Transferring your WordPress Blog to a new Webhost

The following Tutorial will help people on a Unix/ Linux webhosting setup and who are looking to transfer their WordPress site to a new webhosting company.

Follow the below steps for a quick, hassle free Blog move:

1. Backup your entire Database. I have found using the Wp-Db-Backup plugin is the easiest to do a database backup. This plugin will let you send a back up your database to a specified email address of download it to your computer. (I recommend having this plugin anyway so you can do a weekly [of whatever you require] backup of your database.

2. Login to your current webhost via FTP and download the entire WordPress Directory to your computer (ie all WordPress files in your existing webhosting account).

This will ensure all your themes, uploaded images, and plugins etc are backed up so you can easily transfer to them to the new host.

3. Now you have backed up all your WordPress files – upload them via FTP to the new Webhosting account you intend to use.

4. Create a new database and database user in the new Webhosting account.

5. Update your wp-config.php file (in the root of your new webhosting account) to reflect the new database details.

6. Login to the cPanel of your new webhost and click on the phpMYadmin link.

7. Click on the name of the new database you have created, then click the Import button.

8. Now select the database backup file from step 1 and upload this database backup. This will most probably be a .sql file extension.

You should get a confirmation like: Import has been successfully finished, XXX queries executed.

10. Go to the Hosting Registrar where you registered the domain, and update the Name Server Details to what your new webhost has provided.

This is now telling your domain to point to a new webhost (server) when someone accesses the website. This may take up to 24 hours to fully propagate across the internet. That means for this period of time you and your visitors will not really be able to use the website.

Certain ISPs may propagate quicker than others. I’ve found Telstra to pick up the new server very quickly at times. Sometimes within an hour! which is great as you don’t have to wait around for ages before tweaking your site and you can get in there and check everything is working 100%.

Once you have followed all these steps you should simply be able to login to your blog as before, and get on what what you need to do – Blogging!

I have done this transfer on several occasions with no issues and once you’ve done it a few times you will find the process quick and straight forward.

The main step you need to be careful with is importing your database backup to the new webhost. The database essentially contains all your posts, pages, and custom settings (permalinks etc).

If you are looking to move your WordPress website or blog to a new webhost – give it a go!

If you have any troubles or questions, or maybe looking for some spare server space – feel free to contact me and I’ll be happy to assist where possible.