Website Migration Guide: Changing Hosting or Agency Without Losing Anything
Email, Google rankings and access details are what usually get lost when changing host or agency. Here are the steps and a checklist for a clean move.
Website migration means moving your site's files, database, email accounts and DNS settings from one server or agency to another without downtime or data loss. You go through it when you outgrow your host, when the site gets slow or when you change agency. In a badly run migration the usual casualties are email, Google rankings and access details. This guide covers preparation, the step-by-step move and the checks afterwards.
Know which kind of move you are making
| Type | What changes | Main risk |
|---|---|---|
| Hosting change | Server only; domain and URLs stay | Email outage, PHP version issues |
| Agency change | Management and access | Not getting files and logins handed over |
| Domain change | Every URL | Ranking loss, broken links |
| Platform change | The stack, often URLs too | Lost content and URL mapping |
A hosting change is the simplest. Domain and platform changes need a planned 301 redirect map.
Before you start: inventory checklist
- [ ] Access to the domain registrar panel (is the domain in your name?)
- [ ] Current hosting panel, FTP or SSH and database access
- [ ] A full list of DNS records: A, CNAME, MX, SPF, DKIM, DMARC and verification TXT records
- [ ] All email accounts and mailbox sizes
- [ ] Scheduled tasks (cron) and the SMTP settings your forms use
- [ ] Admin access to Google Analytics, Search Console and Business Profile
- [ ] Paid theme, plugin or software licences
- [ ] Payment, booking and shipping integrations, including any IP or URL restrictions
That last item is often missed. Some payment gateways and booking systems only accept requests from a specific server IP. Change servers and those integrations quietly stop working.
Step by step
- Take a full backup of files, database and mailboxes, and check it actually restores.
- Lower DNS TTL to 300 seconds on your A and MX records 24 to 48 hours ahead, so the switch spreads in minutes.
- Prepare the new server with compatible PHP and database versions. Older sites can break on newer PHP; find out before you switch.
- Copy and test by pointing your computer's hosts file at the new IP. Try forms, logins, checkout and images.
- Move email: create the same accounts and copy old messages over IMAP.
- Switch DNS: point the A record or nameservers to the new host, and update MX, SPF and DKIM.
- Install SSL for both the domain and www. See what is an SSL certificate.
- Run final checks: forms send email, payment callbacks work, cron jobs run.
- Keep the old hosting for two weeks to catch late emails and forgotten files.
- Watch Search Console for 404s and crawl changes over the first two weeks.
DNS propagation: why some people still see the old site
DNS changes do not reach everyone at once. Providers and devices cache your domain's address for as long as the TTL says. If TTL is still 24 hours, some visitors keep reaching the old server for a day, and any order or form sent there never reaches the new site. That is why lowering TTL matters. For online stores, pause orders briefly on the old site, copy the final database across, then switch.
If you are changing agency
Ownership comes before the technical steps. Your domain, hosting account and Google accounts should be registered to your business, with the agency given manager access only. If the domain sits in the agency's account, move it to yours first; see how to transfer a domain. For custom-built sites, handover of source code and database should be written into the contract.
If the domain or URLs change
List every old URL and redirect each one to its new equivalent with a 301. Sending everything to the homepage looks like deletion to Google. For a domain change, use Search Console's Change of Address tool and keep renewing the old domain for at least a year.
Common mistakes
- Forgetting MX records and losing email for days.
- Cancelling the old hosting on the day of the DNS switch.
- Leaving the staging "discourage search engines" setting switched on in production. The site drops out of Google within weeks.
- Forms failing because of a different PHP version.
- Not updating the IP allowlist at the payment provider.
- Migrating in the middle of peak season.
An example from Antalya: timing
For hotels, tour operators and transfer companies in Antalya, timing matters as much as the technical steps. June to September is peak booking season, and even a short email outage means lost bookings. The safest window is November to March, on a weekday morning. The same logic applies to online shops with seasonal campaigns.
We handle migrations this way, email included, for clients moving to our maintenance and hosting service. If you want an inventory of your current setup before a move, get in touch.
Frequently asked questions
Will my site go offline during the move?
With proper planning there is no downtime, or only a few minutes. Lowering DNS TTL values beforehand and testing the new server first are the key steps.
How long does a migration take?
For a standard business site, one or two working days including preparation and testing. Large online stores, many mailboxes or a platform change take longer.
Will I lose my emails?
You can, if mailboxes and old messages are not moved separately. MX records must be set correctly and old mailboxes copied over via IMAP.
Will my Google rankings drop?
Not if the domain and URLs stay the same and the site does not get slower. If URLs change, redirect every old URL to its new version with a 301.
What if my old agency will not hand over the files?
Check your contract first. If the domain and hosting are in your name, you can take a backup from the panel. If not, make a written request and get legal help if needed.
When can I cancel the old hosting?
Keep it for at least two weeks after the DNS switch, so you can recover anything that was missed.
