How to Move Your Website, Email and Domain to WordPress Hosting
Moving your website, email and domain to WordPress Hosting involves separate steps. Your website migration, email migration and domain transfer are not the same process.
If you are moving your website, email and domain to WordPress Hosting, we recommend following the steps below. Transferring your domain does not automatically transfer your website or email.
The general process is:
- Migrate your website
- Test your migrated website
- Create your email mailboxes
- Import your existing emails
- Check your DNS records
- Update your nameservers
- Transfer your domain if required
Step 1: Migrate Your Website
Start by migrating your website from your previous hosting provider to your WordPress Hosting package.
For WordPress websites, our WordPress Migration Centre allows you to provide your previous hosting details so that we can transfer your website.
To start your website migration:
- Go to your Web Hosting Control Panel
- Choose your website from the list
- Choose Start Website Transfer
- Enter your previous hosting login details
- Click Submit
You can monitor the progress of your migration from Website Migration. If we require additional information from your previous provider, you may be asked to provide it before the migration can continue.
Step 2: Test Your Migrated Website
Once your website migration has been completed, you will receive a migration completion notification with a test link for your migrated website.
Use the test link to check your website before making it live on your domain.
- Check that your website pages load correctly
- Check your images, media and other website content
- Log in to your WordPress Admin area
- Test important forms, plugins and website functionality
Do not change your nameservers until you have tested your migrated website and are satisfied that it is working correctly.
Step 3: Create Your Email Mailboxes
Website migration does not include the migration of your existing email messages. Your email accounts need to be created separately on your WordPress Hosting package.
Before changing your nameservers, create all the mailboxes that you need.
See our guide: How do I create a mailbox?
Make sure that all required email addresses have been created before moving to the next step.
Step 4: Import Your Existing Emails
If you want to keep your existing email messages, you must import them from your previous email provider to your WordPress Hosting mailboxes.
See our guide: How do I import emails to my WordPress Hosting?
It is important to complete your email setup and import your existing emails before changing your nameservers. Changing your nameservers directs your domain’s email traffic to the mail servers configured for your new hosting service.
Step 5: Check Your DNS Records
Before changing your nameservers, you should check your DNS records in your WordPress Hosting control panel.
Log in to your Web Hosting Control Panel, open Manage DNS, and check that all the DNS records you require are present and correct.
This is particularly important if your domain uses external services or custom DNS records, such as:
- Third-party email services
- Microsoft 365 or Google services
- Email security services
- Website verification services
- Subdomains
- Third-party applications and services
Make sure your DNS zone is complete before changing your nameservers. Missing DNS records can cause websites, email or other services connected to your domain to stop working.
Step 6: Update Your Nameservers
Once your website has been tested, your mailboxes have been created, your existing emails have been imported and your DNS records have been checked, you can update your domain’s nameservers to point to WordPress Hosting.
You can find our current nameservers in our guide: What are WordPress Hosting nameservers?
You will need to log in to your current domain registrar and update the nameservers for your domain.
Changing your nameservers does not transfer your domain registration. Your domain can remain registered with your existing domain provider while your website and email are hosted with WordPress Hosting.
Nameserver changes can take time to propagate across the internet. During this period, some visitors or email services may continue to reach your previous provider while the DNS changes are taking effect.
Only change your nameservers after you have thoroughly tested your website, created and imported your emails, and checked your DNS records.
Step 7: Transfer Your Domain
A domain transfer is separate from your website and email migration and is optional.
If you want WordPress Hosting to manage your domain registration as well as your hosting, you can transfer your domain to WordPress Hosting.
A domain transfer moves your domain registration from your current registrar to WordPress Hosting. It does not automatically copy your website files, databases or existing email messages.
You can therefore transfer your domain separately from your website and email migration, or keep your domain registered with your existing registrar and simply update its nameservers.
Step 8: Set Up Your Email Applications
After your nameservers have fully propagated, you may need to update the email settings on your devices and email applications so that they connect to your WordPress Hosting mail server.
This may include email applications such as:
- Outlook
- iPhone and iPad
- Android
- Mac
- Thunderbird
See our Email Setup Guides for instructions for your particular device or email application.
While your nameservers are propagating, you can access your email using our webmail service through your Web Hosting Control Panel.
When Should I Cancel My Old Hosting?
Do not cancel your old hosting immediately after your website migration has completed.
Keep your existing hosting service active until you have thoroughly tested your new hosting service and confirmed that everything you need is working correctly.
- Test your migrated website using the test link.
- Confirm that your website works correctly after the nameserver change.
- Create all required mailboxes.
- Import your existing emails.
- Check that your email can send and receive messages.
- Check your DNS records and any third-party services.
- Confirm that your email applications are working correctly.
Once you have confirmed that your website, email and other required services are working correctly with WordPress Hosting, you can consider cancelling your old hosting service.
Migration Checklist
If you are moving your website, email and domain to WordPress Hosting, use the following checklist:
- ☐ Migrate your website
- ☐ Test your migrated website using the migration test link
- ☐ Create your email mailboxes
- ☐ Import your existing emails
- ☐ Check your DNS records
- ☐ Update your nameservers
- ☐ Wait for the nameserver changes to propagate
- ☐ Test your live website and email
- ☐ Set up your email applications
- ☐ Transfer your domain registration if required
- ☐ Cancel your old hosting once everything has been verified
Remember: website migration, email migration and domain transfer are separate processes. You do not need to transfer your domain to use WordPress Hosting. You can keep your domain with your existing registrar and update its nameservers to point to your WordPress Hosting package.
If you are unsure which step to complete next, our support team can help you with your website migration, email setup, DNS configuration, nameserver changes and domain transfer.
If your website migration has been completed and you have received your migration test link, please make sure you test the website, create and import your email, and check your DNS records before changing your nameservers.
Need assistance?
Our team can help you with getting this done. Please join our live chat, and one of our agents will provide step-by-step instructions on how to move your website, email and domain to WordPress Hosting