How to move WordPress site to another server with zero downtime

Here is step-by-step tutorial on how to move your WordPress site with zero downtime.

Backup the database from the old site and import it to the new site. Pay attention to database names.
Change your wp-config.php in the old site to point to the database on the new site. Your old site will now run using database based on the new site and once you change the names ervers new site will have the up to date database. (You may want to check with your new hosting if they allow outside database access first. If not, you can skip this step and transfer the database at the end, when the nameserver change propagated)
Backup your entire WordPress installation from the old site (this will include all your uploads, themes, plugins)
Unpack your WordPress installation to the new site
Change wp-config.php on the new site with new database details
Change the nameservers to point to the new site
That's all now you only need to wait :)

Since nameserver propagation can take up to one day, step 2 allows you to have up to date database at the moment it happens. Downside to this is slower site response in the meantime because site still runs from the old server and the database is on the new. But if you do this over the night or periods of low traffic it won't be that noticeable and you will not lose any comments or other activity on your site.

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Hi! My name is Vladimir Prelovac. I am a computer engineer by profession and an adventurer by state of mind.

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"I would love to change the world, I just don't have the source code yet."

Make Money Easy Online 06.30.09 / 5am

Hi Guys.

I am just wondering. Will it be possible to install a fresh copy of Wordpress and over write the new database with old database?

Care must ensure that both copies of the Wordpress MUST be of the same version to prevent conflicts?

I am going to change server soon and it is getting me paranoid with so many suggestions and ways to move a Wordpress blog.

charlie 06.24.09 / 12am

i have recently aquired a new domain name for a different site i want to start, now i have been thinking of using my pc at home as a temporary server to install wordpress onto and get the look of it right before i let the new site "go live to the world" as it were. now if i move my files over to a new server, when i am ready, can i delete all the files on my pc(server) at home without it having any effect on the functionality of my new site??? in oher words once the files are on the new server, does it matter or not if the old one"my pc" is offline/no longer working/sold for spare parts.....?

Iodus Blog » Moving WordPress 05.22.09 / 5pm

[...] How to move WordPress site to another server with zero downtime [...]

Bob 03.31.09 / 7pm

I did all that and yet my categories and posts still point to old server. Dis I miss something? Everything else goes to new server.

Jim 03.30.09 / 2am

What awesome help this would be, if I could make it work. Do you know of anything else that might keep my WP install from connecting to my new dedicated server?

I've created and imported the database and user with full access on our new box. I edited my wp_config with the correct details including new host name. I enabled the cPanel option to allow Remote MySQL access to the new server.

My site and forums currently reside on a 1and1 shared hosting account. The old/current database resides on some 1and1 server at mydb.perfora.net (not localhost), so I should easily be able to run from mynewdb.mynewbox.net ... alas, I only get "Error Connecting to Database".

One suggestion was that 1and1 may blocking the connection from that end. All ideas welcome. Thanks!

Jae Jun 03.26.09 / 8am

Thanks for the tip.. Looking to switch as soon as possible. My current dead beat host has been down 8+ hours 2 days in a row.

FYI for anyone interested, never go with Strikedata.com

My Life Thinking 03.20.09 / 3am

This is great, I have moved my blog and connected it to another database, thanks!

weight loser 03.10.09 / 11pm

Gee thanks, I must learn how to do that because I need to move my blog to a better server :-)

wvengen 02.09.09 / 3pm

This has one downside: when users dns' isn't updated yet and they visit the old site and update the site, these changes are not reflected on the new location. There are two remedies:
1. Migrate the database and make both locations point to the same database.
2. Allow two domains in wordpress (don't know how to do that though), create new.domain.tld to point to the new server, and redirect http://www.domain.tld to new.domain.tld on the old server. This is a new dns record which which will always point to the new server if it didn't exist beforehand.

John James Jacoby 12.09.08 / 8am

This is a good post, but I am curious how the media folder is updated to accommodate this change? Since the database seems to house a the absolute path to files in the uploads folder, switching to a new host will obviously change that absolute path.

It seems to me that unless WordPress is savy enough to update the many files in the database with the new absolute path, that all of your attachments would be missing using this method.

Jim Keefer 11.28.08 / 7pm

I'm not clear on moving from one C panel to another C Panel on a new server?

Anonymous 11.06.08 / 1am

@doug -

How did you do that, Doug?

Jay McGillicuddy 10.24.08 / 3am

I moved to a new host a couple of months ago and my biggest problem was I forgot to change the config file.

I wish I had seen this first.

Tester 10.11.08 / 7pm

Toi muon thu ma thoi

Rudy 10.04.08 / 1pm

I'm planning to move my blog to a dedicated hosting site soon. My biggest concern is them trying to take over my domain name. Their tech support assured me they won't do a domain name transfer, but I'm a bit skeptical.

Ryan McMillan 10.01.08 / 7am

Thanks for this! So simple!

Great job!

Blog Design Studio 09.30.08 / 7am

Well, I'd written a similar post and I hope you find that useful too. I loved your post title by the way and that is what actually enticed me to look at the post. Great article.

Hanep 09.30.08 / 6am

Good info... it's better with no downtime..

Susan 09.29.08 / 11pm

An awesome tutorial! Well done, and thanks for putting that together.

Predrag Supurovic 09.29.08 / 9pm

Before you start all this process, check if new host allows direct access to database server remotely. It is common that database is accessible only on localhost, for sake of the security.

If that is the case with your new server, you would not be able to connect to database from your old site.

doug 09.29.08 / 7pm

Good info. If you use cpanel and are moving to another cpanel host, you can actually transfer the new site completely from the new cpanel without downloading anything. I was able to transfer a number of wordpress sites in about 10 minutes or so with cpanel. So be sure to keep that in mind if you are pondering a switch. if you are not using a host that provides cpanel and are planning a move, make sure to seek out one that offers cpanel for management.

Spartak 09.29.08 / 12pm

Great, I didn't know that ; /
I made a mistake, I do everything on the same way like you sad but with no step 2 :D.

Vladimir 09.29.08 / 10am

If you follow step 2 you will have no downtime and no lost comments!

Spartak 09.29.08 / 9am

Very nice and easy to understand explanation.
Maybe its better to put some text on your site while moving it to another server, something like, please came tomorrow or under construction because i have problem with comments.
I change my host one week ago and lose some comments. They send comments but on old host and they never came to my new site. ;)

Paulux 09.29.08 / 7am

Hi, this could be works if I migrate my wordpress site to my local machine????

Thks

Vladimir 09.29.08 / 12am

I am glad this helps. I am also glad to hear the site is faster for you, that was one of the main reasons I moved. The other being security issues.

Abang Long 09.29.08 / 12am

Well done and thanks for the valuable info since I also have the intention to switch my server to a better one.

In fact, I notice that your website now loads more quickly than before.

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How to move WordPress site to another server with zero downtime

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