WordPress is the world’s most popular website-building platform, powering over a third of all websites online today. While WordPress itself is free and open-source, you’ll need a way to get your website up and running around the clock. Short of turning your spare bedroom into a data centre, that’s where managed hosting comes in.
As your business grows, your hosting needs change. Whether your site’s slowed down, support has let you down, or you’re just not getting value for money, moving to the right host can improve performance, strengthen security, and set your site up for what’s ahead.
WordPress Migration — Key takeaways
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- ☑︎ Choose the method that suits you. Automatic is easiest, plugins offer a middle ground, and manual gives you full control.
- ☑︎ One-click migration makes it simple. 123 Reg Managed WordPress Hosting handles the heavy lifting.
- ☑︎ Back up before you do anything else. Files, database, everything. It takes minutes and could save you hours.
- ☑︎ Give DNS changes time. It can take up to 48 hours for your domain to point to the new host. Patience pays off.
- ☑︎ Always do a final check. Test your links, images, and forms once you’re done — and delete any leftover migration files for good measure.
When should I migrate my WordPress site to a new hosting provider?
In an ideal world, every host would be great — giving you fast speeds, excellent support, and solid security without any headaches.
Alas, things don’t go as planned sometimes, and you might find it’s time to make a move.
Signs it’s time to switch your WordPress host:
✘ Your site keeps going offline.
Unexpected downtime is costly. If your site is regularly going down and your host isn’t fixing it quickly, it’s time to find a more reliable one.
✘ Your site is too slow.
A slow site frustrates visitors and harms your search rankings. If your host can’t deliver the speed you need, it’s worth finding one that can.
✘ Your host can’t keep up with your growth.
As your site grows, your hosting needs to grow with it. If your host can’t handle the extra traffic or resources, it’s time to move on.
✘ Support is slow or unhelpful.
When your site’s down, you need help that’s fast and effective. If you’re regularly left waiting, it might be time for a change.
✘ You’re missing key features.
Need WooCommerce support, staging environments, or better security tools? If your current host doesn’t offer them, moving to one that does can make a real difference.
✘ You’re managing updates and backups yourself.
Handling updates and backups manually is time-consuming and leaves room for error. A managed host should take care of this for you.
✘ Security is lacking.
Security should always be a top priority. If your host doesn’t provide SSL certificates, malware scanning, firewalls, and automatic backups, your site is more vulnerable than it should be.
✘ You’re ready for managed hosting.
If your site has outgrown what you can manage alone, managed hosting gives you automatic updates, built-in security, and the extra capacity to handle higher traffic — without the hassle of doing it all yourself.
✘ You’re not getting the value you deserve.
If you’re paying for a service that isn’t meeting your needs, it’s worth shopping around. Better features at a better price are always worth considering.
How do I migrate my WordPress website?
There are three ways to move your WordPress site: using an automated tool, a downloadable third-party plugin, or doing it yourself with manual migration.
For most users, we’d recommend the automatic route. 123 Reg Managed WordPress Hosting comes with an easy one-click migration tool, plus great support every step of the way. (And getting top-notch customer support is one excellent reason to make the switch.)
Automatic migration is the simplest option. Using a plugin offers more control without quite as much complexity as going manual. Manual migration is the most involved — it requires FTP, database work, and file editing — but gives full control to those who are comfortable with the technical side.
So, let’s take it step by step, from the easiest to the most hands-on: (A) Automatic, (B) Plugin-based, and (C) Manual.
Before you begin
Moving a WordPress site comes down to a few core steps: back up your content, move your files, and update your domain settings.
If you’re using one-click automatic migration, most of the work is handled for you. A few quick checks before you start can help avoid common issues and keep everything running as expected:
☐ Update WordPress to the latest version to avoid compatibility issues.
☐ Back up your site — just in case. The migration tool handles the move, but having a copy of your database and files gives peace of mind.
☐ Deactivate caching plugins or anything else that might interfere. No need to uninstall them — just switch them off for now.
Bear in mind that any custom tweaks made to core files won’t be carried over during migration. Files like wp-config.php or functions.php are part of the default WordPress setup, and any customisations you’ve made will need to be reapplied on the new site.
A. Automatic Migration: The easy way to move your WordPress site
This is the method you’ll use to move your old site over if you’ve just bought a 123 Reg Managed WordPress Hosting plan
The automatic migration tool moves your files, database, and settings for you — without changing anything on your live site until you’re ready.
123 Reg 1-click WordPress migration
123 Reg Managed WordPress Hosting includes a one-click migration tool that connects to your existing WordPress site, copies everything across, and sets it up on your new hosting.
Before you begin, it helps to do a few quick checks (not essential, but recommended):
✓ Back up your site
✓ Turn off caching plugins temporarily
✓ Disable security tools like CAPTCHA or firewall plugins if you use them
Quick tips:
☐ Migrate during off-peak hours to avoid affecting visitors during busy times.
☐ Clear all caches, including plugin and browser caches, before and after migration. This helps everything load correctly.
To get started:
1. First, buy a 123 Reg Managed WordPress Hosting plan.
2. After purchase, you’ll see your confirmation number — select Continue.
3. When asked how you’d like to start, select Import an existing WordPress site.
4. Enter your website URL and select Continue. Copy the URL directly from your browser to make sure it’s entered correctly.
5. The migration uses the ManageWP Worker plugin. Choose how to install it:
☐ Automatic installation: enter your WordPress login details and select Continue. This may take a few minutes. (Your credentials are only used to install the plugin and won’t be stored.)
☐ Manual installation: install and activate the ManageWP Worker plugin yourself, then copy the connection key, enter it when prompted, and select Continue.
6. Select your preferred data centre location from the dropdown and choose Start Migrating.
You can choose the location closest to your audience for the fastest loading times.
Depending on the size of your site, migration can take anywhere from a few minutes to a couple of hours. If you need to leave the page, copy the URL so you can return and check on progress.
7. Once complete, you’ll receive a confirmation email and be given a temporary domain to preview your site — check everything looks right before updating your DNS settings.
Update DNS settings (if needed)
Once you’re happy with how everything looks on the temporary domain, you can update your DNS settings to point your domain to the new hosting. If your domain is registered with 123 Reg, this can often be handled automatically.
If it’s with another provider, you’ll need to update the A record or nameservers manually. DNS changes can take up to 48 hours to fully propagate, so your site may briefly load from the old host in the meantime.
For more, see: Domain Name System (DNS) Management Guide and How Do I Connect My Domain to My Website?
B. Plugin Migration: How to move your WordPress site using a third-party tool
Using a migration plugin is the next easiest way to move your WordPress site. It gives you a bit more control than automatic migration, without needing to handle files or databases manually.
Most plugins follow a similar process: you create a backup of your site, move it to your new host, then restore it there.
Choosing your plugin
Each plugin works a little differently, but most follow a similar process. Before picking one, it’s worth doing a bit of research (look for well-reviewed plugins with 4 stars or above).
Popular options include:
☐ All-in-One WP Migration
☐ UpdraftPlus
☐ Duplicator
☐ WP Migrate DB
From your WordPress dashboard, go to Plugins > Add New, search for your chosen plugin, click Install, and then Activate.
From there:
1. Create a backup of your site
Use your chosen plugin to create a full backup of your site. This usually includes:
☐ WordPress files
☐ Themes and plugins
☐ Your database
Once complete, download the backup file to your computer.
2. Set up your new WordPress site
Install WordPress on your new hosting provider using a one-click installer or by downloading it from wordpress.org.
Then install the same migration plugin on the new site.
3. Restore your site on the new host
Upload the backup file you created earlier and follow the plugin’s restore process.
Most plugins will handle things like updating URLs and settings automatically.
Once finished, check your site carefully — pages, images, links, and forms should all be working as expected.
4. Update your DNS settings
Point your domain to your new host by updating your DNS records.
This can take up to 48 hours to fully update across the internet.
5. Clean up
Once everything is working correctly:
☐ Deactivate the migration plugin
☐ Remove any leftover backup or migration files
☐ Optional: use tools like WP-Optimize or WP-Sweep to tidy things up.
See also: Essential WordPress Plugins for Business and A Beginner’s Guide to WordPress Plugins
C: Manual Migration: How to move your WordPress site yourself
Now for the nitty-gritty. Manual migration gives you full control over every step, making it ideal for those who want complete customisation and aren’t afraid of a bit of technical work.
That said, if you’re not comfortable with file transfers or databases, it’s easy to make mistakes — so only go down this route if you’re confident in your abilities.
Here’s how to manually migrate your WordPress website to a new host, step by step:
1. Back up your site
Before you start, back up everything — your files and database. This gives you a safe copy to restore if anything goes wrong.
2. Create a new database
WordPress stores your content and settings in a MySQL database, so you’ll need a new one on your new host.
In your hosting control panel (for example, cPanel):
☐ Create a new database
☐ Add a new user and give full permissions
☐ Make a note of the database name, username, and password
Choose the correct character set (usually utf8mb4_general_ci) for full compatibility.
3. Install WordPress on your new host
If it’s not already installed, set up a fresh WordPress install using your hosting provider’s installer or download it from wordpress.org.
If you’re using a subfolder or subdomain, make sure WordPress is installed in the correct location.
4. Download your site files
Use an FTP tool like FileZilla to download your existing site files.
☐ Log in to your old server
☐ Open the root folder (usually public_html)
☐ Download all files to your computer
Make sure hidden files like .htaccess and wp-config.php are included.
5. Export your database
Export your existing database from phpMyAdmin:
☐ Log in to phpMyAdmin
☐ Select your WordPress database
☐ Click Export and choose Quick export
☐ Download the .sql file
For larger sites, the custom export option gives you more control.
6. Upload files to the new host
Now move everything across to your new server.
☐ Connect via FTP
☐ Open the root directory (public_html or equivalent)
☐ Upload all your site files
Check file permissions if needed — typically 755 for folders and 644 for files.
7. Import your database
Upload your database to the new host using one of these methods:
☐ phpMyAdmin (Import tab — simplest option)
☐ cPanel tools (such as MySQL or Backup Wizard)
☐ SSH (for advanced users)
For full step-by-step instructions, check out our support article: How do I import a MySQL database?
8. Update your configuration file
Edit your wp-config.php file so WordPress connects to your new database.
☐ Open wp-config.php in a text editor
☐ Update database name, username, and password
☐ Save and upload the file back to your server
If your table prefix is custom, make sure that’s updated too.
See also: A Guide to .htaccess Files for WordPress
9. Final checks and go live
Visit your site and check everything looks right — pages, images, links, and forms.
Next, update your domain’s DNS records to point to your new host. It can take up to 48 hours for changes to fully update.
In your WordPress dashboard, go to Settings > Permalinks and click Save (no changes needed) to refresh your links.
Once everything is working, remove any leftover migration files from your server and keep a backup of your site just in case.
As ever, one of the great things about WordPress is the community and all the resources out there. For more info on how to back up manually, check out the official WordPress Developer Resources.
Final checks
Before wrapping up, run through a quick review:
✓ Check your site pages, menus, and images
✓ Reactivate any plugins you disabled during migration
✓ Make sure forms and key features are working as expected
And one last thing: don’t forget to cancel your old hosting plan if you no longer need it. No point paying for something you’re not using!
Wrap up
There are plenty of reasons you might need to migrate a WordPress website — be that performance, security, or simply switching to a new hosting provider. Whatever the reason, moving your site doesn’t have to be complicated. With the right support, it’s pretty simple and can set you up with a better website for your business.
Learn more about Managed WordPress Hosting from 123 Reg.
FAQ: WordPress migration
1. Will my website go offline during migration?
Your website stays live during most of the migration process. Your old site will keep running until you update your DNS settings at the end, so visitors shouldn’t notice any change until you switch over.
2. How long does it take to migrate a WordPress site?
It depends on the size of your site. Smaller sites can take a few minutes, while larger sites with lots of content or plugins may take a couple of hours. After that, DNS changes can take up to 48 hours to fully update across the internet.
3. Do I need technical knowledge to move my WordPress site?
Not really. If you use automatic migration or a plugin, most of the process is handled for you. Manual migration is more technical because it involves working with files and databases, so it is better suited if you are comfortable with that kind of setup.
4. What happens to my domain and emails during migration?
Your domain and emails are separate from your website hosting. As long as your DNS settings are updated correctly, your website will point to the new host without affecting email. You only need to change email settings if you choose to move them as well.
5. Can I undo a WordPress migration if something goes wrong?
Yes. If you have a backup before you start, you can restore your site back to how it was. That’s why it’s always worth taking a backup before you begin any migration.
