How do I move my website to a new host without it going offline?
The short answer
Set the website up at the new host first and test it, then change your domain’s DNS records or nameservers to point at the new host, and cancel the old host only after a few days. Move email separately and carefully, because DNS changes affect email too.
- Take a full backup at the old host.
- Build or copy the website at the new host and test it on the temporary address they give you.
- Write down your current DNS records, especially the MX (email) and TXT records, so nothing is lost.
- Change the DNS records (or nameservers) to the new host. Changes usually take effect within a few hours and occasionally up to two days.
- Check the padlock (HTTPS) works at the new host.
- Keep the old host running for a few days, then cancel it. If your domain is registered with the old host, keep paying for the domain or transfer it first.
Words used here
- DNS (the traffic controller)
- The internet’s address book: it tells a browser which computer to visit when someone types your domain.
- Nameservers
- A setting on your domain that says which company runs its DNS. For example, ns1.hover.com means Hover is in charge of your traffic settings.
- Website hosting
- The company that stores your website and shows it to visitors — like Vercel, Netlify, Squarespace or Shopify.
- Backup / snapshot
- A saved copy of your data at a moment in time, so you can restore it later. Always take one before deleting anything.
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