How to Transfer WordPress Site to New Host Easily in 2026

Migrating a WordPress website may seem complicated, but with the right preparation, it can be smooth and hassle-free. Whether you’re upgrading to a faster server, switching hosting providers, or consolidating websites, careful planning is essential to avoid downtime, broken links, or data loss. A structured approach ensures your site’s content, design, and functionality remain intact throughout the process. In this guide, we cover both plugin-based and manual migration methods, including backups, database management, and file transfers. We also explain the final verification steps to confirm everything works correctly.

By following these methods, you can confidently maintain your site’s performance, user experience, and SEO rankings. These steps provide a reliable roadmap to transfer WordPress site to new host efficiently, giving you peace of mind that your website will continue running smoothly.

Before You Start: Essential Pre-Migration Steps

Before initiating the migration, it’s crucial to prepare to avoid downtime, data loss, or broken links. Here’s a pre-migration checklist:

Backup Everything
Always create a complete backup of your website, including files and databases, before making changes using the best import export website plugins like UpdraftPlus or All-in-One WP Migration helps ensure a safe and hassle-free process.
Choose Your New Host Wisely
Look for hosts that offer fast servers, good uptime, and excellent customer support. Consider your website’s needs in terms of storage, bandwidth, and scalability.
Gather Your Credentials
Ensure you have FTP/SFTP, cPanel, and database credentials for both old and new hosts.
Schedule Downtime (If Necessary)
While migration can often be seamless, schedule it during low-traffic hours just in case.
Clean Up Your Current Site
Remove unused plugins, themes, and outdated content to streamline the migration and reduce the file size.

Method 1: Using a Migration Plugin

Step 1: Install the Plugin on Your Current Site

Log in to your WordPress dashboard and navigate to Plugins → Add New. In the search bar, type the name of your preferred migration plugin, such as “All-in-One WP Migration,” “UpdraftPlus,” or “Duplicator.” Once located, click Install Now and wait for the process to complete. After installation, click Activate to enable the plugin. Once activated, the plugin’s menu appears in the sidebar, usually labeled clearly with its name. Take a few moments to familiarize yourself with its interface, including Export and Import sections, options, and settings.

Understanding the plugin interface before exporting ensures you can navigate it efficiently and avoid mistakes later. A properly installed and activated plugin sets the foundation for a smooth migration.

Step 2: Export Your Website

To transfer WordPress site to new host efficiently, open the plugin from the dashboard and navigate to the Export tab. Select which components of your website you want to include in the export, such as the database, media library, Premium WordPress Themes, and plugins. For a complete migration, include all items to avoid missing functionality.

Click Export and wait for the plugin to generate a backup file, which may take several minutes depending on your site’s size. After the export is ready, download the file to your local computer, usually in .wordpress or .zip format.

Storing the backup securely ensures you have everything needed to recreate your site at the new host. A complete export also preserves Elementor layouts, plugin settings, and custom configurations.

Step 3: Prepare the New Host

Before importing your site, ensure the new hosting environment is ready. Log in to your new hosting account and confirm that a fresh WordPress installation is available. Most hosting providers offer one-click WordPress installation through cPanel or a similar control panel. Check that the installation is accessible via your domain or a temporary URL. Verify PHP and MySQL versions meet your website’s requirements. Ensure you have FTP access or a file manager to upload files if needed.

It’s also a good idea to enable maintenance mode on your old site to prevent changes during migration. Preparing the host properly reduces errors and ensures a smooth transition, saving time and avoiding unnecessary downtime.

Step 4: Install the Same Plugin on the New Site

To transfer WordPress site to new host correctly, log in to your new WordPress dashboard, navigate to Plugins → Add New, search for the same migration plugin used on your old site, and click Install Now. After installation, click Activate. The plugin’s menu will now appear in the sidebar. Familiarize yourself with the Import section and check server upload limits; some hosts limit file sizes, which can affect large exports.

Installing the same plugin ensures compatibility with your exported file and allows the plugin to reconstruct the old site with all content, media, and Elementor templates. Correct plugin installation on the new site is a crucial step to ensure a seamless migration process.

Step 5: Import Your Website

Open the plugin on the new site and navigate to Import. Click Choose File or Upload and select the backup file exported from the old site. The plugin will upload the file to the server and begin the restoration process, which may take several minutes depending on the file size and server speed. Follow any on-screen prompts to confirm that existing content may be overwritten.

Once the import is complete, the plugin will display a success message. Refresh your site and verify that all pages, menus, plugins, and Elementor templates appear correctly. Importing the site ensures that all your settings and content are replicated exactly as they were on the old host.

Step 6: Point Your Domain to the New Host

After importing your website, the next step to transfer WordPress site to new host successfully is updating your domain settings. Log in to your domain registrar account and replace the existing nameservers with the ones provided by your new hosting provider. Save the changes and allow DNS propagation, which can take anywhere from a few minutes to 48 hours.
During this period, some visitors may still see the old site while others see the new one. Avoid making major edits until propagation finishes. This step officially connects your domain to the new server and makes the migrated site live.

Step 7: Verify Everything Works

After importing, it’s time to check that the site functions as expected and that you have successfully transferred WordPress site to new host. Navigate through every page, post, menu, and Elementor template. Test forms, sliders, and interactive elements. Check media files to ensure all images and downloads display correctly. Verify that plugins are operational and that SEO settings remain intact.

Clear any caching plugins and refresh your browser to see the latest content. If anything appears broken, most migration plugins allow you to re-import the backup or manually adjust missing files. A thorough verification guarantees that your website is fully functional and visually consistent.

Step 8: Final Adjustments

Finally, make any final adjustments needed to ensure your site performs optimally. Update permalinks via Settings → Permalinks if necessary, and clear any server or caching plugin caches. Check Google Analytics, tracking scripts, and SEO plugins to confirm they are working correctly. Review your site’s performance and speed using tools like GTmetrix or Pingdom.

Test the site on multiple devices and browsers to ensure responsiveness and design integrity. Performing these final steps ensures a smooth transition and a seamless user experience, leaving your website fully ready for visitors.

At Glance:

Install a migration plugin (All-in-One WP Migration, UpdraftPlus, or Duplicator) on your existing WordPress site.
Open the plugin and export your entire website, including database, media, themes, and plugins.
Set up a fresh WordPress installation on your new hosting server.
Install and activate the same migration plugin on the new WordPress site.
Import the exported backup file into the new site using the plugin’s import option.
Allow the plugin to restore all content, settings, and layouts automatically.
Review all pages, menus, plugins, and Elementor templates to confirm everything works correctly.
Clear caches, update permalinks, and test the site’s performance and responsiveness.
Update your domain DNS settings to point to the new host, if required.

Disclaimer:

Migration plugins are convenient and beginner-friendly, but they can carry risks if used improperly. Issues such as server timeouts, upload limits, incompatible hosting environments, or interrupted transfers may result in incomplete migrations or missing files. Large websites are especially vulnerable if backup files exceed server limits. Migration plugins themselves do not steal data, but using untrusted, pirated, or poorly coded tools, or insecure transfer methods, can expose sensitive information. To prevent data loss or security issues, always create a full backup of your files and database before starting and use only reputable plugins from trusted sources. For business-critical websites, testing the migration on a staging environment or using the manual method is recommended for maximum reliability and control.

Method 2: Manual Migration

Step 1: Export Your Database

Log in to your old hosting account and open phpMyAdmin, accessible from your hosting control panel. Select your WordPress database from the left-hand menu, click Export, choose the Quick method, format as SQL, and click Go. Download the .sql file to your computer. This file contains all your content, including posts, pages, comments, and site settings. Keep it safe, as it is essential for recreating your site on the new server. Make sure not to edit the file manually.

Exporting the database first ensures you have a complete backup of your website content before starting the manual migration process, which is especially important when you plan to transfer WordPress site to new host successfully.

Step 2: Download Your Website Files

To transfer WordPress site to new host, you need all your website files. Use an FTP client like FileZilla or the host’s file manager. Navigate to the root directory of your site, usually public_html or www, and download all files. Include wp-content, wp-admin, wp-includes, and hidden files like .htaccess and wp-config.php. The wp-content folder holds themes, plugins, and uploads. Double-check that all files are complete; missing files can break your website.

Downloading files ensures that once you upload them to the new host, your site’s structure, media, and functionality remain intact. This step is crucial for maintaining design integrity and avoiding broken links during migration.

Step 3: Create a New Database on the New Host

Log in to your new hosting account, navigate to MySQL Databases in cPanel, and create a new database. Add a new database user and assign all privileges. Record the database name, username, and password; you’ll need these to configure wp-config.php. Ensuring a database is ready before file upload guarantees WordPress can connect to its content. Without this setup, your site won’t function.

Creating the database is an essential step in the manual migration process, especially when you plan to transfer WordPress site to new host, because WordPress relies entirely on this database to serve content.

Step 4: Upload Website Files to the New Host

Upload all your previously downloaded files to the new server’s root directory using FTP, SFTP, or cPanel’s file manager. Ensure the folder structure matches the old host, including wp-content, wp-admin, wp-includes, and hidden files like .htaccess and wp-config.php. Correct file permissions are important: usually, folders should be 755 and files 644. Large websites may take time to upload, so be patient and confirm all files are transferred.

Uploading files correctly ensures that your themes, plugins, media, and core WordPress files remain intact. Following this step is crucial to successfully transfer WordPress site to new host without missing functionality or broken layouts.

Step 5: Import the Database

Log in to phpMyAdmin on your new host and select the database you created. Click the Import tab, select the .sql file you exported earlier, and start the import. This step transfers all your posts, pages, users, comments, and settings. If your database is large, you may need to increase the upload limit in php.ini or import it in smaller chunks. After import, verify that all tables are present.

This database forms the backbone of your WordPress site. Ensuring a complete database import is essential for Elementor layouts, media references, and plugin settings. Proper execution guarantees a smooth transfer and prepares the site for the final configuration steps to transfer WordPress site to new host.

Step 6: Update wp-config.php

To complete the connection, open wp-config.php on the new server and update the database credentials: DB_NAME, DB_USER, DB_PASSWORD, and DB_HOST if needed. Save the file and upload it back if using FTP. This file allows WordPress to connect to the new database. Without it, your website will display a connection error. Ensure there are no typos or extra spaces, as small mistakes can prevent the site from loading.

Editing wp-config.php correctly is a critical step when you transfer WordPress site to new host manually, because it links all your website content, settings, and plugins to the new hosting environment.

Step 7: Point Domain to the New Host

After completing the file upload and database setup, you must connect your domain to the new server so visitors can access the migrated website. Log in to the account where your domain is registered and locate the DNS or Nameserver settings. Replace the old hosting nameservers with those provided by your new hosting company, or update the A record to the new server’s IP address if you prefer DNS pointing. Save the changes and allow time for global DNS propagation, which can take anywhere from a few minutes to 48 hours.
During this period, some users may still see the old version of your site. Avoid making updates until propagation finishes. This step officially activates your migrated site and ensures traffic routes to the new host correctly.

Step 8: Search and Replace URLs

If your domain has changed, install Better Search Replace to update all URLs in the database. Enter the old domain as “Search” and the new domain as “Replace.” Select all tables, including those storing Elementor’s serialized data, and run a dry run first to review changes. After confirming, execute the replacement.

This step ensures that internal links, media, menus, and Elementor widgets point to the correct URLs. Failing to replace URLs properly can break layouts and media paths. Running this search-and-replace is essential when you transfer WordPress site to new host and ensures your site functions perfectly under the new domain.

Step 9: Test the Site

Finally, visit your new site and check all pages, posts, menus, media, and Elementor templates. Test forms, sliders, and interactive elements. Verify plugin functionality and SEO settings. Clear caches and compare your new site with the original. Any missing content or broken layouts should be fixed by revisiting previous steps.

Testing thoroughly ensures your manually migrated site is fully functional. Completing these checks confirms that the site transfer was successful and that the user experience remains seamless after you transfer WordPress site to new host.

At Glance:

Export your WordPress database from phpMyAdmin on the old host and download the .sql file.
Download all website files from the root directory (public_html) using FTP or File Manager.
Create a new database and database user on the new hosting server and assign full privileges.
Upload all WordPress files to the new host’s root directory using FTP or cPanel.
Import the exported .sql database file into the new database via phpMyAdmin.
Update database credentials in the wp-config.php file to match the new host.
Run a search-and-replace to update URLs if the domain or site path has changed.
Clear caches and test pages, media, plugins, and Elementor layouts for errors.
Update DNS records to point the domain to the new hosting server, if required.

Wrapping Up

Successfully moving a WordPress website requires careful attention to detail, thorough preparation, and a systematic approach. Following the step-by-step instructions in this guide, from backing up your site to final verification, ensures that all content, plugins, themes, and Elementor layouts remain intact. Whether you choose a plugin-based method or manual migration, each step plays a crucial role in preventing errors, broken links, or downtime. After the migration, it’s essential to test every page, form, menu, and interactive element to confirm functionality.

Optimizing performance, reviewing SEO settings, and clearing cached data all play a key role in keeping your site stable and efficient. Following practical WordPress optimization tips at each stage while testing changes carefully helps ensure everything runs smoothly and reduces the risk of unexpected issues. With a methodical approach and proper checks, you can complete the process confidently and maintain long-term reliability. These best practices allow you to successfully transfer WordPress site to new host, keeping your website fully operational for all visitors.

FAQs

Can I transfer my WordPress site to a new host without downtime?

Yes, most migrations can occur with minimal downtime if you plan properly. Scheduling during low-traffic hours and creating full backups ensures a smooth process when you transfer WordPress site to new host.