Pro Migration Services – Finalization Guide

This guide walks you through the steps to complete after your website and email have been migrated by our Pro Migration Services team. The Migration team communicates with you via email throughout the process, and you will need to reference the migration completion email they send for specific DNS information.

You will receive that email with the subject line:

“Action Required: You Can Now Complete Your Migration!”

Use the sections below to finalize your migration.

• Website / cPanel Migrations
• Updating DNS for cPanel Access
• Email Migrations
• Summary
   

Website / cPanel Migrations

Post Migration Checks

After the migration is complete, you have 14 days to review and report issues on your website. Our team validates each migration, but some items may not appear correctly until DNS and SSL are fully updated. Common issues include:

• Images not loading
• Internal links are not working
• Forms, scripts, or embedded content are not functioning

How to Report Issues

You have 14 days from migration completion to review your site and report any issues. Submit requests through your: Bluehost Portal → Professional Services → Request Change, with the following information:

• Affected URL(s)
• Description of the issue
• Screenshots (recommended)

Finalize Your Website Migration (Update DNS)

Update DNS settings using the exact values provided in your migration completion email:

• Nameservers
• Server IP address
• MX records (if applicable)

Install Your Free SSL Certificate

Once DNS propagation is complete and your domain points to the new server, install your free SSL certificate.

Updating DNS for cPanel Access

Shared Hosting Scenario

When migrating between shared hosting plans or pointing domains from external accounts to your new Bluehost shared hosting, here’s a quick guide on how to point your domain to your new shared hosting account without any headaches.

Migrating or Assigning a Domain within Bluehost Hosting Plans:

• Use the Assign a Domain feature to point your domain from one hosting account to another within Bluehost without changing nameservers.
• This is ideal if your domain is registered with Bluehost but linked to a different hosting plan. Assigning the domain ensures cPanel and hosting services are correctly connected.

Connecting a Domain via the Hosting Tab in Your Bluehost Control Panel:

• For domains registered externally or not yet assigned, follow How to Connect a Domain Name from Hosting Tab.
• This process guides you through updating nameservers or DNS to link your domain to Bluehost hosting.

Connecting a Domain via the Website Tab in Your Bluehost Control Panel:

• Alternatively, use How to Connect a Domain Name from Websites Tab to connect your domain for site launch or staging purposes.
• This offers a user-friendly interface for connecting domains to your hosting services.

Pointing a Domain Hosted at an External Registrar:

• Log in to your domain registrar’s control panel (e.g., GoDaddy, Namecheap).
• Update the domain’s nameservers to Bluehost’s nameservers to delegate DNS management to Bluehost.
• Alternatively, if you want to keep your registrar’s nameservers, update the domain’s A record to point to your Bluehost shared hosting server IP.
• When managing DNS externally, remember to manually configure other necessary records such as MX (email), SPF, DKIM, etc.

Custom Subdomains or Services:

• Verify that DNS records for any subdomains or additional services (FTP, mail) are updated accordingly in your chosen DNS management panel.

Accessing cPanel:

• After DNS changes take effect, access cPanel via https://yourdomain.com/cpanel or directly through your Bluehost hosting dashboard.

Helpful Links:

• How to Assign a Domain in Bluehost
• How to Connect a Domain from the Hosting Tab
• How to Connect a Domain from the Website Tab
• How to Change Your Bluehost Nameservers
• Shared Hosting Overview

VPS / Dedicated Server Scenario

When migrating or configuring domains on VPS or Dedicated servers, DNS management often includes creating custom nameservers to keep everything under your own brand. (e.g., ns1.yourdomain.com, ns2.yourdomain.com). This process involves both DNS record setup at your domain registrar and proper configuration on your server.

Step 1: Create Custom Nameservers (Private Nameservers)

Why create custom nameservers?

Custom nameservers allow you to use branded nameservers pointing to your server IPs instead of generic nameservers from your hosting provider. This is standard practice for VPS and dedicated setups—it gives you full control over your DNS while keeping everything white-labeled.

How to create private nameservers:

• Log in to your domain registrar’s control panel where your domain is registered.
• Find the area usually called “Register Nameserver,” “Hostnames,” “Glue Records,” or “Child Nameservers.” The exact wording varies by registrar.
• Create at least two nameserver hostnames, commonly ns1.yourdomain.com and ns2.yourdomain.com.
• Assign each hostname with the IP address(es) of your VPS/dedicated server. Typically, these will be the main server IP(s).
• Save the changes. This step registers these hostnames as valid nameservers linked to your server IPs.

Step 2: Update Your Domain to Use Your Custom Nameservers

• After registering the private nameserver settings, update the domain's nameserver settings to the newly created nameservers (ns1.yourdomain.com, ns2.yourdomain.com).
• This tells the internet to look up your DNS records on your VPS/dedicated server instead of elsewhere.

Step 3: Configure DNS on Your VPS/Dedicated Server

• Ensure your server runs a DNS server software (commonly BIND, PowerDNS, or similar).
• Create DNS zones for your domains on the server to resolve correctly to your websites, mail, FTP, etc.
• Set appropriate DNS records (A, MX, CNAME, TXT, etc.) within your server’s DNS management system.
• Verify that your private nameservers respond correctly by using tools like dig or online DNS checkers.

Step 4: Allow Time for DNS Propagation

• DNS changes, especially custom nameserver setups, may take 24-48 hours to propagate globally.

Additional Considerations

• Fallback: If you do not want to manage your own nameservers, you can use your VPS/Dedicated hosting provider’s default nameservers and update your domain’s DNS A records accordingly.
• Testing: After propagation, confirm the domain resolves to your server and cPanel access (https://yourdomain.com/cpanel) works as expected.
• SSL Certificates: Confirm SSL/TLS certificates remain valid or issue new ones if IPs or domain pointers change.

Helpful Links

• Use Custom Name Servers
• VPS and Dedicated Hosting: Setting Up Private Nameservers
• DNS Propagation: Timeframes, Tools, and Troubleshooting
• DNS Configuration with Web Host Manager

Email DNS Setup Instructions

Getting your DNS records right is the only way to make sure your emails actually hit the inbox instead of the spam folder. Here’s how to set things up for the big email platforms and get your webmail working properly.

A. Google Workspace (G Suite) Email Setup

To use Google Workspace email with your domain, you must add specific DNS records—primarily MX records, along with SPF, DKIM, and possibly DMARC—to your domain’s DNS management:

MX Records:

• Add Google Workspace MX records to route email through Google’s mail servers.
• See detailed setup instructions in Google Workspace Setup Guide.

SPF Record:

• Add or update your SPF TXT record to authorize Google servers to send email on your behalf.

DKIM Record:

• Enable DKIM signing and publish the DKIM TXT record to improve authentication.
• Learn more at What is a DKIM Record?.

DNS Management:

• Update these records via your DNS provider—Bluehost if your domain uses Bluehost nameservers, or your external registrar.

Verification:

• Verify domain ownership and DNS propagation in your Google Workspace Admin console.

B. Bluehost Professional Email Setup

If using Bluehost’s Professional Email service, configure your domain DNS accordingly:

MX and TXT Records:

• Add MX records pointing to Bluehost email servers as outlined in How to Set Up Bluehost Professional Email MX and TXT Records.

SPF and DKIM Records:

• Ensure SPF and DKIM TXT records are present to authorize Bluehost servers and enhance deliverability.

DNS Changes:

• Modify your DNS via the Bluehost control panel if your domain uses Bluehost nameservers or externally via your registrar.

Test Email:

• After propagation, test sending and receiving emails to confirm the configuration.

C. cPanel Webmail Access and Usage

If your domain email is hosted on a cPanel server (shared, VPS, or dedicated), you access your email via Webmail, and you must ensure your DNS MX records point to the correct mail servers.

Access Webmail:

• Navigate to one of these URLs in your web browser:
  • https://yourdomain.com/webmail
  • https://yourdomain.com:2096
  • https://login.bluehost.com/webmail
• Log in using your full email address (e.g., [email protected]) and your email password.
• Choose among webmail clients: Horde, Roundcube, or SquirrelMail to manage your email.

Update MX Records for cPanel Email:

To receive email correctly on your cPanel server, you must ensure your domain’s MX records point to your hosting server. If your DNS is managed at Bluehost or an external registrar, follow these steps:

• Modify MX records to point to your domain or server hostname, typically something like mail.yourdomain.com.
• You can find full step-by-step instructions on updating MX records here: How to Edit MX Records
• If your DNS is managed outside Bluehost, log into your registrar’s DNS control panel to make these changes.
• Confirm that you have a valid A record for the mail server hostname (e.g., mail.yourdomain.com) pointing to your server’s IP.

Manage Email Accounts and Passwords:

• Create, edit, or delete email accounts from the Bluehost Control Panel under Email & Office Email Accounts.
• Reset forgotten email passwords in the same section by selecting “Manage” next to the desired account.

Troubleshooting Tips:

• Verify MX records are correct and fully propagated (DNS changes can take up to 24–48 hours).
• Ensure you use your full email address and current password.
• Clear browser cache or try logging in from a different browser or device if you encounter issues.
• Contact Bluehost Support if problems persist.

D. DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) Record Overview

DKIM adds an encrypted signature to outgoing email that authenticates the sender and improves trust by recipient servers.

• Purpose:
  • Helps prevent spoofing and spam by proving emails are from your domain.
• Setup:
  • Generate a key pair via your email hosting control panel or Google Admin console.
  • Publish the public key as a DNS TXT record as detailed in What is a DKIM Record?.
• Benefits:
  • Better email deliverability and security for all email platforms.

Helpful Links

• Google Workspace Setup Guide
• Set Up Bluehost Professional Email MX and TXT Records
• What is a DKIM Record?
• How to Edit MX Records
• How to Manage Email Accounts: Create, Delete, and Update

Email Migrations

Accessing Your Email After Migration

Use the links below to access your email depending on the platform your mailboxes were migrated to:

• Google Workspace - https://workspace.google.com/intl/en-US/gmail/
• Professional Email - https://webmail.oxcs.bluehost.com
• Titan Email - https://bluehost.titan.email/login
• cPanel Webmail
  1. Log in to your Bluehost Portal.
  2. Navigate to:
     Hosting → cPanel Email → Continue → Check Email

Review Imported Mailboxes

After migration, verify:

• Mailboxes exist
• Folders synced correctly
• Message counts look normal
• Large attachments appear after your device finishes caching

Update Email DNS (MX, SPF, DKIM, DMARC)

Update the DNS records listed in your migration completion email:

• MX - controls incoming mail
• SPF - identifies approved sending servers
• DKIM - signs outgoing mail
• DMARC - prevents spoofing

Check our Guide to the DNS Tab in the Bluehost Portal to learn more about managing your DNS settings.

Reconfigure Email Devices & Apps

Reconnect each device and app using the new server settings, including:

• Outlook
• Apple Mail
• iPhone/iPad
• Android
• Thunderbird
• CRMs, POS systems, and billing apps

Verify Sending & Receiving

Check the following:

• ✔ Send email externally
• ✔ Send email internally
• ✔ Receive email from external accounts
• ✔ Ensure correct folder mapping (Sent, Junk, Trash, Archive)

(Optional) Configure 2FA & Security Settings

Depending on your platform, configure:

• Two-Factor Authentication
• App passwords
• Account recovery options
• Spam filtering and rules

Troubleshooting After Email Migration

Missing Emails

May require mailbox re-indexing or a forced resync. Check Why Emails Disappear from Your Inbox and How to Prevent It to learn more about the issue of missing emails.

Delayed Delivery

Commonly caused by DNS propagation delays. To learn more about email delivery delays, check How to Troubleshoot Email Delays.

Login Errors

Often due to:

• Cached passwords
• Old server settings are still stored on the device

Check our guide How to Understand and Resolve Email Error Messages to learn more.

Folder Mapping Issues

Some apps may require:

• Folder resubscription
• Manual assignment of special folders

Summary

After your website and email are migrated by the Pro Migration Services team, use your migration completion email to finalize the process. Review your website within 14 days, preview it via your hosts file if needed, and report any issues through your Bluehost Portal. Update your DNS settings to point your domain and email to the new server, then install your free SSL certificate. For email, access your new platform, verify migrated mailboxes, update required DNS records (MX, SPF, DKIM, DMARC), reconfigure devices, and test sending/receiving.