guides/install-wordpress) - [How to install an SSL certificate](https://globalhostia.com/guides/install-ssl) [All hosting guides](https://globalhostia.com/guides) **Price-lock**your renewal price never goes up **30-day money-back on shared hosting** - [**Free website migration**](https://globalhostia.com/free-migration) **24/7 engineers by ticket & WhatsApp** ## How to move a website to Globalhostia: questions ### No, if you copy everything first and switch DNS only after testing. Visitors move to the new server gradually as DNS updates, and both copies work in the meantime. ### ### ### ## Not sure which plan you need? Answer four questions and get a recommendation from our live plans, or let our engineers move your site for free. [Open the plan finder](https://globalhostia.com/plan-finder)[Free website migration](https://globalhostia.com/free-migration)