How Do You Move Your Website to a New Host Without Downtime?

Changing hosts sounds risky, and it can be if the steps happen in the wrong order. Done properly, your visitors never notice. The idea is simple: get everything working at the new location first, and only then point your domain there.

Before you start

• Make a complete copy of your site: all files, images and content, plus the database if your site has one. See what a good backup plan looks like
• Check that the new host can run everything your site needs
• Write down your current domain settings, especially the ones that handle email
• Pick a quiet time, such as a weekday evening, in case something needs attention

If you are still choosing where to move, our comparison of shared and managed hosting can help.

Set up and test the new copy

Upload everything to the new host while your live site keeps running as normal. Most hosts give you a temporary address so you can view the new copy before the public can. Click through every page, test your contact form, check the images, and make sure the security certificate is working. A private test version is a useful safety net, and what a staging site is explains how it works.

Take your time at this stage. Problems found now cost nothing, while the same problems found after the switch are seen by every visitor.

Switch your domain over

When the new copy looks right, update your domain settings so they point to the new host. This is where DNS comes in, and what DNS is and why it matters explains why the change takes a while to spread.

If your domain provider allows it, you can shorten the refresh time on your records a day or two beforehand. That helps the switch reach visitors faster.

Keep the old site running for a while

Do not cancel the old hosting right away. For a day or two, some visitors will still reach the old site. Keep it online until traffic has fully moved, and avoid making content changes on either site during the switch so nothing gets lost.

Check everything afterward

• Submit your contact form and confirm the message arrives
• Send and receive a test email
• Look for the padlock in the browser. See whether you need a security certificate
• Make sure old page addresses still work. If any have changed, set up 301 redirects
• Watch for outages over the next few days. See what website uptime means

If any part of this feels uncertain, ask someone who has done it before. A rushed move is the most common cause of lost emails and broken pages. Once everything has been stable for a while, you can cancel the old hosting. Keep a final backup of the old site for a few weeks in case you need to look something up.