[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":466},["ShallowReactive",2],{"$fi_SA3l8D9e4tuLzFLMXUroEj8Vi4FUp0B2g2TbBke08":3,"post-moving-wordpress-to-a-new-host-without-downtime":147},{"site":4,"features":8,"stripe":10,"bridalfile":12,"analytics":13,"navigation":14,"branding":125,"footer":127},{"id":5,"name":6,"domain":7},"7578a1b2-a8ec-462f-8980-d46ebefc76a2","Pwa Developer","pwadeveloper.uk",{"products":9,"bookings":9,"event_capacity":9,"ugc":9},false,{"enabled":9,"test_mode":11},true,{"enabled":9},null,{"footer":15,"header":43,"services":68},{"id":16,"name":17,"items":18},"4c83a83d-7d89-442d-8e4c-717e61d71c19","Footer Navigation",[19,23,27,31,35,39],{"id":20,"url":21,"label":22},"b8c9d0e1-f2a3-4b4c-5d6e-7f8a9b0c1d2e","/about","About",{"id":24,"url":25,"label":26},"c9d0e1f2-a3b4-4c5d-6e7f-8a9b0c1d2e3f","/blog","Blog",{"id":28,"url":29,"label":30},"d0e1f2a3-b4c5-4d6e-7f8a-9b0c1d2e3f4a","/contact","Contact",{"id":32,"url":33,"label":34},"e1f2a3b4-c5d6-4e7f-8a9b-0c1d2e3f4a5b","/websites","Websites",{"id":36,"url":37,"label":38},"d1e2f3a4-1111-4a2b-8c3d-dddd11112222","/services/nuxt","Nuxt",{"id":40,"url":41,"label":42},"d2e3f4a5-2222-4b3c-9d4e-dddd22223333","/services/supabase","Supabase",{"id":44,"name":45,"items":46},"090e7007-6dd0-4416-8ce2-2680c446d2a9","Main Navigation",[47,49,53,57,59,61,63],{"id":48,"url":21,"label":22},"c3d4e5f6-a7b8-4c9d-0e1f-2a3b4c5d6e7f",{"id":50,"url":51,"label":52},"a43446fd-355b-474a-a846-6f02ba7b4f68","/services","Services",{"id":54,"url":55,"label":56},"6b5e66d9-5267-4948-86b9-11ef75fcf821","/how-i-build","How I Build",{"id":58,"url":33,"label":34},"a1b2c3d4-5e6f-4a7b-8c9d-0e1f2a3b4c5d",{"id":60,"url":25,"label":26},"d4e5f6a7-b8c9-4d0e-1f2a-3b4c5d6e7f8a",{"id":62,"url":29,"label":30},"f6a7b8c9-d0e1-4f2a-3b4c-5d6e7f8a9b0c",{"id":64,"url":65,"label":66,"target":67},"e5f6a7b8-c9d0-4e1f-2a3b-4c5d6e7f8a9b","https://www.youtube.com/@anothermagentodev9161","YouTube","_blank",{"id":69,"name":70,"items":71},"9a2b3c4d-9999-4a2b-8c3d-aaaabbbbcccc","Services Menu",[72,78,84,90,96,102,108,114,120],{"id":73,"url":74,"icon":75,"label":76,"description":77},"1a2b3c4d-1111-4a2b-8c3d-111122223333","/services/pwa","fa-solid fa-mobile-screen-button","PWA","Installable, offline-first apps",{"id":79,"url":80,"icon":81,"label":82,"description":83},"2b3c4d5e-2222-4b3c-9d4e-222233334444","/services/wordpress","fa-brands fa-wordpress","WordPress","Themes, plugins, rescue work",{"id":85,"url":86,"icon":87,"label":88,"description":89},"3c4d5e6f-3333-4c4d-8e5f-333344445555","/services/magento","fa-solid fa-cart-shopping","Magento","Ecommerce & platform work",{"id":91,"url":92,"icon":93,"label":94,"description":95},"4d5e6f70-4444-4d5e-9f60-444455556666","/services/vue","fa-brands fa-vuejs","Vue & Nuxt","Reactive frontends, SSR apps",{"id":97,"url":98,"icon":99,"label":100,"description":101},"708192a3-7777-4081-8293-777788889999","/services/headless-cms","fa-solid fa-cube","Headless","Structured content APIs",{"id":103,"url":104,"icon":105,"label":106,"description":107},"8192a3b4-8888-4192-93a4-88889999aaaa","/services/ai-consultancy","fa-solid fa-robot","AI Consultancy","Where AI actually helps",{"id":109,"url":110,"icon":111,"label":112,"description":113},"a1b2c3d4-1234-4a2b-8c3d-aaaa11112222","/services/migrations","fa-solid fa-arrow-right-arrow-left","Migrations","Move platforms, keep your SEO",{"id":115,"url":116,"icon":117,"label":118,"description":119},"b2c3d4e5-2345-4b3c-9d4e-bbbb22223333","/services/technical-seo","fa-solid fa-gauge-high","Technical SEO & Performance","Core Web Vitals & speed",{"id":121,"url":33,"icon":122,"label":123,"description":124},"c3d4e5f6-3456-4c4d-8e5f-cccc33334444","fa-solid fa-globe","Custom Websites","Bespoke sites, not templates",{"logo":13,"logoDark":13,"favicon":13,"tagline":126},"WordPress & Web Developer in Hull, East Yorkshire",{"summary":128,"copyright":13,"address":129,"contact":133,"socialLinks":134,"openingHours":146,"logos":13},"Senior freelance web developer in Hull, East Yorkshire. 15+ years building fast, custom websites and web apps in WordPress, Magento, Vue and Nuxt. Work directly with the developer.",{"line1":13,"line2":13,"city":130,"state":131,"postalCode":13,"country":132},"Hull","East Yorkshire","United Kingdom",{"phone":13,"email":13},[135,138,142],{"url":65,"icon":136,"platform":137},"fa-brands fa-youtube","youtube",{"url":139,"icon":140,"platform":141},"https://github.com/adamcjackson1982","fa-brands fa-github","github",{"url":143,"icon":144,"platform":145},"https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamcjackson/","fa-brands fa-linkedin","linkedin",[],{"id":148,"slug":149,"title":150,"excerpt":151,"content":152,"content_format":456,"featured_image":457,"published":11,"published_at":458,"meta_title":459,"meta_description":460,"fields":461},"075e8258-71a3-4a5c-844e-a9cb380ecbd2","moving-wordpress-to-a-new-host-without-downtime","Moving Your WordPress Site to a New Host Without Downtime","Build the site in its new home, check it properly, then point the world at it. The order that works, how to test before you switch, and why email is the thing that bites.",{"type":153,"content":154},"doc",[155,161,165,172,176,189,194,198,202,206,211,304,309,313,317,321,326,330,334,338,343,403,407,412,416,420,432,437],{"type":156,"content":157},"paragraph",[158],{"text":159,"type":160},"Moving a WordPress site to a new host has a reputation for going badly, and most of that reputation is deserved. I have picked up sites that spent two days half-live, sites that came back without their email, and one that lost a fortnight of orders because nobody thought about the gap between old and new.","text",{"type":156,"content":162},[163],{"text":164,"type":160},"It does not have to go like that. The whole job is one idea: build the site in its new home, check it properly, and only then point the world at it. Nothing needs to be off at any point.",{"type":166,"attrs":167,"content":169},"heading",{"level":168},2,[170],{"text":171,"type":160},"Why people move",{"type":156,"content":173},[174],{"text":175,"type":160},"Usually one of four things. The support has gone quiet. The renewal has doubled. The site is slow and you have been told the hosting is why. Or the person who set it all up has disappeared and you want it somewhere you can actually see.",{"type":156,"content":177},[178,180,187],{"text":179,"type":160},"Worth checking the middle one before you move. Hosting gets blamed for slowness far more often than it deserves. If the site is dragging, read ",{"text":181,"type":160,"marks":182},"why your WordPress site is slow",[183],{"type":184,"attrs":185},"link",{"href":186},"/why-your-wordpress-site-is-slow",{"text":188,"type":160}," first, because moving a bloated site to a faster server usually buys you less than you hoped.",{"type":166,"attrs":190,"content":191},{"level":168},[192],{"text":193,"type":160},"What actually causes the downtime",{"type":156,"content":195},[196],{"text":197,"type":160},"Not the copying. The gap.",{"type":156,"content":199},[200],{"text":201,"type":160},"Your domain name points at an address, and when you change where it points, the change does not reach everybody at once. Some people's computers keep the old answer for a while. Depending on your settings that can be a few minutes or a full day. For that period, some visitors land on the old host and some on the new one.",{"type":156,"content":203},[204],{"text":205,"type":160},"If you have copied the site and then carried on working on the old one, those two versions drift apart and you lose whatever happened on the wrong side of the fence. That is the real risk. Everything below is about shrinking the gap and making both sides identical while it is open.",{"type":166,"attrs":207,"content":208},{"level":168},[209],{"text":210,"type":160},"The order that works",{"type":212,"content":213},"bulletList",[214,226,244,254,264,274,284,294],{"type":215,"content":216},"listItem",[217],{"type":156,"content":218},[219,224],{"text":220,"type":160,"marks":221},"A week before: lower the TTL.",[222],{"type":223},"bold",{"text":225,"type":160}," In your DNS settings each record has a time to live, often set to a day. Drop it to five minutes a week ahead of the move. When you make the switch, the world catches up in minutes rather than hours.",{"type":215,"content":227},[228],{"type":156,"content":229},[230,234,236,242],{"text":231,"type":160,"marks":232},"Take a full backup.",[233],{"type":223},{"text":235,"type":160}," Files and database, downloaded to your own machine, not left with the host you are leaving. ",{"text":237,"type":160,"marks":238},"Backups and staging",[239],{"type":184,"attrs":240},{"href":241},"/wordpress-backups-and-staging",{"text":243,"type":160}," covers how I do this.",{"type":215,"content":245},[246],{"type":156,"content":247},[248,252],{"text":249,"type":160,"marks":250},"Copy to the new host.",[251],{"type":223},{"text":253,"type":160}," Files, database, PHP version matched to the old one, same WordPress version. Do not take the chance to upgrade five things at the same time.",{"type":215,"content":255},[256],{"type":156,"content":257},[258,262],{"text":259,"type":160,"marks":260},"Test before switching.",[261],{"type":223},{"text":263,"type":160}," This is the step everyone skips and it is the one that saves you.",{"type":215,"content":265},[266],{"type":156,"content":267},[268,272],{"text":269,"type":160,"marks":270},"Freeze the site.",[271],{"type":223},{"text":273,"type":160}," Stop publishing and stop taking anything important for the short window of the switch.",{"type":215,"content":275},[276],{"type":156,"content":277},[278,282],{"text":279,"type":160,"marks":280},"Point the domain at the new host.",[281],{"type":223},{"text":283,"type":160}," Change the records, watch it propagate.",{"type":215,"content":285},[286],{"type":156,"content":287},[288,292],{"text":289,"type":160,"marks":290},"Fix SSL, then check everything.",[291],{"type":223},{"text":293,"type":160}," Certificate, forms, logins, checkout if you have one.",{"type":215,"content":295},[296],{"type":156,"content":297},[298,302],{"text":299,"type":160,"marks":300},"Leave the old host running for two weeks.",[301],{"type":223},{"text":303,"type":160}," Then cancel.",{"type":166,"attrs":305,"content":306},{"level":168},[307],{"text":308,"type":160},"How to test before you switch",{"type":156,"content":310},[311],{"text":312,"type":160},"You can view the site on the new host, at the real domain name, before anybody else can. Your computer has a hosts file that lets you say \"for me, this domain lives at this address\". Point it at the new server's IP and browse the site normally.",{"type":156,"content":314},[315],{"text":316,"type":160},"Click everything. Log in to the admin, load a few pages, submit the contact form, add something to the basket if there is one, upload an image. Half the problems with a migrated site are file permissions and paths, and they show up in the first five minutes if you actually look.",{"type":156,"content":318},[319],{"text":320,"type":160},"Take the hosts entry out when you are done, or you will spend a confusing afternoon next month.",{"type":166,"attrs":322,"content":323},{"level":168},[324],{"text":325,"type":160},"Email is the thing that bites",{"type":156,"content":327},[328],{"text":329,"type":160},"If your email runs on the same domain, it is controlled by DNS records too, and a careless move takes it down. This catches people constantly because email and website feel like separate things and to your domain they are not.",{"type":156,"content":331},[332],{"text":333,"type":160},"Before you change anything, write down every existing DNS record. All of them. Then change only the records that point at the web server and leave the mail records exactly as they are. If your new host offers to \"set up your DNS for you\" and creates a fresh set of records, check that set against your list before you use it, because a default set will not include your mail entries.",{"type":156,"content":335},[336],{"text":337,"type":160},"If your email is with a provider separate from your website host, which it should be, this is much less painful.",{"type":166,"attrs":339,"content":340},{"level":168},[341],{"text":342,"type":160},"After the switch",{"type":212,"content":344},[345,355,365,375,385],{"type":215,"content":346},[347],{"type":156,"content":348},[349,353],{"text":350,"type":160,"marks":351},"Get the certificate sorted straight away.",[352],{"type":223},{"text":354,"type":160}," Most hosts issue a free one once the domain points at them. A browser warning on your own site costs you more in an hour than the move saved you in a year.",{"type":215,"content":356},[357],{"type":156,"content":358},[359,363],{"text":360,"type":160,"marks":361},"Check your redirects still work.",[362],{"type":223},{"text":364,"type":160}," If you had rules sending old URLs to new ones, they live in server config that does not always travel.",{"type":215,"content":366},[367],{"type":156,"content":368},[369,373],{"text":370,"type":160,"marks":371},"Search for the old address.",[372],{"type":223},{"text":374,"type":160}," Some links and image paths hard code the old server. Fix them properly rather than leaving redirects doing the work.",{"type":215,"content":376},[377],{"type":156,"content":378},[379,383],{"text":380,"type":160,"marks":381},"Re-run your backups on the new host.",[382],{"type":223},{"text":384,"type":160}," A new host means a new backup setup. Do not assume it is on.",{"type":215,"content":386},[387],{"type":156,"content":388},[389,393,395,401],{"text":390,"type":160,"marks":391},"Watch for a fortnight.",[392],{"type":223},{"text":394,"type":160}," Slow pages, missing images, forms that stopped arriving. This is normal ",{"text":396,"type":160,"marks":397},"monthly maintenance",[398],{"type":184,"attrs":399},{"href":400},"/wordpress-maintenance-what-i-actually-do-every-month",{"text":402,"type":160}," work, and it matters more in the first two weeks.",{"type":156,"content":404},[405],{"text":406,"type":160},"Do not cancel the old hosting the moment the new one works. Pay for one more month. It costs very little and it is the only undo button you have.",{"type":166,"attrs":408,"content":409},{"level":168},[410],{"text":411,"type":160},"Should you do it yourself?",{"type":156,"content":413},[414],{"text":415,"type":160},"If the site is a handful of pages, your email is elsewhere, and nothing takes payments, this is a comfortable afternoon and you will learn something useful. Plenty of people I know have done exactly that and been fine.",{"type":156,"content":417},[418],{"text":419,"type":160},"I would get somebody else to do it if the site takes bookings or money, if your email is on the same domain and you do not know what an MX record is, or if the site is the main way customers find you and a bad day costs real business. There is no glory in learning DNS at nine at night with a live shop.",{"type":156,"content":421},[422,424,430],{"text":423,"type":160},"Either way, know what you are paying for going forward. ",{"text":425,"type":160,"marks":426},"What a website costs to run each year",[427],{"type":184,"attrs":428},{"href":429},"/what-a-website-costs-to-run-each-year",{"text":431,"type":160}," sets out where the money actually goes, so you can tell a genuine saving from a cheaper server that will cost you in speed.",{"type":166,"attrs":433,"content":434},{"level":168},[435],{"text":436,"type":160},"If you want a hand",{"type":156,"content":438},[439,441,447,449,454],{"text":440,"type":160},"I move WordPress sites for people around Hull and East Yorkshire most months and it is rarely the drama people expect. If you are staring at a renewal invoice and wondering if you are stuck, book a ",{"text":442,"type":160,"marks":443},"free 30 minute surgery",[444],{"type":184,"attrs":445},{"href":446},"/what-a-free-30-minute-surgery-with-me-looks-like",{"text":448,"type":160}," and I will tell you plainly if the move is worth it. No charge, no pitch, and if the honest answer is stay where you are, that is what you will get. You can ",{"text":450,"type":160,"marks":451},"get in touch here",[452],{"type":184,"attrs":453},{"href":29},{"text":455,"type":160},".","tiptap","","2026-09-22T08:00:00+00:00","Moving WordPress to a New Host Without Downtime","A plain guide to moving a WordPress site to new hosting: lower your TTL, copy rather than move, test with a hosts file, and keep your email records safe.",{"tags":462},[463,464,465],"wordpress","hosting","how-to",1790064030913]