{"id":27052,"date":"2020-11-11T20:36:41","date_gmt":"2020-11-12T02:36:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hostgator.com\/blog\/?p=27052"},"modified":"2020-12-01T12:47:14","modified_gmt":"2020-12-01T18:47:14","slug":"move-wordpress-site-hostgator-guide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hostgator.com\/blog\/move-wordpress-site-hostgator-guide\/","title":{"rendered":"Moving Your WordPress Site to HostGator: Your Start-To-Finish Web Pro Guide"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

This article is part of HostGator\u2019s Web Pros Series. In this series, we feature articles from our team of experts here at HostGator. Our Product Managers, Linux Administrators, Marketers, and Tech Support engineers share their best tips for getting the most out of your website.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Have you been thinking about moving your WordPress site to HostGator, but you\u2019re not sure what\u2019s involved? This post is for you. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We\u2019re going to cover what to do before you make your migration request, what to expect during the migration, and what to do once we tell you the migration is complete.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Just like moving your stuff from one apartment or house to another, the secret to a good move is to be prepared. So, we\u2019re going to start with planning your WordPress move-what to do, what to know about special situations that may affect your move, and what *not* to do to get ready for your move.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s get the no-no\u2019s out of the way first. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

DON\u2019T do these 4 things before you move your WordPress site<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

There are a few things you\u2019ll want to avoid doing before your move.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  1. DON\u2019T wait until your current hosting plan is about to renew.<\/strong> It can take a while for your move to be complete, and you\u2019ll need access to your old hosting account during the move, so plan early to avoid paying two hosts.<\/li>
  2. DON\u2019T repoint your domain name servers yet.<\/strong> Hold off for now because it can complicate the migration process. We\u2019ll explain below when it\u2019s time to change your name servers.<\/li>
  3. If you have an eCommerce site, DON\u2019T schedule your move during a <\/strong>peak sales season<\/strong><\/a> or while you\u2019re running a big promotion. Moving an online store requires some extra steps to ensure that incoming orders don\u2019t get lost in the shuffle, and the fewer orders you have to redo, the better. On that same note'\u00a6<\/li>
  4. DON\u2019T start your eCommerce move until you have a backup plan for capturing your orders.<\/strong> We\u2019ll discuss your options in detail below.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    DO these 3 things before you move your WordPress site to HostGator<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    It\u2019s important to do these things beforehand, in order, so your move will go as smoothly as possible. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    1. Give yourself a couple of weeks for the move<\/strong>, from planning to finish. It may not take that long for us to get to your site in the queue. But allowing yourself that much time can keep you from running into problems-like having your old hosting plan come up for renewal during the move.<\/li>
    2. Register for a hosting plan<\/strong><\/a> at HostGator. <\/strong>You\u2019ll need an account with us to request a site transfer.<\/li>
    3. Gather the information you\u2019ll need to give HostGator to move your site.<\/strong> <\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

      You\u2019ll need access to your WordPress site\u2019s files and database through your current host in order to make the move. Be ready to share:<\/p>\n\n\n\n