Moving a WordPress site while keeping its domain is a preparation and testing job before it is a DNS change. This is the order I would work through. If the site is business-critical or unfamiliar, involve someone who can manage the move and rollback.
1. Record the current setup
List the site, database, uploads, custom code, PHP requirements, scheduled tasks and any services using the domain. Include email and external callbacks. Agree who can approve the cutover and when the site can stop accepting changes.
2. Make and check private backups
Back up files and the database, including configuration needed for recovery. Keep exports and credentials outside public web folders and check that the backup can be read. Record a rollback plan; possession of an archive alone is not proof that restoration will work.
3. Prepare and test the destination
Use compatible software and a suitable certificate. Restore the site to an isolated destination and test it before pointing the public domain there. A hosts-file preview can help where appropriate. Prevent duplicate scheduled jobs, live payments, emails or other integrations from running during the test.
4. Plan the final copy and DNS change
Decide how orders, enquiries and other changes made during the move will be handled. Take the final agreed copy, then change only the relevant DNS records. Do not move nameservers casually or overwrite mail records just because the website is moving.
5. Check after cutover
Check representative pages, media, logins, redirects, certificate behaviour and authorised transactional journeys. Monitor errors and confirm which server is receiving traffic. Keep the old environment available for the agreed rollback period rather than cancelling it immediately.
With the same canonical domain, a blanket database search-and-replace is not automatically necessary. If URLs or paths genuinely need changing, use a WordPress-aware method that preserves serialised data and test a dry run first.
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Sources and further reading
Guidance checked 26 October 2026: WordPress migration guidance.