Moving hosts sounds scary, but a website is just files + a database — move both, point the domain, and the site wakes up in its new home unchanged. This article is the map: the three routes, and the checklist that keeps downtime near zero.
The three routes
| 1. Migration plugin (easiest for WordPress) | A migration plugin on the old site packages everything; you import it into a fresh WordPress here. Best for most WordPress sites. |
| 2. Manual move | Download the files using File Manager or an FTP program and export the database using the database tool at the old host; then upload and import both here. Works for any site, WordPress or not. |
| 3. Ask us | Open a support ticket with the details of your old hosting — we will advise the best route for your case. |
The safe-migration checklist
- Backup the old site completely before touching anything (full cPanel backup there, or UpdraftPlus).
- Order your ZedgeHost hosting and note: do NOT cancel the old hosting yet.
- Build the site here first using the route above — test it thoroughly before the domain moves (ask us how to preview it if needed).
- Move email too, if it lives at the old host: recreate the same mailboxes here BEFORE switching, so no mail is lost (see the Email category).
- Point the domain — change the nameservers to ns1.my.zedgehost.com / ns2.my.zedgehost.com (see the Domains guide). Expect propagation of 4–24 hours, during which visitors split between old and new — both working, so no downtime.
- Install the SSL certificate once the domain points here (SSL category) and confirm the site loads on https.
- Final checks: pages, images, contact forms, login, and (for shops) a test order.
- Only then cancel the old hosting — after several days of everything working here.
✅ Result: The same website, same domain, same email addresses — now running on ZedgeHost, with the old account still there as a safety net until you're fully sure.
⚠ Common mistakes & fixes
- Cancelling the old host first: the most expensive mistake in migration. If anything is missing, there's nothing left to copy from.
- Forgetting the email: recreating mailboxes after the switch means mail sent in between bounces. Mailboxes first, nameservers second.
- Changing things on the old site during propagation: posts/orders created there after the move won't exist here. Freeze edits during the switch window.
Related articles
- How to Point Your Domain to ZedgeHost (Nameservers)
- How to Create a Professional Email (you@yourdomain)
- How to Take a Full cPanel Backup