A safe website migration has three parts: prepare everything before the move, switch in a planned window with a way back, and check the result afterwards. Many problems come from what was forgotten: email, DNS records, SSL, scheduled tasks, or redirects for changed URLs.
Before the move
- Make a full backup of the files and the database, and test that it can be restored.
- List everything the site uses: database, email, scheduled tasks, SSL, third-party services.
- Check access to the old hosting, the new hosting, the domain's DNS settings, and the website admin.
- Write down all current DNS records, including email records, before changing anything.
- Decide whether email moves too, and plan it separately (see below).
- Lower the TTL of the DNS records you will change, at least a week ahead. Google's guidance on moving hosts suggests a few hours, so the switch reaches visitors faster and a rollback is quicker.
- Agree a rollback plan: what you do if the new server doesn't work.
The move
- Copy the files and the database to the new server.
- Set up the SSL certificate on the new server.
- Test the site on the new server before changing DNS: open it through a temporary address or a hosts file entry on your own computer, and check pages, forms, images, and downloads. Keep any temporary address out of search results with noindex.
- Pause content changes on the old site during the switch.
- Change DNS to the new server; changes can take time to reach everyone.
Email during a move
Email follows its own DNS records, not the website. The MX records say which server receives mail for your domain, and TXT or CNAME records often verify that your messages are genuine. If email stays with the same provider, copy these records exactly and check them after the switch. If mailboxes move too, that is a separate project with its own timing. After the switch, send and receive a test message from an outside address.
Same URLs or new URLs
If the addresses stay the same and only the hosting changes, Google's guide for moves without URL changes applies: test the new hosting, lower the TTL, switch DNS, and keep the old server until it no longer receives traffic. If URLs change, Google's guidance on site moves recommends mapping every old URL to its new equivalent, using permanent server-side redirects, updating internal links, and keeping redirects for as long as possible, generally at least one year. Submit the new sitemap in Search Console and watch both old and new URLs.
After the move
- Check the main pages, forms, and email on the new server.
- Check that scheduled tasks and backups run on the new server.
- Keep the old hosting until traffic to it has stopped, in case you need to roll back.
- Watch error logs and Search Console for problems.
Who does what in a migration
- Domain registrar: where the domain is registered and, often, where DNS is managed.
- Old host: access to files, databases, and email until the move is finished.
- New host or server: where the site will run.
- Whoever does the move: copies, tests, switches DNS, and checks the result.
When to get help
A planned migration reduces risk, but no one can promise that nothing will go wrong. See website migration, or VPS & server management for moving a whole server. If the site stops working during or after the move, see what to check if the site goes down.
Sources
- Google Search Central, Changing your hosting (accessed October 5, 2026)
- Google Search Central, Site moves and migrations (accessed October 4, 2026)