Moving WordPress is easy and anyone can switch their web host or server. In this tutorial we will discuss about moving a WordPress Blog without any downtime! This is the most important to keep our blog up and avoid downtime.
Step 1: Most Important, Backup
This is very essential to backup all our data before touching anything to the blog. There are a few plugin you can use for backup. The two things we require to backup and move the site.
- FTP client like Filezilla: Use Filezilla (you may also use any other application) to copy entire directory containing WordPress. Downloading jut the wp-content is not sufficient since their will be .htaccess, robots.txt, some webmaster verification html files and other files in the parent directory. So, it will be better to download all the content.
- phpMyAdmin: Use phpMyAdmin to download the database. there are a lot of of tutorials regarding “How to download WordPress Database”. I have enclosed some of the best tutorial about downloading database at the footer of this post.
Copy your downloads in some other system or hard drive or pen-drive and be sure that you will not lose anything.
Step 2: Installing Fresh WP to new host/server
Install WordPress to your new web host. You may use the default method to install it. e.g. on cPanel you will have two method to do the same one is Factastico and another one is QuickInstall. Custom panel like Dreamhost also have One click installer to install WordPress. This step will enable you to keep away from configuring config.php file and another server related customization.
Step 3: Uploading files to new server
Upload all of the contents of the wp-content folder from the download we made in step 1. Now upload other files like robots.txt, .htaccess to the parent directory. You should take extra care while uploading files and keeping the directory structure same.
Step 4: Importing Database
Use phpMyadmin to import the database but first delete all the existing tables from the newly installed wp database.
Step 5: Pointing DNS
Change the DNS or A and CNAME record pointing to the new web host. It will take up to 48 hrs to propagate across the globe. But generally it happens within 24hrs.
Step 6: Tweaking possible error
It is possible in WordPress that their will be some weird text (e.g. ) appear to the new host. Just download the search and replace plugin and remove them.
