One rule prevents downtime: set up the new host completely and test it, and change nameservers only once everything works there. The old site keeps serving throughout, and visitors notice nothing.
Most "my site vanished after the move" incidents come from reversing that order — cancelling the old plan or switching nameservers before the new host is ready.
Before you start
Ask the new provider: do you migrate my site for free? Many do, and will handle everything below for you. Ask first — it is faster, less error-prone, and usually free.
If you would rather do it yourself, here are the steps.
The seven steps
1) Buy the new plan and do not cancel the old one. You will pay for a few overlapping days, which is cheaper than one day without a website.
2) Take a full copy of the old host. Files (via FTP or the File Manager in your control panel), and the database (an SQL export from phpMyAdmin). Save them on your own machine, not only on the hosting.
3) Upload to the new host. Files into the site directory, database via SQL import. Then update the config file (wp-config.php on WordPress) with the new database credentials.
4) Test before anyone sees it. This is the crucial step, and there are two ways:
- A hosts file entry on your computer: maps your domain to the new IP, so you see the new site while the world still sees the old one.
- A temporary subdomain the new provider gives you.
Browse the pages, submit the contact form, log into the admin, and open the checkout if it is a store.
5) Lower the domain's TTL a day before switching, if your registrar allows it. The change then propagates in minutes rather than hours.
6) Change the nameservers. In your registrar's panel, point them at the new provider. Propagation takes minutes to 48 hours — during which some visitors see the old host and some the new, and both work.
7) Wait a week, then cancel the old plan. Not sooner: you may discover a forgotten page or unmigrated mail.
Prices on this page are read from our table the moment you open it, not typed into the text. Check the comparison page for the latest figures before buying.
What never to do
Do not cancel the old plan first. Some providers delete your data on cancellation.
Do not change nameservers before testing. If the new host has a fault, you have just shown it to the world.
Do not forget email. you@yoursite.com accounts usually live on the hosting. Export your mail before cancelling — and consider separate email hosting so it never happens again.
Do not migrate during a sales season. Move on the quietest day of the week.
Do not forget the certificate. Enable SSL on the new host before switching, or the browser will warn your visitors.
Does migrating hurt my search ranking?
No, as long as the domain and the URLs stay the same. Google sees the same site on a different server, which does not concern it.
Only two things hurt you:
- A long outage while a crawler visits — which is why we build the new host first.
- Changed URLs. If you must change them, redirect old to new with a 301.
After the move: open Search Console and inspect a few URLs to confirm Google reaches them.
Post-switch checklist
- [ ] Homepage and inner pages load
- [ ] The admin panel opens
- [ ] The contact form actually delivers
- [ ] SSL is active (the browser padlock)
- [ ] Mail sends and receives
- [ ] Images appear (paths did not break)
- [ ] Backups are enabled on the new host
- [ ] Measure speed and compare with the old host
Where to move to
If price or a steep renewal drove you out, read hosting contract terms before buying again, so you do not walk into the same trap.
| If you are leaving because of | Look at | Per month | |
|---|---|---|---|
| A steep renewal | Premium — Hostinger | EGP 79 | Offer |
| Wanting the smallest bill | Stellar — Namecheap | EGP 116 | Offer |
| Slowness and resource limits | Cloud Startup | EGP 319 | Offer |
| Needing full control | KVM 2 | EGP 429 | Offer |
Figures from our table as the page opens.
The short answer
Migrating is not hard, but it does not forgive a wrong order. Build, test, then switch — and only in that order does your visitor see nothing at all.
And if you are unsure, ask the new provider to move it for you. They do it every day.
Read next: What is web hosting? · The best hosting company · Cheapest web hosting · Hosting contract terms · Compare plans
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