Website migration
Move your website to us without the hassle
Free website migration is included when you order a Small plan or higher and pay yearly. You keep your current site running while the copy is prepared, check it, then switch your domain across, so visitors should not see a gap. The Very Small plan and shorter billing terms do not include free migration.
We move your website for free
Order a Small plan or higher, billed yearly, and we copy your site across for you. Your current site stays live until you have checked the new one.
- Files, database and email set up on your new account
- You test the copy before your domain switches
- No downtime when the plan is followed
- Covered by the 15-day money-back guarantee
The process
How a website move works
- OrderPick Small or higher, yearly
- Tell usShare access to the current site
- CopyFiles, database and email set up
- TestYou check the copy before it goes live
- SwitchPoint your domain at the new host
Your part
What to prepare before you start
Do not cancel the old host
Keep it running until the new site is confirmed working. This is your safety net.
Gather your logins
Have the access details for your current hosting and your domain registrar to hand.
List your email accounts
Note every mailbox so each one is recreated on the new account.
Choose a quiet time
Switch your domain when your site is least busy, such as an evening or a weekend.
Do it yourself or let us
Free migration or moving it yourself
Let us do the move
- No copying files or databases yourself
- Free on Small and higher plans billed yearly
- You test the copy before the domain switches
- Good for WordPress and standard PHP sites
Move it yourself
- Needed for the Very Small plan or shorter billing terms
- Takes a few hours for a first-timer
- You control every step
- See our step-by-step guide
After the move
Checks to make once the site is on the new host
- Open the home page and a few inner pages on a phone and a computer
- Submit a contact form and confirm you receive it
- Send and receive a test email on each mailbox
- Check the padlock shows on every page
- Log in to WordPress and confirm plugins still work
- Keep the old account for a few days before you cancel it
Avoiding trouble
The most common problems in a website move, and how to avoid them
Most moves go smoothly. The problems that do appear are predictable, and almost all come from leaving something behind or switching too soon.
Email is the usual casualty. If your domain's mail records change before the new mailboxes exist, messages can bounce. Create every mailbox first, switch the domain after, and keep the old account running for a few days.
Check how long your domain's DNS changes take to spread. Lowering the time-to-live on your records a day or two before the move makes the switch quicker and cleaner.
- Create all mailboxes before switching the domain
- Lower DNS time-to-live a day or two ahead
- Keep the old account running until you are sure
- Test forms, logins and checkout after the move
Timing
The best time to switch
Choose a quiet period, such as a weekend evening for a business site, or a weekday night for a shop. Avoid sale periods and the days before a campaign. If anything needs fixing, you will have time.
Switch hosts with a safety net
Free migration on Small and higher yearly plans, with 15 days to decide if you are happy.
FAQ
Common questions
Will my site go offline during the move?
It should not. Your current site keeps running while we prepare the copy. The only change is switching your domain to the new host, which you control.
Does free migration cover email?
Mailboxes are recreated on the new account. Moving old messages is possible over IMAP, and our guide explains how.
Which plans include it?
Small, Medium, Large, Limitless and Limitless Plus when billed yearly. The Very Small plan and shorter billing terms do not.
Can you move any website?
WordPress and standard PHP sites are the simplest. If your site uses unusual software, ask our live chat before you order.
What if I do not like the new host?
The 15-day money-back guarantee applies to your first order, so you can ask for a refund if it is not right for you.
Keep reading
Related pages
Ready to switch to UK hosting?
Choose Small or higher, billed yearly, and the move is free.