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HOSTING GUIDE
How to move a website to another host without unnecessary downtime
A successful migration is more than a copy of the files. You also need to move the database and application settings, prepare a certificate, and decide how to confirm that everything works before directing visitors to the new server.
List the domains, subdomains, databases, scheduled jobs, file storage, certificates, and connections to email or payment services. For each item, note whether it runs with the current host or another service. Make a full backup and test that it can be opened or restored.
Prepare the new site separately
Upload the data to the new environment and set up identical or compatible technology versions. Use a temporary address, a local hosts file or a provider tool for testing. Check sign-in, forms, images, links and important functions. For an online shop, place a test order without a live payment. Compare the results with the old site.
Plan the switch and a way back
Data on a dynamic website keeps changing after the first copy. Before changing DNS, arrange a short window for final synchronization and, if needed, a temporary pause in writes. Otherwise new orders or comments may be split between two servers. After the switch, monitor both servers and check where requests actually go. Cancel the old hosting only after checking data, mail, the certificate and logs.
Prepare a rollback plan too: who decides to return, which records are changed back and what happens to data created in the meantime? For a complex service, this plan is often more valuable than a promise of a one-click migration.
Tell people who publish content or process orders about the move in advance. They need to know whether to pause work briefly and where to check new records. Afterwards, repeat the same short tests: sign-in, forms, email, a safe payment test and the view on a phone. Record the result and time of the change in case you need to investigate a later fault.