How To Transfer Web Hosting: Summary
Transferring your website to a new host isnt a complicated task. In this article, we showed you some of the different ways to migrate hosting.
The options include doing it manually, requesting a migration service from your new host, or using a plugin if you run a WordPress site.
The easiest way to transfer web hosting is to outsource the task to your new hosting provider. So, when shopping for a new host, make sure to choose one that offers site migration services.
Keep in mind that although some hosting companies like Hostinger provide these services for free, others require you to pay an additional fee.
We hope this article helped your hosting transfer process. If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment below or contact our support team.
How Long Does It Take To Transfer A Domain Name
Transferring a domain name is a quick process. Once youve completed a few steps , the rest of the process is taken care of by the registrars.
You can complete your portion of the transfer process in one sitting It only takes an hour or two, max, and thats being generous. Then, the registrars do their parts to complete your transfer which can take up to 5-7 business days.
WordPress Website Transfer Guide
In this example, well cover two methods of transferring a WordPress website to a new hosting account.
When I get a website ready to sell I create a folder on my desktop for the site. Inside the folder are several other folders which include the following: WP Site Files, WP Database, Photoshop/Images, License Keys and Other Misc. Files. Using a free FTP client like Filezilla or my hosting providers cPanel, Ill download all of the WordPress site files and put them in a folder. I upload all of these files into a Google Drive folder and share it with the new owner after the sale.
Recommended Reading: How To Make A Domain Email With Gmail
Point Your Domain Name To The New Server
Lets recap what weve completed so far. You now have a new host and have transferred your websites files and database to a new account. You also have access to your new hosting accounts control panel.
Now youve reached the final step in your hosting transfer process pointing your sites domain name to the new server. To do this, you need to update your Domain Name System settings. You may also purchase a new domain name if youd like to change it, but its always a good idea to keep the old domain working as well.
This is a critical step when switching web hosts. If you dont point your sites domain to the new server, visitors wont be able to access your website.
To put it simply, DNS translates websites domain names into IP addresses. A websites DNS record essentially provides instructions to web browsers and informs them where to go to load web pages.
If youre transferring to Hostinger, youll know that your domain is not yet pointing correctly if a message is displayed at the top of your hPanel saying, Your domain is not pointing to Hostinger.
Click Learn more to view Hostingers nameservers, then select Go to tutorial to be redirected to our guide that shows you how to point your domain to Hostinger.
If you dont receive this pop-up message, follow the next steps to change your domains nameservers manually via hPanel. This will update your sites DNS record to match the new IP address.
1. Find the New Nameservers
For example, Hostingers nameservers are:
How To Transfer Web Hosting In 9 Steps
This article will walk you through how to manually transfer your website hosting using the steps above but wouldnt it be nice if someone else just took care of that for you? Some hosts make it easier to move than others, and well also show you which providers offer to take on the site migration process for you.
The first step in moving to a new hosting provider is to identify where youd like to move to, and sign up for a plan.
As we mentioned above, some hosting providers will transfer your website hosting for you, so these are the ones well be touching on here. Hosting is a competitive industry, and helping out with transferring a client site helps give some providers the edge over others. In fact, some of our top-rated web hosting providers offer this service:
Recommended Reading: How To Transfer Domain Name Ownership
Connect Your Domain To Shopify
To avoid any interruption in service, you need to connect your domain to Shopify. If you don’t connect your domain before you transfer it, then visitors to your domain might experience connection errors during the transfer process.
Note
Changes to a domain can take up to 48 hours to complete. Make sure that the connection process is complete before you begin the transfer.
More Details On Domain Preparation & What Can Cause A Transfer To Fail
There are a few things that will cause a domain transfer to fail. If you have followed the preparation steps, you have eliminated the majority of these possibilities. The information below will help you understand why you will take each of these steps:
- Domain is not more than 60 days old or has been transferred within the last 60 days.Per ICANN regulations, a domain that has been newly registered or transferred from one Registrar to another within the last 60 days is not eligible for transfer.
- The domain is locked or on hold with the current Registrar.Most domains will have a Registrar Lock in place for added security. We recommend you leave these in place unless you are transferring a domain from one Registrar to another. You should have access to remove these directly within your account at your Registrar. If you do not, contact their help department for assistance If the domain has a hold in place, it will be reflected in the domain status when you do a WHOIS lookup. These are usually put in place at either the registry or Registrar level. You will not have direct access to remove these and will need to contact the losing Registrar for assistance in removing them.
Recommended Reading: How To Buy A Domain For Shopify
Prepare Your Domain For Transfer
Before you can transfer your domain to Shopify, you need to unlock your domain and get a transfer authorization code from your domain provider.
When you transfer a domain to Shopify, your domain’s A record and CNAME record are set to Shopify’s default domain records. If additional records are present on your domain before the transfer, then make a copy of those records to add to the Domains section of your Shopify admin after the transfer. For example, you might need to add an MX record to reconnect your domain to an email hosting service.
Note
The process for preparing a domain for transfer varies by third-party domain provider. If you have trouble preparing your domain for transfer, then contact your third-party domain provider. Shopify Support can’t log in to your third-party domain account for you, even if you give your explicit permission.
Steps:
Transfer Files To A New Domain
This step is essentially the reverse of the first step. Youll need an archive of all the files from your original sites directory, as well as the database, which tells your web server where all the content goes. Its important to make sure both are in the right place.
First, you need to make sure theres already a database created on the new site. Then, using phpMyAdmin, import the archive file’s content into the existing database. Select the Import options in phpMyAdmin, choose the file on your PC, and click Go. This should import all the database entries from your old site into the new one. Now, you can transfers your site files.
Don’t Miss: Which Domain Name Registrar Is Best
Transfer Your Domain To Shopify
After you prepare your domain for transfer, then you can start the domain transfer process from your Shopify admin.
Steps:
It can take up to 20 days for your domain to be transferred. After it’s transferred, you receive a confirmation email from Shopify, and you can access your domain settings on the Domains page in your Shopify admin.
If your domain hasn’t transferred to Shopify after 20 days, then review your Junk or Spam email folders for any notices about the transfer or required actions. If you didn’t receive any email messages, then contact Shopify Support.
If your domain can’t be transferred to Shopify, then you’re refunded the 1-year renewal charge.
Initiate A Transfer With Your New Host
Log into your new host or registrar now, and look for an option to transfer your domain. It should be somewhere on your dashboard or management panel :
Once youve found the right option, youll be asked to confirm which domain you want to transfer in, and provide its authorization code:
Once youve entered both pieces of information, your new platform will get the process started. However, youll first need to provide verification for the transfer.
Recommended Reading: How To Change My Website Domain Name
Using A WordPress Backup Plugin
In this example Ill explain how to transfer a WordPress website using a WordPress backup plugin. This is another simple method which works very well with WordPress backups that are under 512mb. This is always my second method if I can not use method 1. In this example, Ill use the All in One WP plugin, but there are many others.
Step 1: Install WordPress Backup Plugin
- Login to the WordPress site that you are migrating and install the free plugin All-In-One WP Migration.
Step 2: Export Site Files
- In your WordPress dashboard navigate to All-In-One WP Migration -> Export.
- Click Export To -> File. Once finished, download the file either via your browser or through FTP.
Step 3: Install WordPress on the Receiving Host
After transferring the domain to the new owners registrar and updating the nameservers, install a fresh version of WordPress on the domain. The site will be down during this brief period and should only show a default WordPress install as the theme.
Step 4: Import to New Host
- Login and install the All-In-One WP Migration plugin again.
- Navigate to Import -> Import from -> File.
- Select the backup file that you downloaded and start the import. Youll be prompted to overwrite the current database, click proceed. Refresh the permalinks and youre all set!
How To Transfer Your Domain From Godaddy To Domaincom
Ready to make the move to Domain.com from GoDaddy? Here are the steps youll take to transfer your domain name to Domain.com.
To retrieve your transfer authorization code from GoDaddy, follow these steps:
After submitting your transfer request to Domain.com, well then send you an email confirming your transfer. Make sure to confirm your transfer via that email. Within it, we provide a link to your account so you can log in and enter your transfer authorization code.
And thats it!
Also Check: How To Use Domain Name With Gmail
Requirements And Considerations For Transferring A Domain To Shopify
Before you start, review the following requirements and considerations:
- You need to own the domain that you want to transfer. If you don’t own it and it’s available for registration, then you can buy it.
- Before you can transfer your domain, you need to wait 60 days after registering your domain, transferring your domain to a different domain provider, or making changes to your registrar information. For more information, refer to the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers .
- You need to pay the registration fee to renew your domain for an additional 12 months. The 12 months are added to your domain’s current expiry date.
- There might be additional costs associated with transferring your domain. Contact your domain provider for information about transfer costs.
- You need to have access to your original domain provider account and the email account that you use to log in to it.
- You need to monitor and respond to confirmation emails to complete the transfer process.
- You need to use a third-party email hosting service with email forwarding from Shopify. Shopify doesn’t provide email hosting services, but does provide unlimited email forwarding accounts.
- It can take up to 20 days to transfer your domain. Your domain continues working during the transfer process.
Overview Of Steps To Prepare Your Registration For Transfer
There are a few steps that you need to complete before you submit the transfer request with your new registrar. This section is an overview of these steps, and the full steps are shown below in the following sections.
The following changes should be done for your domain name:
The domain registration being transferred must not be within 60 days of the original purchase, or have been transferred to DreamHost within the last 60 days due to ICANN restrictions.
You May Like: How Do I Find Out Who My Domain Provider Is
Can I Transfer An Expired Or Expiring Domain Name
Domain names must be in good standing for transferral.
Attempting to transfer a domain that is on hold, expired, or expiring within 10 days can sometimes cause unexpected complications. If your domain is in one of those statuses and youre looking to transfer it, call our transfer team for assistance at 800-403-3568.
Update Your Contact Information
Both the registrar you’re leaving and your new DNS registry provider will need to contact you during the transfer process. As a result, it’s critical that your contact information is up to date.
Log in to your current registrar’s control panel and check your account details. Make sure your name, phone number, and physical address are all correct any missing information could cause the transfer to take longer or be rejected.
Also Check: How To Value A Website Domain Name
Why You Might Want To Transfer Your Domain Name
If you already have a website, chances are you handled the domain registration process yourself. What you may not know is that domains are tied to the registrar or web host where you first got them. Thats not necessarily a bad thing it just means that other people cant poach your domain, and you cant pay for renewals through a different platform.
With that said, there are some circumstances in which you might want to transfer your domain to an alternative service. These include situations when:
- You think your registrar is charging you too much for renewals. Domain renewal prices vary from platform to platform. You may be able to save money by changing services.
- Your new registrar offers a better experience. Some platforms are just easier to use than others. If your web host or registrar uses an old interface, managing your domains can be a pain.
- Your current option lacks quality support options. Changing your domain settings can be tricky if you dont know your way around DNSs, name records, and so on. That means youll want to have a solid support team that can help you out with any issues you run into.
- You want to move all your domains to a single platform. If you run multiple sites, you may have a few domains spread out across multiple registrars. Thats a decent move from a security standpoint, but it also makes managing them more complicated.
Should I Change Nameservers Before Or After The Transfer
Nameservers determine, where your DNS Zone is managed from. During the transfer process, which usually takes up to 7 days, it is not possible to update nameservers.
If you want the domain to be pointing to Hostinger, you should change nameserversbefore the transfer. This will provide you with the ability to host files, use emails, and see all the latest changes to your website while the domain is still transferring.
If you are okay with domain pointing elsewhere while the transfer is happening, you can update nameserversafter the transfer.
NOTES:
-
To transfer a .co.uk domain, you need to change your domain’s IPS tag. You can do that by contacting your current domain’s registrar. Please ask them to set your domain IPS tag to REGISTRAR-EU
-
If you want to transfer the domain from one Hostinger account to another, you can easily move it
Also Check: How To Get Free Tk Domain