Move Your Site to New Hosting Without Downtime
Learn when a hosting move makes sense, what to prepare, how to migrate step by step without breaking your site or email, and what to check after.
Key takeaways
- A safe move means getting the full new version working on the new hosting before changing your domain settings, so visitors never see downtime.
- Before you order, prepare access to your old hosting and domain control panel, plus a list of what your site uses: email, forms, and payments.
- Do not cancel your old hosting until a few days after the move, once you know the site and email are working from the new hosting.
- After the move, check pages, forms, email, the SSL certificate, and site speed, and change any passwords you shared.
You can move your site to new hosting without downtime if you follow this order: take a full backup, get the site running on the new hosting and test it there, then change the domain settings, then keep the old hosting active for a few days before canceling it. The mistake that usually causes downtime is doing this in reverse: canceling the old hosting or changing the domain before the new one is working. If you want someone to handle it for you, on Hylance at the time of writing, moving a site to new shared hosting starts at about SAR 70 (about $19).
When is it worth moving your site to new hosting?
Hosting is the server where your site files and database are stored and served to visitors. Do not move your site just because you saw a cheaper offer. A move takes time and comes with a small risk, so it is worth it when a recurring problem is not being solved by support. Signs that it is time to move:
- Your site keeps going down or getting very slow during high-traffic times, and it happens repeatedly.
- Support is slow to respond or does not fix the issue, and your problems drag on for days.
- Your storage space or resources are no longer enough, and upgrading with the same company costs more than alternatives.
- You need something your current plan does not offer, such as automatic backups or a server closer to your visitors.
- Your hosting renewal is coming up and the price has increased, making this a good time to move before paying for another year.
What should you prepare before requesting a site move?
Most migration delays happen because login details are missing or the site owner does not know where the domain panel is. Prepare these before you place the order:
- Access to the old hosting control panel, or a temporary account with enough permissions instead of the main password.
- Access to the domain panel at the registrar where you bought the domain. This is where DNS settings are changed, the records that tell the internet where your site is.
- The new hosting if you have already chosen it, or your budget and site size if you want someone to choose it for you.
- A list of what your site uses: domain email, contact forms, the payment gateway, and any integrations with external tools.
- The lowest-traffic time for your site during the week, so the domain change can be scheduled then.
The migration steps in the order that prevents downtime
This order works for most small websites and stores built on WordPress or something similar. A specialist may use different tools, but the order itself does not change:
| Step | What happens | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Full backup | Copy the files, database, and email if it is hosted on the same server | You can restore it if anything goes wrong |
| 2. Lower the domain cache time | Reduce the TTL value in DNS settings one day before the move | Visitors reach the new server faster once the address changes |
| 3. Set up the site on the new hosting | Upload the files, import the database, and adjust the settings | The new site is ready while the old one is still live for visitors |
| 4. Test before changing the domain | Open the new site through a temporary link or from the specialist’s device and test every function | You catch errors before any visitor sees them |
| 5. Change the domain settings | Point the domain to the new server during a low-traffic time | Visitors start reaching the new site |
| 6. Monitor, then cancel | Keep the old hosting for a few days, then cancel it after confirming everything | If some visitors are slow to switch over, they still find the old site working |
If you run a store, pay attention to orders that come in during the move. If an order reaches the old site after the database has been copied, it will not appear on the new one. That is why adding products and content is paused during the migration hours, and the latest orders on the old site are reviewed after the domain change.
Email: the part everyone forgets
If your domain email is hosted with the old hosting company, changing the domain settings without planning for email can stop messages from arriving. Ask before the move: where is my email running now? If it is with a separate email service, its records in the domain settings simply need to stay untouched. If it is on the old hosting, the same mailboxes should be created on the new hosting, important messages should be moved, and the email records should be updated during the migration, including SPF and DKIM records that help keep your messages out of spam.
What should you check after the move?
Do not consider the move finished just because the site opens. Set aside half an hour for this checklist before confirming delivery:
- Open the homepage and the main pages on mobile and desktop, and make sure images and links work.
- Submit the contact form and make sure you receive the message.
- Send an email to and from your domain email, and make sure it does not land in spam.
- Test a full order in the store through to the payment page, or ask the specialist to test it.
- Make sure the padlock appears next to the URL, meaning the SSL certificate is working on the new hosting.
- Compare page load speed with how it was before the move.
- Change any passwords you shared for the job, and remove any temporary account you created for it.
Common mistakes when moving a website
- Canceling the old hosting before confirming the new one works, leaving you with no fallback copy.
- Changing the domain settings during peak hours or right before launching an ad campaign.
- Forgetting about domain email, so customer messages go missing for days without you realizing it.
- Changing page URLs during the move without redirecting from the old URLs, causing you to lose search traffic.
- Sharing your main account password and then forgetting to change it after the job is done.
How much does it cost to move your site on Hylance?
The following figures are approximate, based on services published on Hylance at the time of writing, and the exact price is shown on each service card in your currency. Choosing suitable shared hosting and moving your site to it without downtime starts at about SAR 70 (about $19). Moving a site from shared hosting to a VPS, a virtual server with dedicated resources for your site, with performance testing, starts at about SAR 150 (about $40). Moving a store or large site to a new platform or hosting while preserving traffic and URLs starts at about SAR 900 (about $240). A small brochure website will usually only need the first option, while a store that sells every day is better off with the more complete service.
You pay from your Hylance wallet, and the amount stays on hold with the platform until you confirm delivery. If you cancel the order before delivery, the amount goes back to your wallet. Share login details only inside the order messages. If the seller delivers a migration that does not work as agreed and does not fix it, open a dispute from the order page after delivery. On your first order on the platform, you also get a 10% discount.
Services to move your site to new hosting on Hylance
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Frequently asked questions
Will my website go down when I move it to new hosting?
It does not have to go down. In a well-managed migration, the site files and database are copied to the new hosting and tested there first, then the domain settings are changed. The old site stays live while visitors gradually reach the new one.
When should I cancel my old hosting after the move?
Wait a few days after changing the domain settings, once you have confirmed that the site opens from the new hosting, email can send and receive, and forms work. Also make sure you have a complete backup of the old site saved with you.
How much does it cost to move a website to new hosting?
On Hylance, at the time of writing, choosing shared hosting and moving your site to it starts at about SAR 70 (about $19), moving a site from shared hosting to a VPS starts at about SAR 150 (about $40), and moving a store or large site to a new platform or hosting while preserving traffic starts at about SAR 900 (about $240). The exact price is listed on each service card in your currency.
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