WordPress Hosting Migration Checklist: Files, Email, DNS and Testing

1. List What Needs to Move

Record your domain, website size, database, email provider and any subdomains. List important functions such as checkout, bookings, contact forms and scheduled tasks. Note whether DNS is managed at your registrar, current host or another provider.

Website hosting, domain registration and email are separate services. Moving the website does not necessarily mean transferring the domain or moving email. Tell the migration team which services should stay where they are.

2. Preserve a Recent Backup

A WordPress move involves website files and the database, not only an export of posts. Preserve a recent copy before the transfer and confirm how it could be restored. WordPress’s official migration handbook distinguishes moving servers while keeping URLs from changing the site address.

If the site is receiving orders, bookings or submissions, agree how new data will be handled during the final copy. A backup taken earlier will not contain later changes. Ask about the appropriate cutover window before announcing a move.

3. Order Hosting and Open a Ticket

To arrange a TrentaHost website migration, order your WordPress hosting plan, then open a support ticket. Tell us the domain, current setup and any deadline. Our team will request the access needed through a secure method.

Include your inventory and mention anything unusual: a large store, a multisite installation, custom code or external email. Confirm the scope and timing with the team. Do not cancel the old hosting or change DNS as soon as you order.

4. Test the Transferred Website

Ask the team how to preview the new copy before directing visitors to it. Work through this checklist and report any difference from the current site:

• Open the homepage and several important landing pages on mobile and desktop.
• Check images, downloads, navigation and internal links.
• Log in to WordPress and verify the expected users and content.
• Submit a test form and confirm receipt at the intended mailbox.
• Test checkout or bookings using the application’s appropriate test process.
• Check scheduled tasks, integrations and backup settings.
• Confirm HTTPS and the intended domain configuration with the team.

A page loading successfully does not confirm that its form or payment integration works.

5. Confirm Email and DNS Before Switching

Tell the team whether mailboxes stay with an external provider or are part of the requested move. Record the existing DNS setup and confirm which records need changing. Changing nameservers without preserving required email records can interrupt mail.

Ask who will make the change, when it should happen and how you will confirm that visitors reach the new service. DNS caches can update at different times, so avoid relying on one browser check or a guaranteed zero-downtime promise.

6. Check Again After the Move

Repeat the key checks on the public domain: HTTPS, forms, email, checkout, logins and scheduled jobs. Check recent orders or submissions against the agreed cutover plan. Keep your old service and backup available until the migration is confirmed complete.

For a host-only move, keep the existing public URLs where possible. If you also want a new domain or changed page addresses, plan that separately rather than mixing it into the transfer without a redirect strategy.

Common Migration Questions

Do I Have to Transfer My Domain?

No. You can keep the domain with its current registrar and update the appropriate DNS settings. Confirm who controls those settings before the move.

How Long Will the Migration Take?

Timing depends on the site, access, size, testing and DNS changes. Tell our team your preferred date so we can discuss a realistic plan.

Is Website Migration Included?

TrentaHost offers free website migration with Web and Reseller Hosting. For your WordPress website, order the hosting plan and open a ticket to arrange the move. Review the WordPress migration process with our team before changing DNS.