How can I ensure my website doesn’t go down during a hosting migration?

Short Answer: To prevent your website from going offline during a hosting migration, keep both the old and new hosting accounts active at the same time. Do not shut down the old hosting until you have fully moved your website’s content, files, and database to the new hosting provider and confirmed everything is working correctly there.

Full Explanation

Ensuring your website remains accessible during a hosting migration is crucial for maintaining a seamless user experience. The key is to operate both hosting environments simultaneously throughout the migration process. This means the previous host should stay live while you transfer all necessary website elements—including content, files, and databases—to the new hosting server.

By keeping the old hosting active, any visitors or site activity continues without interruption. Only after the migration and thorough testing of the new hosting will you be safe to shut down the old host. This strategy safeguards against downtime and data loss while moving your website.

Step-by-Step Breakdown

Keep old hosting active: Leave your original hosting account live and running during the migration.
Transfer all website components: Move your website’s content, files, and database from the old host to the new host.
Test the new hosting: Verify that all parts of your website are functioning correctly on the new server.
Switch DNS settings: After confirming everything works on the new host, update your domain’s DNS records to point to the new server.
Shut down old hosting: Once the domain fully resolves to the new hosting and your site operates without issues, you can safely deactivate your old hosting.

Real Examples

While specific examples are not provided here, the general process involves copying all of your website’s files and databases to the new host while the old host is still operational. Following this, you confirm the site’s functionality on the new hosting provider before completing the switch and deactivating your previous hosting.

Common Mistakes

Shutting down old hosting too early: Turning off the original hosting before completing migration can lead to website downtime.
Not migrating all components: Forgetting to move any part of your site, such as databases or media files, can cause the site to break on the new host.
Failing to test the new host: Not verifying the website on the new server before the final switch risks unexpected downtime or errors.

FAQs

Why should I keep both hostings active during migration?: Keeping both active ensures no interruption in services and gives you a safety net to confirm everything works properly before shutting the old host down.
What should I migrate exactly?: You need to transfer all website content, files, and your database from the old hosting to the new one.
When can I deactivate my old hosting?: Only after the new hosting is fully set up, tested, and serving your website successfully should you deactivate the old hosting.

Key Takeaways

Never shut off your old hosting before you finish migrating and testing.
Fully move your website’s data, including files and databases, to the new hosting provider.
Verify that everything works properly on your new hosting before making it live.
Switch your domain’s DNS settings only after confirming the new hosting setup.
Shut down old hosting only when you’re sure the website runs without issues on the new host.