How long does it take to move a website to a new host?

A small business site usually takes a few hours of actual work: backup, copy, import and testing. The DNS switch itself is quick if you lowered the TTL a day earlier, though some visitors may still reach the old server for a while. Plan for the move to be fully settled within a few days, and keep the old host running for about a week.

Will my website go down when I change hosts?

It should not, if both hosts serve the same site during the switch. Downtime usually happens when the old account is cancelled too early, when DNS records are forgotten during a nameserver change, or when SSL is not issued on the new server. Test first, switch DNS, then confirm SSL and forms before considering the move finished.

Will changing hosts affect my email?

Only if your email lives on the old host or your MX records change. If you use Google Workspace or Microsoft 365, copy the MX, SPF, DKIM and DMARC records exactly and email keeps working. If mailboxes sit on the old host, they need their own move, including copying old messages.

Do I need to transfer my domain to change hosts?

No. Your domain registrar and your web host can be different companies. You only need to update DNS so the domain points at the new server. Transferring the domain is a separate, optional step with its own rules, and it is usually better done after the hosting move has settled, not at the same time.

Will moving hosts hurt my Google rankings?

Changing servers while keeping the same domain and URLs is normally invisible to Google. Problems come from things that change by accident: pages missing on the new copy, broken redirects, a site that becomes much slower, or long periods of errors. Test every important page and check for errors in Search Console after the switch.

Can I move my Wix site to another host?

No. Wix states that sites must be hosted on its own servers and its architecture does not support external hosting. You can keep your domain and point it elsewhere, but the site itself has to be rebuilt on the new platform, with text and images copied over.

Should I pay someone to migrate my website?

A simple WordPress or HTML site can be moved by a careful owner using the host's migration tool. It is worth getting help if the site takes bookings or payments, uses custom code, has email on the same server, or nobody has full logins. Ask for a fixed price and a rollback plan before anyone starts.

Speed & Security

How to Move Your Website to a New Host Without Downtime: A Step-by-Step Guide for Small Businesses

By ITCM Team · Updated November 2026

To move your website to a new host without downtime, run both hosts side by side. Take a full backup, copy your files and database to the new server, and test the copy on a temporary address before touching DNS. A day ahead, lower your DNS TTL so the switch spreads fast, then point the domain to the new server, install SSL, and keep the old host running for about a week. Email is separate, so leave your MX records alone unless you are moving email too. Visitors never see a gap.

Key takeaways

Never cancel the old host until the new one has been live and stable for several days.
A full backup means files, database and a copy of your DNS records, stored off both servers.
Test the new copy on a temporary URL or your computer's hosts file before you change DNS.
Lower DNS TTL to 300-600 seconds at least 24 hours before the switch.
Email runs on MX records, which can stay exactly as they are when only the website moves.
Sites on builders like Wix cannot be exported; they have to be rebuilt elsewhere.

Can you move a website to a new host without downtime?

Yes, in most cases. Downtime during a move usually comes from one mistake: shutting the old server down before the internet has fully switched to the new one. DNS changes do not reach everyone at the same moment. Some visitors keep landing on the old server for hours because their internet provider cached the old address.

The fix is simple: keep both servers serving the same site at the same time. Whichever server a visitor reaches, they see a working site, and within a few days everyone is on the new one.

Step 1: Take an inventory before you touch anything

Most failed moves are surprises: a forgotten subdomain, an email account nobody knew lived on the old host, or a login only the previous web designer had. Spend half an hour listing what you have. If logins are scattered between people, read who should own your website and domain first and get everything into your business's name.

Where the domain is registered, and who can log in to it.
Where DNS is managed (registrar, host, or a service like Cloudflare).
Your current host's control panel login and what plan you are on.
Type of site: WordPress, plain HTML/PHP, a custom app, or a website builder.
Database name and size, plus the PHP version the site runs on.
Email: is it on the old host, Google Workspace, or Microsoft 365?
Extras: subdomains, forms, booking tools, scheduled jobs.

Step 2: Make a full backup you can actually restore

A backup is only useful if it lives somewhere other than the old server and contains everything needed to rebuild the site. Download it to your computer or cloud storage. Our website backup guide covers how to check that a backup is complete.

All website files, including uploads and hidden files like .htaccess.
A database export (.sql file) if the site uses one, which every WordPress site does.
A screenshot or export of every DNS record: A, CNAME, MX, TXT (SPF, DKIM, DMARC, verifications).
Email mailboxes, if email is hosted on the old server and will move as well.

Step 3: Copy the site to the new host and test it privately

Upload the files to the new host by its file manager, SFTP, or a migration tool. Create an empty database on the new server, import your .sql file, and update the site's configuration (for WordPress, wp-config.php) with the new database name, user and password.

Many hosts offer free migration for common platforms. That is worth accepting, but still keep your own backup and do your own testing. Match the PHP version to the old server at first; upgrade it later, as a separate step, once the move is stable.

Before any DNS change, open the new copy and click through it. Many hosts give a temporary or preview address. The more reliable method is editing the hosts file on your own computer so that only your machine sees your real domain on the new server, while every customer still sees the old one.

Check the pages that make you money, not just the homepage.

Homepage, service pages and any page with a phone number or booking button.
Contact and quote forms: send a test and confirm it arrives.
Images, menus and mobile layout.
Admin login and any online booking or payment flow.
Page speed: a move is a good moment to compare, see how to speed up your website.

Step 4: Lower the DNS TTL a day before the switch

TTL (time to live) tells internet providers how long they may remember your DNS answer. If it is set to a day, some visitors could keep going to the old server for a day after you switch. Kinsta's DNS migration guide recommends lowering TTL to 300-600 seconds at least 24 hours before the move, and warns that values much lower can be ignored by some resolvers. Lowering it at the last minute does not help, because the old long value is already cached.

After the move has settled, raise TTL back to a normal value.

Step 5: Switch DNS, then install SSL

Change the A record (and the www record, often a CNAME) to point at the new server. If your host asks you to change nameservers instead, copy every existing DNS record into the new DNS zone first, or email and verification records can disappear. Our DNS explainer walks through the record types.

Once the domain points to the new host, issue the SSL certificate there; most hosts do this free with Let's Encrypt. Then force HTTPS. With Chrome moving to HTTPS by default for all users from Chrome 154, a broken certificate shows visitors a warning straight away. Check the result with our free website health check.

What happens to email when you change hosts?

Email follows MX records, not the website's A record. If your email is on Google Workspace or Microsoft 365, moving the website does not affect it, as long as the MX, SPF, DKIM and DMARC records are copied exactly. Kinsta lists forgotten mail and verification records as a common cause of partial outages after DNS changes.

If your mailboxes live on the old web host, moving email is a second project: create the same mailboxes on the new host, switch MX, then copy old messages across. Many businesses use the move as a chance to put email on a dedicated service. The email DNS checker confirms your records after the switch.

WordPress, custom sites and website builders: what differs

How hard the move is depends on what the site is built with.

Site type	Can it move?	What is involved
WordPress	Yes	Files plus database; a migration plugin or host tool helps; check permalinks and caching afterwards
Plain HTML / PHP	Yes	Copy files; import database if there is one; usually the easiest move
Custom app (Node.js, Laravel, etc.)	Yes	Needs the same runtime, environment variables and build steps on the new server
Wix	No	Wix states sites must run on Wix's servers; content must be rebuilt elsewhere
Squarespace, GoDaddy builder and similar	Not as a working site	Some content can be exported, but design and features are rebuilt

Keep the old host for at least a week

Do not cancel the old plan the day you switch. Keep it about a week while the last visitors move over, and watch for anything missed: a form still sending from the old server, a missing image folder, a scheduled job. Before cancelling, take a final backup and confirm the domain renewal is not tied to the old hosting account.

If something breaks, rolling back is just pointing DNS back at the old server, which is why it must stay alive until you are sure.

How ITCM handles a hosting move

When we take over a site, we copy it, test it on a private address and only switch DNS once the copy is checked page by page, with the old host left running as a safety net. Sites built in a builder are rebuilt rather than moved. If you are changing developers at the same time, see how to switch web designers without losing your site. Server moves and ongoing hosting care are part of our server management service, quoted at a fixed price before any work starts.

For a new site, our offer works the same way: we build your website and installable app first, you see it finished, and you pay $150 one-time only if you are happy.

Website move checklist

List domain, DNS, hosting, email and all logins.
Full backup of files, database and DNS records, stored off both servers.
Copy files and import the database on the new host.
Test on a temporary URL or hosts file: forms, booking, mobile, admin.
Lower TTL to 300-600 seconds 24+ hours ahead.
Switch A/www records (or nameservers with every record copied).
Issue SSL and force HTTPS.
Confirm MX, SPF, DKIM and DMARC are unchanged and email still works.
Keep the old host about a week, then take a final backup and cancel.
Raise TTL back to normal.

Frequently asked questions

How long does it take to move a website to a new host?: A small business site usually takes a few hours of actual work: backup, copy, import and testing. The DNS switch itself is quick if you lowered the TTL a day earlier, though some visitors may still reach the old server for a while. Plan for the move to be fully settled within a few days, and keep the old host running for about a week.
Will my website go down when I change hosts?: It should not, if both hosts serve the same site during the switch. Downtime usually happens when the old account is cancelled too early, when DNS records are forgotten during a nameserver change, or when SSL is not issued on the new server. Test first, switch DNS, then confirm SSL and forms before considering the move finished.
Will changing hosts affect my email?: Only if your email lives on the old host or your MX records change. If you use Google Workspace or Microsoft 365, copy the MX, SPF, DKIM and DMARC records exactly and email keeps working. If mailboxes sit on the old host, they need their own move, including copying old messages.
Do I need to transfer my domain to change hosts?: No. Your domain registrar and your web host can be different companies. You only need to update DNS so the domain points at the new server. Transferring the domain is a separate, optional step with its own rules, and it is usually better done after the hosting move has settled, not at the same time.
Will moving hosts hurt my Google rankings?: Changing servers while keeping the same domain and URLs is normally invisible to Google. Problems come from things that change by accident: pages missing on the new copy, broken redirects, a site that becomes much slower, or long periods of errors. Test every important page and check for errors in Search Console after the switch.
Can I move my Wix site to another host?: No. Wix states that sites must be hosted on its own servers and its architecture does not support external hosting. You can keep your domain and point it elsewhere, but the site itself has to be rebuilt on the new platform, with text and images copied over.
Should I pay someone to migrate my website?: A simple WordPress or HTML site can be moved by a careful owner using the host's migration tool. It is worth getting help if the site takes bookings or payments, uses custom code, has email on the same server, or nobody has full logins. Ask for a fixed price and a rollback plan before anyone starts.

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