How to Move Your Website with Less Downtime?
Transferring your website to a new hosting provider doesn't have to mean extended outages. By proper planning and following the right steps, you can move your site with less downtime and keep your website accessible during the transition.
Follow the steps below to help ensure a smooth and successful move to your new host.
- If you select a 1-month term for VS or Dedicated hosting, a one-time migration fee of $199.00 applies.
- If you're on a different hosting plan or need help moving your site from another provider, you can submit a migration request by availing our migration professional services through your Bluehost Portal.
Step 1: Sign Up with Your New Hosting Provider
Create an account with your new host first.
At this stage, you should have:
- One active account with your old host.
- One active account with your new host.
Step 2: Back Up Your Website Files
Next, create a full backup of your website files from your old host.
You can do this by:
- Connecting to your old host using FTP.
- Download all the website files to your local computer.
- Connecting to your new host via FTP.
- Uploading the files while keeping the same folder structure.
For more details, see our What is FTP? An Introduction to File Transfer Protocol article.
Step 3: Back Up and Restore Databases
If your website uses databases, you'll also need to back those up.
- Export your database from the old host.
- Upload the database backup file to the new host using FTP.
- Restore the database using SSH or PhpMyAdmin.
If you're unsure how to back up databases, contact your old hosting provider for instructions.
Email Considerations
Email messages usually do not transfer automatically when moving hosts.
To save existing emails:
- Set up a POP3 connection for each email account.
- Download all the existing messages to your local computer.
Once your site is live on the new host, new emails will be delivered there, but old messages will remain stored locally.
Step 4: Update Your DNS Settings
After your files and databases are in place, it's time to update your domain's DNS.
Your new host will provide the correct name servers (DNS), which usually look like:
- ns1.yourhostname.com
- ns2.yourhostname.com
Log in to your domain registrar (where you purchased your domain) and update the name servers.
- IIf you registered your domain with your hosting provider, you may need to contact them to make the change.
- If your domain is registered with Bluehost, you can update DNS directly through your Bluehost Portal.
Step 5: Wait for DNS Propagation
DNS updates take time to propagate across the Internet.
- Propagation can take up to 48 hours.
- During this time, your site may load from either the old or the new host.
- Once propagation is complete, your site will load only from the new host.
This waiting period is normal and does not indicate a problem.
Step 6: Cancel Hosting with Your Old Provider
After 48 hours, your DNS changes should be fully active.
At this point:
- Confirm your site loads correctly from the new host.
- Contact your old hosting provider to cancel hosting.
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Summary
Moving your website with less downtime requires careful timing, complete backups, and proper DNS updates. By keeping both hosting accounts active during the transition and waiting for DNS propagation to finish, you can switch hosts smoothly with little to no interruption.
If you need further assistance, feel free to contact us via Chat or Phone:
- Chat Support - While on our website, you should see a CHAT bubble in the bottom right-hand corner of the page. Click anywhere on the bubble to begin a chat session.
- Phone Support -
- US: 888-401-4678
- International: +1 801-765-9400
You may also refer to our Knowledge Base articles to help answer common questions and guide you through various setup, configuration, and troubleshooting steps.