How to Transfer a Website to a New Host
To transfer a website to a new host, copy the files, databases and mailboxes to the new account, test that copy privately with a hosts-file entry, then change the nameservers or A and MX records. Keep the old host running until the public site and mail both use the new server.
For site owners moving an existing website and email to a new hosting account without losing data or going offline.
knowledge
- Read time
- 5 min
- Sections
- 6
- Updated
- 14 Nov 2026
- Written by
- WebJi® team
Last editorial update: 14 November 2026. Prices follow the dated sources on this page; checkout confirms current charges.
What moves when you transfer a website to a new host?
A website transfer copies four things from the old host to the new one: the site files, every database, the mailboxes, and finally the DNS records that send visitors and mail to the new server. The domain name itself can stay at its current registrar; only where it points changes.
| Part | Where it lives | How it moves |
|---|---|---|
| Site files | public_html and any folders the app writes to | Archive, download, upload (or full cPanel backup) |
| Databases | MySQL/MariaDB on the server | SQL export, then import into a new database |
| Mail folders outside the website | Full account backup, or recreate mailboxes and copy messages | |
| DNS | Nameservers or records at the registrar or DNS host | Changed last, after the new copy is tested |
A zip of the public folder alone leaves the databases and every inbox behind, which is the most common reason a move “loses” email.
How to transfer a website to a new host, step by step
Build and test the complete copy on the new host while the old host stays live, change DNS only after the copy works, and cancel the old plan only after the public site and mail both run on the new server.
- Buy the new hosting and keep the old plan running. Cancelling first deletes the files and mail you still need.
- A day ahead, lower the DNS TTL to 300 seconds if your DNS host allows it, so the switch spreads faster.
- Back up the old account. If both hosts use cPanel, a full account backup restores in one step (see cPanel to cPanel migration); otherwise export files, databases and mail separately.
- Restore on the new host: upload files, create the database and user, import the SQL, and recreate each mailbox.
- Update the site's config with the new database name, user and password if they changed.
- Preview the new copy privately (next section) and fix anything that fails.
- Point the domain at the new host by changing nameservers or the A and MX records.
- Once public lookups return the new server and outside mail arrives there, cancel the old plan.
Commands to back up and restore files and databases over SSH
With SSH access, a tar archive of the web root and a mysqldump of each database are the fastest complete backup, and mysql imports the dump on the new server. Replace the names with your own.
# On the old server
tar -czf site.tar.gz -C ~/public_html .
mysqldump -u olddbuser -p olddbname > olddbname.sql
# Copy both files across (or download and upload with SFTP)
scp site.tar.gz olddbname.sql newuser@new-server:~/
# On the new server
mkdir -p ~/public_html && tar -xzf site.tar.gz -C ~/public_html
mysql -u newdbuser -p newdbname < olddbname.sqlFor WordPress, the database details live in wp-config.php as DB_NAME, DB_USER, DB_PASSWORD and DB_HOST; on a same-domain move nothing else needs rewriting. Match the PHP version to the old account before treating a plugin warning as a broken transfer. WordPress-specific steps are in how to migrate a WordPress site.
How to test the new copy before changing DNS
Point only your own computer at the new server with a hosts-file entry, then use the site normally; the public still sees the old host, so nothing is at risk.
203.0.113.10 example.com www.example.comAdd that line (with the new server's IP) to /etc/hosts on macOS or Linux, or C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc\hosts on Windows, as administrator; the hosts file guide shows each system. Then check:
- Pages: the home page and two inner pages load with images and styles.
- Forms and logins: a contact form submits and an admin login works; for a shop, a test order completes.
- Email: one old message opens in webmail on the new server.
- SSL: issue the certificate on the new host now, or right after DNS switches, so visitors do not see a warning.
Remove the hosts line afterwards, or you will keep seeing the new server even if public DNS has not changed.
Do you need to transfer the domain too?
No: for a host change, leave the domain at its registrar and either switch its nameservers to the new host or edit its A and MX records. Transferring the registration to another registrar is a separate job that needs an unlock and an authorisation code, and many registrars refuse it within 60 days of registration or of a previous transfer.
- Nameservers: use when the new host should run DNS. WebJi® welcome emails usually list ns1.webji.in and ns2.webji.in; copy the exact names from your own email. Steps are in how to change nameservers.
- A and MX records: use when DNS stays at the registrar or a DNS provider. Change the website and mail records in the same edit if mail is moving too.
Check progress with dig +short example.com @1.1.1.1 or the DNS propagation checker. Old answers expire within the previous TTL; networks that cached a long TTL can take up to 48 hours. A registrar move is covered on domain transfer.
What happens to email during a hosting transfer?
Mail keeps arriving at the old server until the MX record changes, so recreate and fill the mailboxes on the new host first, switch MX, and keep the old mailboxes until outside mail lands on the new server.
Messages that arrive at the old server during the switch can be copied across afterwards with an IMAP sync, or simply read on the old webmail until the old plan closes. Re-add the accounts in Outlook or phone apps with the new server names after the switch. Full steps are in how to migrate email accounts.
When to let WebJi® transfer the site for you
Do it yourself when the site is small and you have a backup you have already opened; ask WebJi® when the site takes orders, holds years of mail, or you cannot get a backup. Free migration applies to approved moves onto a WebJi® hosting plan, subject to terms; it is not instant and starts only after the scope is approved.
| You move it | WebJi® after approval | |
|---|---|---|
| Old host | Stays online until you have checked site and mail | Stays online until you have checked the copy |
| What moves | Whatever you export | What the approved scope names, usually files and databases |
| Charge with a WebJi® hosting plan | Your time | No extra charge, subject to terms |
| Without a hosting plan | — | ₹700 one-time before 18% GST: one domain, FTP files and up to five MySQL databases, up to 5 GB; mail not in this scope |
Order the destination first, for example shared hosting, then email support@webji.services with a backup or the current host login. Details are on free website migration and the paid website migration service; checkout confirms the current price.
Frequently asked questions
Will my website go down when I switch hosting?
Not if the new copy is tested first and the old host stays online while DNS updates. During that window some visitors reach the old server and some the new one, and both show the same site. Cancelling the old plan too early is what causes downtime.
What if my old host will not give me a backup?
With FTP or SFTP access you can download the files yourself, and phpMyAdmin can export each database. If you have no panel access at all, ask the old host in writing for a full backup, and keep the old plan paid until you have it.
Should I move during a sale or busy week?
No. Pick a quiet day and time, and for a store pause new orders briefly while you take the final database export, so no order is placed on the old server after the copy. Then import that final export and switch DNS.
Does changing host affect SEO?
Not when the domain and URLs stay the same and the site stays reachable. Search engines simply crawl the same pages from a new IP. Check that robots.txt, redirects and the SSL certificate came across, and watch Search Console for crawl errors for a week.
Last editorial update: 14 November 2026. Prices follow the dated sources on this page; checkout confirms current charges.
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