{"id":4774,"date":"2024-12-30T13:15:52","date_gmt":"2024-12-30T18:15:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/underhost.com\/blog\/?p=4774"},"modified":"2026-10-23T08:54:05","modified_gmt":"2026-10-23T12:54:05","slug":"top-10-mistakes-to-avoid-when-moving-to-a-new-hosting-provider","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/underhost.com\/blog\/top-10-mistakes-to-avoid-when-moving-to-a-new-hosting-provider\/","title":{"rendered":"10 Mistakes to Avoid When Moving to a New Hosting Provider (With a Checklist)"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"uh-blog-hero\" style=\"margin:0 0 40px;text-align:center;padding:48px 24px;border-radius:20px;background:linear-gradient(135deg,#0D1F3C 0%,#125A8A 58%,#176EA5 100%);color:#ffffff;box-shadow:0 20px 40px -15px rgba(13,31,60,0.28);position:relative;overflow:hidden;\">\n<div style=\"display:inline-flex;align-items:center;gap:8px;padding:7px 14px;margin-bottom:16px;border:1px solid rgba(0,212,255,0.32);border-radius:999px;color:#DFF8FF;font-size:12px;font-weight:800;letter-spacing:.06em;text-transform:uppercase;background:rgba(0,212,255,0.10);\"><i class=\"fas fa-server\" style=\"color:#00D4FF;\"><\/i> Hosting Guide<\/div>\n<h1 style=\"color:#ffffff;font-size:clamp(32px,5vw,46px);line-height:1.12;margin:0 0 14px;font-weight:800;\">10 Mistakes to Avoid When Moving to a New Hosting Provider (With a Checklist)<\/h1>\n<p style=\"font-size:18px;color:#EAF6FF;max-width:800px;margin:0 auto;line-height:1.7;\">Switching hosting providers doesn\u2019t have to be a headache. Learn the common mistakes to avoid during the migration process and how UnderHost\u2019s seamless migration services make switching effortless. Stay online without interruptions.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"uh-blog-excerpt\" style=\"border-left:4px solid #00D4FF;padding:18px 20px;margin:0 0 34px;background:#F8FAFC;color:#1F2937;border-radius:0 14px 14px 0;box-shadow:0 8px 28px rgba(13,31,60,0.08);line-height:1.75;\"><strong style=\"color:#0D1F3C;\">Short answer:<\/strong> Most hosting moves go wrong for the same reasons: no full backup, DNS changed too early, email forgotten, and no testing before the switch. Take a complete backup, copy the site to the new server, test it there with your hosts file, lower the DNS TTL a day ahead, move email with the site, then change DNS and keep the old hosting running for a week. The ten mistakes below, and the checklist at the end, cover the details.<\/div>\n<nav aria-label=\"Table of contents\" class=\"uh-toc\" style=\"background:#ffffff;border:1px solid #E5E7EB;border-radius:16px;padding:20px 22px;margin:0 0 34px;box-shadow:0 4px 12px rgba(13,31,60,0.08);\">\n<div style=\"font-size:12px;font-weight:800;letter-spacing:.06em;text-transform:uppercase;color:#176EA5;margin-bottom:10px;\"><i class=\"fas fa-list\" style=\"color:#00D4FF;\"><\/i> In this guide<\/div>\n<ol style=\"margin:0;padding-left:20px;columns:2 260px;column-gap:28px;line-height:1.9;\">\n<li><a href=\"#1-choosing-a-plan-without-checking-requirements\" style=\"color:#176EA5;text-decoration:none;font-weight:600;\">1. Choosing a plan without checking requirements<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#2-moving-without-a-complete-backup\" style=\"color:#176EA5;text-decoration:none;font-weight:600;\">2. Moving without a complete backup<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#3-forgetting-the-database\" style=\"color:#176EA5;text-decoration:none;font-weight:600;\">3. Forgetting the database<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#4-changing-dns-before-testing\" style=\"color:#176EA5;text-decoration:none;font-weight:600;\">4. Changing DNS before testing<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#5-not-lowering-the-ttl-in-advance\" style=\"color:#176EA5;text-decoration:none;font-weight:600;\">5. Not lowering the TTL in advance<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#6-forgetting-email\" style=\"color:#176EA5;text-decoration:none;font-weight:600;\">6. Forgetting email<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#7-leaving-out-ssl\" style=\"color:#176EA5;text-decoration:none;font-weight:600;\">7. Leaving out SSL<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#8-breaking-urls-and-seo\" style=\"color:#176EA5;text-decoration:none;font-weight:600;\">8. Breaking URLs and SEO<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#9-cancelling-the-old-hosting-too-early\" style=\"color:#176EA5;text-decoration:none;font-weight:600;\">9. Cancelling the old hosting too early<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#10-not-checking-the-site-after-the-move\" style=\"color:#176EA5;text-decoration:none;font-weight:600;\">10. Not checking the site after the move<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#migration-checklist\" style=\"color:#176EA5;text-decoration:none;font-weight:600;\">Migration checklist<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#getting-help-with-the-move\" style=\"color:#176EA5;text-decoration:none;font-weight:600;\">Getting help with the move<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/nav>\n<div class=\"uh-post-content\" style=\"color:#1F2937;font-size:16px;line-height:1.75;\">\n<h2 id=\"1-choosing-a-plan-without-checking-requirements\" style=\"color:#0D1F3C;font-size:28px;line-height:1.25;margin:34px 0 14px;scroll-margin-top:90px;\"><i class=\"fas fa-clipboard-check\" style=\"color:#00D4FF;\"><\/i> 1. Choosing a plan without checking requirements<\/h2>\n<p style=\"margin:0 0 18px;\">Check that the new plan supports what your site needs: the PHP version and extensions, database version, disk space, email accounts, SSH or cron access, and any special software. A site that needs Node.js, Redis or a specific PHP extension may need a VPS rather than shared hosting. Ask support before you order if you are unsure.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"2-moving-without-a-complete-backup\" style=\"color:#0D1F3C;font-size:28px;line-height:1.25;margin:34px 0 14px;scroll-margin-top:90px;\"><i class=\"fas fa-database\" style=\"color:#00D4FF;\"><\/i> 2. Moving without a complete backup<\/h2>\n<p style=\"margin:0 0 18px;\">Before you start, take a full backup of files, databases and email from the old host, and store a copy on your own computer or cloud storage. If something goes wrong in the move, or the old account is closed early, that copy is all you have. On cPanel, a full account backup includes everything. See our <a href=\"https:\/\/underhost.com\/blog\/cpanel-backup-and-restore-a-domain-account-via-ssh\/\">cPanel backup and restore guide<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"3-forgetting-the-database\" style=\"color:#0D1F3C;font-size:28px;line-height:1.25;margin:34px 0 14px;scroll-margin-top:90px;\"><i class=\"fas fa-database\" style=\"color:#00D4FF;\"><\/i> 3. Forgetting the database<\/h2>\n<p style=\"margin:0 0 18px;\">Copying files is not enough for WordPress, Joomla, shops and most modern sites: the content lives in the database. Export it, import it on the new server, and update the database name, user and password in the site&#8217;s configuration file.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"4-changing-dns-before-testing\" style=\"color:#0D1F3C;font-size:28px;line-height:1.25;margin:34px 0 14px;scroll-margin-top:90px;\"><i class=\"fas fa-globe\" style=\"color:#00D4FF;\"><\/i> 4. Changing DNS before testing<\/h2>\n<p style=\"margin:0 0 18px;\">If you point the domain to the new server before checking it, visitors see whatever is broken. Test first by pointing only your own computer at the new server with the hosts file. Our <a href=\"https:\/\/underhost.com\/blog\/bypass-dns-propagation-delay\/\">hosts file guide<\/a> shows how.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"5-not-lowering-the-ttl-in-advance\" style=\"color:#0D1F3C;font-size:28px;line-height:1.25;margin:34px 0 14px;scroll-margin-top:90px;\"><i class=\"fas fa-angle-double-right\" style=\"color:#00D4FF;\"><\/i> 5. Not lowering the TTL in advance<\/h2>\n<p style=\"margin:0 0 18px;\">DNS records have a TTL that tells resolvers how long to cache them. A day before the move, lower the TTL of your A and MX records, for example to 300 seconds. The switch then reaches most visitors within minutes instead of hours.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"6-forgetting-email\" style=\"color:#0D1F3C;font-size:28px;line-height:1.25;margin:34px 0 14px;scroll-margin-top:90px;\"><i class=\"fas fa-envelope\" style=\"color:#00D4FF;\"><\/i> 6. Forgetting email<\/h2>\n<p style=\"margin:0 0 18px;\">If your email is hosted with your website, it moves too. Create the same mailboxes on the new server, copy old mail over IMAP, and update the MX, SPF and DKIM records. During the DNS change, some mail may still arrive at the old server, so check both for a few days. If your email is hosted elsewhere, such as Google Workspace, make sure the MX records are copied exactly.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"7-leaving-out-ssl\" style=\"color:#0D1F3C;font-size:28px;line-height:1.25;margin:34px 0 14px;scroll-margin-top:90px;\"><i class=\"fas fa-angle-double-right\" style=\"color:#00D4FF;\"><\/i> 7. Leaving out SSL<\/h2>\n<p style=\"margin:0 0 18px;\">Without a certificate on the new server, visitors see a security warning. On cPanel, AutoSSL issues a free certificate once DNS points to the server. Check it in <strong>SSL\/TLS Status<\/strong> straight after the switch, and make sure the site still redirects to HTTPS.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"8-breaking-urls-and-seo\" style=\"color:#0D1F3C;font-size:28px;line-height:1.25;margin:34px 0 14px;scroll-margin-top:90px;\"><i class=\"fas fa-angle-double-right\" style=\"color:#00D4FF;\"><\/i> 8. Breaking URLs and SEO<\/h2>\n<p style=\"margin:0 0 18px;\">Keep the same domain, URLs and site structure. If URLs must change, add 301 redirects from every old URL to its new one. After the move, check Google Search Console for crawl errors and submit the sitemap again.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"9-cancelling-the-old-hosting-too-early\" style=\"color:#0D1F3C;font-size:28px;line-height:1.25;margin:34px 0 14px;scroll-margin-top:90px;\"><i class=\"fas fa-server\" style=\"color:#00D4FF;\"><\/i> 9. Cancelling the old hosting too early<\/h2>\n<p style=\"margin:0 0 18px;\">Keep the old account running for at least a week after the DNS change. It catches late email, lets you copy anything you forgot, and gives you a fallback if something unexpected breaks.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"10-not-checking-the-site-after-the-move\" style=\"color:#0D1F3C;font-size:28px;line-height:1.25;margin:34px 0 14px;scroll-margin-top:90px;\"><i class=\"fas fa-clipboard-check\" style=\"color:#00D4FF;\"><\/i> 10. Not checking the site after the move<\/h2>\n<p style=\"margin:0 0 18px;\">Once the switch is complete, test the important things: forms, logins, checkout, search, cron jobs, and emails sent by the site. Compare page speed with the old host. Our <a href=\"https:\/\/underhost.com\/blog\/boosting-your-sites-load-speed-practical-tips-and-tools\/\">site speed guide<\/a> lists useful tools.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"migration-checklist\" style=\"color:#0D1F3C;font-size:28px;line-height:1.25;margin:34px 0 14px;scroll-margin-top:90px;\"><i class=\"fas fa-clipboard-check\" style=\"color:#00D4FF;\"><\/i> Migration checklist<\/h2>\n<ul style=\"list-style:none;padding-left:0;\">\n<li style=\"margin:0 0 8px;\">\u2713 Check the new plan meets the site&#8217;s requirements.<\/li>\n<li style=\"margin:0 0 8px;\">\u2713 Take a full backup and store a copy off both servers.<\/li>\n<li style=\"margin:0 0 8px;\">\u2713 Lower the DNS TTL a day before the move.<\/li>\n<li style=\"margin:0 0 8px;\">\u2713 Copy files, databases and email to the new server.<\/li>\n<li style=\"margin:0 0 8px;\">\u2713 Update configuration files with new database details.<\/li>\n<li style=\"margin:0 0 8px;\">\u2713 Test the site with the hosts file.<\/li>\n<li style=\"margin:0 0 8px;\">\u2713 Change DNS (A and MX records, or nameservers).<\/li>\n<li style=\"margin:0 0 8px;\">\u2713 Check SSL, forms, email and cron jobs.<\/li>\n<li style=\"margin:0 0 8px;\">\u2713 Watch both servers for a few days, then cancel the old hosting.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 id=\"getting-help-with-the-move\" style=\"color:#0D1F3C;font-size:28px;line-height:1.25;margin:34px 0 14px;scroll-margin-top:90px;\"><i class=\"fas fa-angle-double-right\" style=\"color:#00D4FF;\"><\/i> Getting help with the move<\/h2>\n<p style=\"margin:0 0 18px;\">Our support team can help plan a move to UnderHost and copy cPanel accounts between servers. Open a ticket with the details of your current hosting. For the full process, see our guide to <a href=\"https:\/\/underhost.com\/blog\/how-to-migrate-your-website-to-underhost-without-downtime\/\">moving a website without downtime<\/a>.<\/p>\n<div aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"uh-section-divider\" style=\"width:min(100% - 32px, 1080px);margin:44px auto;display:grid;grid-template-columns:1fr 32px 1fr;align-items:center;gap:18px;pointer-events:none;\"><span style=\"height:1px;background:linear-gradient(90deg,transparent,rgba(0,212,255,0.40),rgba(23,110,165,0.24),transparent);\"><\/span><img alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\" height=\"32\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.underhost.com\/android-chrome-192x192.webp\" style=\"width:32px;height:32px;display:block;border-radius:8px;filter:drop-shadow(0 0 14px rgba(0,212,255,0.30));\" width=\"32\"\/><span style=\"height:1px;background:linear-gradient(90deg,transparent,rgba(23,110,165,0.24),rgba(0,212,255,0.40),transparent);\"><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"uh-blog-cta\" style=\"background:linear-gradient(135deg,#0D1F3C 0%,#125A8A 58%,#176EA5 100%);color:#ffffff;padding:36px 24px;border-radius:20px;text-align:center;margin:44px 0;box-shadow:0 20px 40px -15px rgba(13,31,60,0.32);\">\n<h2 style=\"margin:0 0 12px;font-size:28px;line-height:1.25;color:#ffffff;\">Need help with this?<\/h2>\n<p style=\"font-size:17px;margin:0 auto 22px;color:#EAF6FF;max-width:720px;line-height:1.7;\">Moving to UnderHost? Our team can help copy your cPanel account and plan the DNS switch.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/underhost.com\/shared-hosting.php\" style=\"background:linear-gradient(90deg,#00D4FF,#0077FF);color:#ffffff;padding:13px 28px;border-radius:10px;text-decoration:none;font-weight:800;display:inline-block;margin:8px;\">See web hosting plans<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/customerpanel.ca\/client\/\" style=\"background:transparent;color:#ffffff;padding:12px 28px;border-radius:10px;text-decoration:none;font-weight:800;display:inline-block;margin:8px;border:1px solid rgba(255,255,255,0.32);\">Contact @CustomerPanel<\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"uh-faq-section\" id=\"faq\" style=\"margin:34px 0;scroll-margin-top:90px;\">\n<h2 style=\"color:#0D1F3C;font-size:28px;line-height:1.25;margin:0 0 18px;border-bottom:2px solid rgba(0,212,255,0.22);padding-bottom:10px;\">Frequently asked questions<\/h2>\n<div style=\"margin-top:18px;background:#F8FAFC;padding:18px 20px;border-radius:14px;border:1px solid rgba(23,110,165,0.14);\">\n<h3 style=\"color:#0D1F3C;margin:0 0 8px;font-size:19px;\">How long does it take to move a website to a new host?<\/h3>\n<p style=\"margin:0;color:#1F2937;line-height:1.7;\">Copying usually takes minutes to a few hours. DNS changes can take up to a day or two to reach everyone, less if you lower the TTL first.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin-top:18px;background:#F8FAFC;padding:18px 20px;border-radius:14px;border:1px solid rgba(23,110,165,0.14);\">\n<h3 style=\"color:#0D1F3C;margin:0 0 8px;font-size:19px;\">Will moving hosts hurt my SEO?<\/h3>\n<p style=\"margin:0;color:#1F2937;line-height:1.7;\">Not if you keep the same URLs, avoid long downtime, and keep HTTPS working.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin-top:18px;background:#F8FAFC;padding:18px 20px;border-radius:14px;border:1px solid rgba(23,110,165,0.14);\">\n<h3 style=\"color:#0D1F3C;margin:0 0 8px;font-size:19px;\">Do I lose emails when changing hosts?<\/h3>\n<p style=\"margin:0;color:#1F2937;line-height:1.7;\">Not if you move the mailboxes and keep the old account running during the DNS change, then check both for a few days.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin-top:18px;background:#F8FAFC;padding:18px 20px;border-radius:14px;border:1px solid rgba(23,110,165,0.14);\">\n<h3 style=\"color:#0D1F3C;margin:0 0 8px;font-size:19px;\">Should I change nameservers or just the A record?<\/h3>\n<p style=\"margin:0;color:#1F2937;line-height:1.7;\">Either works. Changing the A and MX records keeps DNS where it is; changing nameservers moves DNS to the new host. Copy all other records first.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin-top:18px;background:#F8FAFC;padding:18px 20px;border-radius:14px;border:1px solid rgba(23,110,165,0.14);\">\n<h3 style=\"color:#0D1F3C;margin:0 0 8px;font-size:19px;\">When can I cancel my old hosting?<\/h3>\n<p style=\"margin:0;color:#1F2937;line-height:1.7;\">About a week after the DNS change, once the site and email have worked on the new server and nothing still arrives at the old one.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><!-- uh-related-start --><\/p>\n<div style=\"background:#F4F8FC;border:1px solid #DCE7F3;border-radius:14px;padding:18px 22px;margin:32px 0 8px;\">\n<h2 style=\"margin:0 0 12px;font-size:22px;\">Related guides<\/h2>\n<ul style=\"margin:0;padding-left:20px;\">\n<li style=\"margin:0 0 8px;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/underhost.com\/blog\/managed-hosting-underhost-solutions-for-2024\/\">Managed Hosting: What It Covers and What to Ask Your Provider<\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"margin:0 0 8px;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/underhost.com\/blog\/how-to-use-gmail-within-cpanel-at-underhost-or-any-providers-using-cpanel\/\">How to use Gmail within cPanel at UnderHost or any providers using cPanel<\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"margin:0 0 8px;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/underhost.com\/blog\/why-businesses-are-moving-to-offshore-hosting-in-2025\/\">Why Businesses Are Moving to Offshore Hosting in 2025<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<p><!-- uh-related-end --><br \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\">{\"@context\": \"https:\/\/schema.org\", \"@type\": \"FAQPage\", \"mainEntity\": [{\"@type\": \"Question\", \"name\": \"How long does it take to move a website to a new host?\", \"acceptedAnswer\": {\"@type\": \"Answer\", \"text\": \"Copying usually takes minutes to a few hours. 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Stay online without interruptions.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4775,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[81],"tags":[125,108,122,124],"class_list":["post-4774","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-hosting-guides","tag-tag-backups","tag-tag-cpanel","tag-tag-dns","tag-tag-ssl"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/underhost.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4774","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/underhost.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/underhost.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/underhost.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/underhost.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4774"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/underhost.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4774\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6927,"href":"https:\/\/underhost.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4774\/revisions\/6927"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/underhost.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4775"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/underhost.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4774"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/underhost.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4774"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/underhost.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4774"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}