Moving a WordPress website can seem daunting, but it is doable with the right steps. This the process that works for me. If your website is important, and you’re at all unsure, please get someone who knows what they’re doing to help. if you want to have a go yourself, here is a comprehensive step-by-step guide:

Step 1 – prepare

1. Audit your site. I like to list all the plugins I have, disable the ones that aren’t being used or are not important. I then delete all the unused plugins and themes that can accumulate. Make a note of the PHP version you’re using.
2. Full backup. This is the most critical step. Before doing ANYTHING, create a complete backup of your existing WordPress site.
   • WordPress Backup Plugins: Plugins like UpdraftPlus, Duplicator, or BackWPup are excellent for this but they can be expensive. They’ll back up your database, files, themes, and plugins.
   • Manual Backup (FTP + phpMyAdmin):
     • Files: Connect to your current host via FTP (FileZilla is a popular client) and download your entire wp-content folder, wp-config.php file, and any other root WordPress files.
     • Database: Backup your database directly from accessing your DB manager – usually phpMyAdmin. Select your WordPress database, click on the “Export” tab, choose “Quick” or “Custom” (for more options), and download the .sql file.
   • Make sure your backups are kept safe!
3. Update your version of WordPress, your template and your plugins. If this bot goes wrong, you’ve got a back-up
4. Setup your new hosting and make sure you’re using the same version of PHP:
   • New host login details (cPanel/Plesk/dashboard).
   • FTP login details for the new server.
   • Database name, username, and password for the new server (you might need to create these).
5. Plan Your Domain Name Strategy:
   • Keeping the Same Domain: This is the easiest scenario. You’ll simply update your DNS pointers after the move.
   • Changing Domain Name: This adds an extra layer of complexity, as you’ll need to update all instances of the old domain name within your database.

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Step 2 – move the site

1. Point the Nameservers or hosting DNS at the new site
2. Install WordPress on the new host
3. Update the setting to mirror the old site such as PERMALINKS
4. uploads your WP-CONTENT folder via FTP to overwrite the new one. This is the folder which contains things like the plugins, themes and images
5. Log in to the new database and import your SQL dump
6. Re-activate the plugins and theme on the new site
7. Any broken links (you can scan it), you can update them manually or use a plugin such as Better Search & Replace

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