How to move my WordPress site to new hosting?

Moving your WordPress site to a new hosting involves several steps. Here is a comprehensive guide on how to do it:

Collect All Relevant Information: Before starting the migration, gather all necessary information including access to the control panel of both your current and new host, a file manager or FTP/SFTP account (username, server, password, and maybe port), the login information for your old and new site, and your new host’s nameserver information.

Back Up Your Old Site: Backup your WordPress directory, images, plugins, and other files on your site as well as the database. This is crucial to prevent data loss during the migration process.

Export the WordPress Database: Export your existing WordPress database. This can be done through your hosting control panel or using a tool like phpMyAdmin.

Download Your Site Files: Download all the files from your old hosting account. You can use an FTP client like FileZilla for this task.

Create a Database on Your New Host Server: Log in to your new hosting account and create a new database. Make sure to note down the database name, username, and password as you will need them later.

Prepare wp-config.php: Open the wp-config.php file located in the root directory of your WordPress installation. Find the lines that start with DB_NAME, DB_USER, DB_PASSWORD, and DB_HOST. Replace the placeholder values with the actual database name, username, password, and host you noted down earlier¹.

Upload the WordPress Files to Your New Host: Upload all the files that you downloaded from your old hosting account to the new hosting account.

Import Your Database: Import the database that you exported from your old hosting account to the new hosting account. This can be done through phpMyAdmin or the database management tool provided by your hosting company.

Update URL References: If your old and new domain names are different, you will need to update all the URL references in your database. You can use a plugin like “Better Search Replace” or “Velvet Blues Update URLs” to do this.

Point Your Domain Name to the New Host: Finally, update your domain’s DNS records to point to the IP address of your new hosting account. This step may take some time as DNS changes propagate worldwide.

Test your website:

Once your site has been migrated to your new host, it’s important to test it thoroughly to make sure everything is working correctly. Pay attention to things like:

Your website’s content and design
Your website’s links
Your website’s forms
Your website’s plugins

If you encounter any problems, you can always refer to the documentation for your new host or contact their support team for help.

Here are some additional tips for moving your WordPress site to a new host:

Do a test migration: If you’re nervous about migrating your live site, you can do a test migration first. This involves migrating your site to a temporary domain name so you can test it without affecting your live site.
Use a migration plugin: There are several plugins available that can help you migrate your WordPress site, such as Duplicator and Migrate Guru.
Hire a professional: If you’re not comfortable migrating your site yourself, you can hire a professional to do it for you.

Remember to always back up your site before starting the migration process to prevent data loss. Also, after completing the migration, thoroughly test your site to ensure all pages and functionality are working correctly.

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How to move my WordPress site to new hosting?

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