Preparing for a Website Migration

Moving your website from one hosting provider to another requires careful planning to minimise downtime and avoid data loss. This guide covers the key steps from the cPanel side.

Please note: Screens and options may vary slightly depending on your cPanel version and hosting plan.

⚠️ Caution: Incorrect changes here can make your website inaccessible. If you are unsure about any step, please contact our support team before proceeding.

Pre-Migration Checklist

Before you begin, make sure you have:

1. Access to your current cPanel account.
2. Access to your new hosting account (cPanel or otherwise).
3. Access to your domain registrar (to update nameservers).
4. All email client passwords documented (so users can reconfigure after migration).

Step 1: Create a Full Backup

1. In cPanel, go to Backup > Download a Full Account Backup.
2. Generate the backup to your Home Directory.
3. Download the backup file to your local computer.

This backup contains everything: files, databases, email accounts, email data, DNS settings, and cron jobs.

Step 2: Note Your Current Configuration

Document the following from your current cPanel:

• PHP version for each domain (MultiPHP Manager).
• PHP settings (MultiPHP INI Editor) — especially memory_limit, upload_max_filesize, max_execution_time.
• Cron jobs — screenshot or copy the commands and schedules.
• Email accounts — list of all accounts and their quotas.
• Email forwarders and filters — download these from the Backup page.
• DNS records — export or screenshot your Zone Editor records, especially any custom records (TXT, SRV, CAA, etc.).
• SSL certificates — if you have custom (non-Let's Encrypt) certificates, export them from SSL/TLS.
• Databases and users — note which users are assigned to which databases.

Step 3: Download Individual Components

In addition to the full backup:

• Download each database individually via Backup > MySQL Database Backups (quicker to restore than extracting from a full backup).
• Download your home directory backup.
• Note any remote MySQL hosts you've configured.

Step 4: Migrate to the New Server

If the new host also uses cPanel:

1. Your new hosting provider may offer a free migration service — ask them first, as this is often the easiest option.
2. If migrating manually, upload the full backup to the new server and ask the server administrator to restore it.
3. Alternatively, upload files via FTP, import databases via phpMyAdmin or SSH, recreate email accounts, and reconfigure settings.

Step 5: Test Before Switching DNS

Before changing your nameservers:

1. Update your local hosts file to point your domain to the new server's IP. This lets you test the new site without affecting anyone else.

- Windows: C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc\hosts - macOS/Linux: /etc/hosts - Add: NEW.SERVER.IP yourdomain.com www.yourdomain.com

1. Test all website functionality on the new server.
2. Test email sending and receiving.
3. Check that SSL certificates are working.
4. Remove the hosts file entry when testing is complete.

Step 6: Lower DNS TTL

At your current DNS provider, reduce the TTL (Time to Live) on all records to 300 seconds (5 minutes), at least 24–48 hours before the migration. This means DNS changes will propagate faster when you switch.

Step 7: Update Nameservers

When you're confident the new server is working correctly:

1. Log in to your domain registrar.
2. Update the nameservers to those provided by your new hosting company.
3. DNS propagation can take up to 48 hours, but most visitors will see the new site within 2–4 hours.

Step 8: Post-Migration Tasks

• Monitor both servers for a few days. Some visitors may still reach the old server during propagation.
• Verify email delivery is working on the new server.
• Re-enable any cron jobs.
• Check that AutoSSL/Let's Encrypt has issued certificates on the new server.
• After propagation is complete, increase DNS TTL back to normal (e.g. 14400 seconds).

Tips

• Don't delete your old hosting account immediately. Keep it active for at least a week after migration as a fallback.
• Communicate the migration to email users in advance — they may experience a brief period where email is unreliable during DNS propagation.
• If your site uses a CDN (like Cloudflare), update the origin IP in Cloudflare's DNS settings rather than changing nameservers.
• Time your migration during a low-traffic period (e.g. late evening or weekend).

What Next?

• Creating a Full Account Backup — Ensure you have a complete backup.
• Pointing Your Domain to Our Nameservers — Update DNS for the new server.

Related Articles

• Creating a Full Account Backup
• Pointing Your Domain to Our Nameservers
• Managing DNS Records (Zone Editor)
• What is a Nameserver?