Website Migration Complete Guide

Complete guide with step-by-step instructions.

Website migration moves your site from one hosting to another. This guide ensures zero-downtime migration.

Pre-Migration Checklist

  • Current hosting login details
  • FTP/SFTP credentials
  • Database credentials
  • Domain registrar login
  • Email accounts list
  • SSL certificate (if custom)

Migration Methods

Method 1: Free Migration Service (Easiest)

Taiwan Web Hosting offers free website migration:

  1. Sign up for new hosting
  2. Submit migration request
  3. Provide old hosting details
  4. Our team migrates everything
  5. Zero downtime guaranteed
  6. Completely free!

Method 2: Manual Migration

Step 1: Backup Current Site

  1. Create full backup of files and database
  2. Download backup to computer
  3. Verify backup completeness

Step 2: Set Up New Hosting

  1. Sign up for Taiwan Web Hosting
  2. Access cPanel
  3. Create database and user
  4. Note database credentials

Step 3: Transfer Files

  1. Extract backup on computer
  2. Upload via FTP to new hosting
  3. Upload to public_html folder
  4. Wait for completion

Step 4: Import Database

  1. Export database from old host (via phpMyAdmin)
  2. Import to new host via phpMyAdmin
  3. Update wp-config.php with new database details

Step 5: Update Domain DNS

  1. Update nameservers at registrar
  2. Point to new hosting nameservers
  3. Wait 24-48 hours for propagation
  4. Keep old hosting active during propagation

WordPress-Specific Migration

Using Duplicator Plugin:

  1. Install Duplicator on old site
  2. Create package (files + database)
  3. Download installer.php and archive.zip
  4. Upload both to new hosting
  5. Visit yoursite.com/installer.php
  6. Follow wizard to restore
  7. Update permalinks

Zero-Downtime Migration

Technique:

  1. Keep old hosting active
  2. Set up complete site on new hosting
  3. Test thoroughly on new host (use hosts file or temp URL)
  4. Only update DNS after verifying everything works
  5. Keep old hosting for 7 days as backup

Post-Migration Checklist

  • ✅ Test all pages load
  • ✅ Check forms work
  • ✅ Verify images display
  • ✅ Test contact forms
  • ✅ Check email works
  • ✅ Verify SSL certificate
  • ✅ Test shopping cart (if applicable)
  • ✅ Check search functionality
  • ✅ Verify database queries
  • ✅ Test mobile version

Common Migration Issues

Database Connection Error

Fix: Update wp-config.php with correct database name, username, password, host

Images Not Displaying

Fix: Update URLs in database from old domain to new (use Search Replace DB script)

Site Redirecting to Old Host

Fix: Clear browser cache, check DNS propagation at whatsmydns.net

Need help? Taiwan Web Hosting provides 24/7 support via chat, email, and phone. Contact support.

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