Website hosting migration checklist
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Inventory
Record domain registrar, DNS records, site files, database, email provider, and any scheduled jobs.
Stage and verify
Create a backup, move the site, test functionality, and verify HTTPS before changing live DNS.
Monitor after cutover
Check forms, email delivery, redirects, analytics, and key pages; keep the previous service until the move is confirmed.
Do not forget email
Record MX, SPF, DKIM, and DMARC settings before changing nameservers. A website can appear fully migrated while mail silently stops arriving.
Rollback plan
Keep a current backup and know how to restore the previous DNS configuration if the new site fails.
Put this guide to work
Use this short worksheet before making changes or purchasing a service. Keep your answers with your website records so you can revisit them when your needs or contract change.
- Inventory: Record domain registrar, DNS records, site files, database, email provider, and any scheduled jobs. Write down what this means for your own website, identify the information you still need, and verify it using your current account or the relevant provider’s documentation. Do not substitute a general marketing claim for a plan-specific answer.
- Stage and verify: Create a backup, move the site, test functionality, and verify HTTPS before changing live DNS. Write down what this means for your own website, identify the information you still need, and verify it using your current account or the relevant provider’s documentation. Do not substitute a general marketing claim for a plan-specific answer.
- Monitor after cutover: Check forms, email delivery, redirects, analytics, and key pages; keep the previous service until the move is confirmed. Write down what this means for your own website, identify the information you still need, and verify it using your current account or the relevant provider’s documentation. Do not substitute a general marketing claim for a plan-specific answer.
If an answer is uncertain, pause that part of the decision and verify it. For changes to a live site, make a restorable backup first and test the result before deleting the previous configuration.