Moving WordPress sites is easier than it used to be. Here’s how it works at GoDaddy.
Webhosting is a sticky service because it’s difficult for non-technical people to move their files from one host to the other. But it’s getting easier, especially for people use WordPress.
Last week I moved two WordPress sites using GoDaddy’s site migration tool. (I moved from one WordPress plan at GoDaddy to another, but it necessitated setting up a new hosting account and migrating the sites. The process was the same as moving from one host to another, though.)
Here’s how it works.
1. Enter the site domain
2. Pick a data center (North America or Europe)
3. Enter your WordPress login credentials
That’s it. GoDaddy then logs into your WordPress instance, copies everything, and uploads it to your new account. It took about 10-20 minutes for the migration to complete for both of my fairly modest sites.
Of course, you’ll need to check your sites afterward to make sure everything transferred correctly and your internal links work. In my case, everything worked and all of the plugins transferred correctly.
I know that many hosting platforms now have migration tools like this, which makes switching hosts easier. It still requires planning to switch hosts (especially if you’re using the host’s email), but it’s much easier than it was years ago as long as you’re moving a WordPress install.
Although the migration worked well, I ran into a few snafus. One was related to SSL certificates and is probably an edge case. The others, though, were weird errors that will sound familiar to domain investors. After buying one hosting package, I got a 503 error and had to log out and in to get it to work again. Another time I was sent on an endless loop in a log-in screen.
Frank Michlick says
Is this migration service new to GoDaddy? I know a number of hosting companies that have been offering that for years.
Andrew Allemann says
I’m not sure, but it’s the first time I’ve used it. Yes, many hosts offer similar solutions.