How to Move Your WordPress Website Without Downtime

Key highlights

• Learn how to move your WordPress website with minimal downtime by preparing the new host before switching traffic.
• Lower DNS time to live (TTL) ahead of the move so cached records refresh sooner.
• Test pages, forms, logins and HTTPS on the new host before changing DNS.
• Pause data-changing activity and run a final sync to protect recent orders, registrations and content.
• Keep old hosting active until traffic has moved and email and other services no longer depend on it.

Want to switch hosts without putting a “We’ll be back soon” message on your website? With the right preparation, you can reduce the risk of your website going offline during the move. The trick is getting the new site ready before your visitors ever reach it.

If you’re figuring out how to move your WordPress website without downtime, the order matters. Copy and test your site first, bring over the latest changes and only then switch traffic. Your old host stays active while visitors start reaching the new one.

This guide takes you through that process without changing your domain or URLs. You’ll learn what to test, when to update DNS and when you can cancel your old hosting. Running a store or membership site? We’ll also cover protecting recent activity, including when checkout or registrations may need a temporary pause.

What a zero-downtime WordPress move actually means

A zero-downtime WordPress move aims to keep your website accessible while visitors are gradually directed from the old server to the new one. However, uninterrupted availability isn’t guaranteed. Even with careful preparation, DNS changes, server configurations or unexpected errors may cause temporary disruptions.

Downtime tends to start when DNS points to a host that isn’t ready or the old host is cancelled too early. During DNS propagation, some visitors may still reach your old server while others are directed to the new one.

Both copies need to work for that whole stretch. A failed copy can mean stalled checkouts, lost form entries or bounced email.

Prepare these things before you move anything

Preparation decides how calm your switch day feels. Gather these items before you copy a single file, because each one prevents a scramble once DNS starts changing.

• Full backup you can restore: Store your files and database off the server using one of these WordPress backup methods.
• Access inventory: List logins for your domain registrar, DNS host, old host, WordPress admin and email provider.
• DNS record export: Screenshot or export every record, including mail exchange (MX) records and the text records that verify your email.
• Current time to live (TTL): Note how long your records are set to be cached, since it shapes step 1.
• Site inventory: Record your PHP version, domain-locked plugin licenses, scheduled tasks, forms, payment webhooks and any content delivery network (CDN).
• Low-traffic window: Pick the quietest hour of your week for the freeze and switch.
• Old hosting plan: Keep it active and paid until step 8 shows it’s safe to cancel.

How to move your WordPress website without downtime in 8 steps

The ideal process to move your website to new host follows one rule: Build and verify everything on the new host before DNS changes.

Steps 1 to 4 happen while your old site runs normally. Steps 5 to 7 cover the switch, followed by monitoring in step 8.

Step 1. Lower your DNS TTL ahead of the move

Lower your TTL first, because it controls how quickly visitors follow your switch. TTL is how long DNS resolvers, the servers that look up addresses for visitors’ devices, may cache a record. Cloudflare’s guide to how DNS TTL works notes that a longer TTL means record changes take longer to take effect.

Check the current value at your DNS host, then lower it at least one full current-TTL period before the switch. A 24-hour TTL, for example, means resolvers may keep the old answer for up to a day. Earlier is safer: Google’s hosting move guide suggests lowering it to a low value, such as a few hours, at least a week in advance.

Lowering TTL does not clear answers that networks have already cached. Allow the previous TTL period to pass before switching, and keep both hosts available while traffic moves.

Step 2. Set up the new hosting account without touching DNS

Create your new hosting account and add your domain as the site’s address, but leave DNS pointed at the old host. Check compatibility with your current PHP version. For a manual migration, create an empty database for the import.

Arrange a valid SSL certificate on the new host before switching visitors to it. If its standard setup requires a DNS change first, ask the host how to prepare HTTPS without interrupting access. Verify HTTPS before proceeding with the switch.

Pro tip: Write “DNS stays put” at the top of your checklist. Nothing in steps 2 through 6 should change where [yourbusiness].com points.

Step 3. Copy your files and database to the new host

Both parts of your site need to move. The files include wp-config.php and the wp-content folder with your themes, plugins and uploads, while the database holds posts, settings, users and orders.

If the domain stays the same, the WordPress migration handbook says you can move by copying your files and database. If the domain, protocol and URL paths remain unchanged, website URLs in the database generally do not need updating.

Use a host migration tool, a plugin or a manual transfer to create the initial copy. For detailed transfer instructions, follow our WordPress migration walkthrough. For a manual move, update the destination database credentials in wp-config.php.

If you’re moving to Bluehost, Bluehost’s self-service migration tool transfers your files, database and content for eligible WordPress sites. Domain settings and email may need separate configuration depending on where those services are managed today.

Step 4. Preview the new site before anyone else sees it

Preview the destination copy privately so you can fix problems while the old site keeps serving visitors. Your computer’s hosts file is a small system file that maps domain names to Internet Protocol (IP) addresses before DNS gets asked.

Add a line that points [yourbusiness].com to the new server’s IP address, and only your computer will load the new copy.

For example, a hosts-file entry could look like this: 203.0.113.10 example.com www.example.com. Replace the example IP and domains with your own, then check the new server’s access logs or ask your host to confirm that you are viewing the destination.

This changes routing on your computer; it does not restrict public access to the new server. Protect the preview separately if needed, since noindex does not make a site private.

Remove the entry when you finish so you see what other visitors see. Many hosts also give you a temporary web address (URL), and Google’s hosting move guide suggests testing on a temporary hostname with a noindex rule.

Whichever preview you use, work through the same list. Each item covers something visitors touch, and clearing your caches between checks keeps results accurate.

• Pages and media: Open your top pages and confirm images, videos and downloads load.
• Forms: Submit each form and confirm the notification email arrives.
• Logins: Sign in as an admin and as a customer or member.
• Checkout: Place a test order with your payment gateway in test mode.
• SSL: Confirm the certificate is valid for your domain and pages load without certificate errors or mixed-content warnings.
• Mobile layout: Check your main pages on a phone-sized screen.

Step 5. Freeze changes on the live site

Freeze changes so no new content lands on the old host after your final copy. We recommend pausing publishing, plugin and theme updates and new comments during the switch window.

Also pause checkout, registrations and forms that save submissions to the site. Account for automated updates from payment services and integrations.

Keep the old copy from accepting new changes after the final sync. Resume activity on the verified new copy after switching traffic. Visitors still reaching the old host may temporarily be unable to complete those actions.

Step 6. Run a final sync

Run a final sync to bring the new copy up to date with anything that changed since step 3. Use your migration tool’s supported final-sync process. For a manual move, export and import the latest database, then copy files added or changed since the first transfer.

The database import can overwrite settings changed during testing. Recheck payment settings, indexing controls and scheduled jobs, then repeat the essential destination checks before switching DNS.

Then compare post and page counts, the newest posts, recent orders and user totals on both sites. If anything doesn’t match, stop and fix it. Nothing has switched yet, so visitors still see the old site.

Step 7. Switch DNS to the new host

Switch DNS only after the preview passes and the final sync matches. An A record is the DNS entry that points your domain to a server’s IP address. Nameservers hold all of your DNS records, so changing them moves your whole DNS setup to a new provider.

Check the root domain, www and any existing AAAA records so all website traffic reaches the intended destination. If you use a CDN or reverse proxy, check its origin settings too. For nameserver changes, follow your providers’ DNSSEC instructions.

A record vs nameserver changes compared

Your email setup is usually the deciding factor in this choice. Compare what each option changes before you pick one.

Option	What changes	Email impact	Best when
Change the A record	Updates the IP address linked to a specific hostname. Other services using that hostname may also be affected	Usually unchanged, provided email does not depend on the address record being changed	Your DNS host and email provider stay the same
Change nameservers	Where every DNS record is hosted	Email can stop unless MX and email records are recreated first	You want DNS managed at the new host

Changing the A record is the smaller change when only the website moves. Change nameservers only after copying every record.

Our guide to pointing your domain correctly shows where each setting lives. The Bluehost help center explains how DNS propagation works. It says individual record updates such as an A record can take up to 8 hours, while nameserver changes can take up to 24–48 hours.

The TTL you set in step 1 shapes how quickly most visitors follow. While you wait, use a lookup tool to check where your domain resolves, then recheck HTTPS through the public domain once it reaches the new server.

Step 8. Keep the old host running until traffic stops

Keep the old host running as your fallback. If you need to switch back, pause new activity and preserve any orders, submissions or account changes recorded on the new server first. Reconcile that data before restoring the old copy as the active site. Reversing DNS also takes time.

Google’s hosting move guide advises shutting down the old hosting once its traffic reaches zero. Check the old server’s access logs or traffic stats to confirm visitors have moved.

Before cancelling, also verify that email, DNS and scheduled jobs no longer depend on the old account.

How to keep a WooCommerce store or membership site in sync

Keep a store in sync by pausing checkout during the freeze, so no orders land on the old host after your final copy. Orders, stock levels and customer accounts change constantly, so yesterday’s copy is already out of date. Your website can remain accessible throughout the migration, but checkout and other transactions may be temporarily unavailable.

Visitors still reaching the old server during DNS propagation may experience a longer pause until they reach the new site. These steps help protect your records while keeping disruptions to a minimum.

• Checkout pause: Disable checkout during the freeze and display a notice while product pages stay browsable. A notice alone does not prevent orders.
• Timing: Schedule the window for your lowest-sales hour, using your order history as a guide.
• Order record: Before the final sync, export your WooCommerce orders placed since your first copy as a safety record.
• Webhooks and scheduled tasks: After switching, verify that payment callbacks reach the new server and scheduled tasks run there. A hosts-file preview on your computer does not redirect external payment services.
• Subscription renewals: Prevent the test copy and retired server from processing live renewals or sending customer notifications. A same-domain clone may not automatically enter staging mode.
• Post-switch test: Place one more test order once DNS reaches the new server.

For membership sites, pause new registrations during the freeze, then confirm a test member can log in and reach protected content.

Keep email running while your website moves

MX records tell other mail servers where to deliver messages for your domain. To keep email working, preserve those records and confirm that the mail server and its address records remain available.

If your email stays with its current provider, leave the MX records and the text records that verify your mail exactly as they are.

Changing the website’s A record leaves those records in place, but check that the mail server’s hostname does not depend on the address being changed.

Test website-generated email separately. Contact forms and order notifications may need SMTP credentials or sending settings configured on the new host.

If you change nameservers, recreate every record at the new DNS host before you switch. Google Workspace Help says to move all DNS records first when you change DNS hosts. We’d apply the same rule with any email provider.

If your mailboxes are moving too, treat that as its own project. Mail delivered to the old server during propagation can sit there, so check both inboxes for a while.

Check these things after the switch

Run these checks once the domain resolves to the new server and again a few days later. They protect your search engine optimization (SEO) and catch anything the preview missed.

• SSL: Ensure the certificate works on both the www and non-www versions of [yourbusiness].com.
• Indexing: Recheck that the temporary testing restrictions were removed before launch and no unintended noindex rules or crawl blocks remain.
• Google Search Console: Confirm verification carried over, then watch crawl stats, since Google’s hosting move guide calls a temporary crawl-rate drop after launch normal.
• Forms and scheduled tasks: Submit a form, check notification emails and confirm scheduled tasks ran.
• TTL: Raise it back to your normal value once traffic settles on the new server.

Keeping the same public URLs means the hosting move itself does not require new redirects. Preserve any existing redirects. If you are also changing domains or URL paths, follow our SEO-friendly migration checklist for those additional steps.

Mistakes that cause downtime during a WordPress move

Migration outages often trace back to a few avoidable slips. The table pairs each one with its effect and the fix.

Mistake	What happens	How to avoid it
Switching DNS before testing	Visitors land on a broken or incomplete copy	Pass the full preview checklist first
Cancelling the old host too early	Visitors using cached DNS records that still point to the old server may encounter errors if the old hosting account is cancelled	Confirm traffic has moved and email, DNS and scheduled jobs no longer depend on the account
Changing nameservers without copying email records	Incoming email bounces or goes missing	Recreate MX and email verification records first
Skipping the final sync	Recent posts, orders or sign-ups disappear	Freeze, re-sync and compare counts
Leaving noindex on after testing	Search engines may drop pages from results	Remove testing restrictions before launch and verify again afterward
Running a plain find-and-replace on a changed domain	Serialized settings break and options vanish	Use a serialization-safe tool with a dry run

Each fix comes down to the same habit: Change DNS last and wait until you’ve confirmed the new site works.

Final thoughts

Ready to move your WordPress website with minimal disruption? Start by checking your current DNS TTL and choosing a low-traffic window. Give yourself time to test before committing to a switch date. If your site handles subscriptions or frequent orders, discuss those requirements with your new host first.

Moving to Bluehost? Our free site migration tool helps transfer eligible WordPress sites, so you can get your new hosting setup underway.

Find your WordPress hosting plan with Bluehost.

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