The main reason people stay on hosting they are unhappy with is fear of the move. Will the site go down? Will email stop? Will something break in WordPress? Done in the right order, none of that happens. Visitors see the old site until the moment the new one is ready, then they see the new one, and nobody notices the switch. This is the order of operations we use for every migration, and it works for GoDaddy, Bluehost, Wix exports, or any cPanel host.
The principle: move first, point later
A migration has two separate parts. Copying the site to the new server, and pointing the domain at the new server. Downtime only happens when people do them in the wrong order, or do the second one before checking the first. Keep them apart and the old site keeps serving visitors until you flip the switch.
Step 1: Collect what you need before you touch anything
- Hosting login for the old host (cPanel, or GoDaddy’s own dashboard).
- Domain registrar login. This may be the same company as the host, or different. You need it to change the nameservers or DNS records.
- A list of email addresses on the domain and where they are hosted. If email lives with the old host, it has to move too. If it lives with Google Workspace or Microsoft 365, it does not move and you only need to copy the MX records.
- WordPress admin login and a note of any plugins that are licensed to a domain or server.
Step 2: Take a full backup from the old host
On a cPanel host, use Backup or Backup Wizard and download a full account backup. On GoDaddy’s managed WordPress, use their export or a plugin such as All-in-One WP Migration or Duplicator. Download the file to your own computer, not just to the server. This is your insurance; even a perfect migration is one bad click away from needing it.
Step 3: Restore the site on the new host
At WebClub this is the part we do for you. Send us the login from step 1 and we copy the files, the database and the mailboxes onto the new server. If you are doing it yourself on a cPanel host, upload the backup and restore it, or upload the files by FTP and import the database through phpMyAdmin. Then update the database credentials in wp-config.php.
Step 4: Test the new copy without changing DNS
This is the step that guarantees zero downtime and the one most guides skip. You want to load the new copy of the site in your browser while the domain still points at the old host. Two ways:
- Edit your computer’s hosts file to send yourdomain.com to the new server’s IP address. Only your machine is affected. Windows:
C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc\hosts. Mac:/etc/hosts. - Use a temporary URL from the new host. Less reliable for WordPress because links inside the site still point at the real domain.
Click through every page, submit the contact form, log into WordPress, check that images load. Fix anything broken now, while nobody else can see it.
Step 5: Move email so nothing is lost
If your mailboxes are on the old host, create the same addresses on the new host first, then copy the messages across with an IMAP sync tool (we use imapsync). Do the sync twice: once before the DNS change to move the bulk of the mail, and once after to catch anything that arrived during the switch. Give staff their new mail settings before the switch, not after.
Step 6: Lower the DNS TTL a day ahead
TTL is how long other servers cache your DNS records. If it is set to 24 hours, some visitors will keep hitting the old host for a day after you switch. Set the TTL on your A record and MX records to 300 seconds (5 minutes) at least a day before the move. After the move, you can raise it again.
Step 7: Point the domain at the new host
Now change the A record (and MX if email moved) to the new server, or change the nameservers if you are moving DNS entirely. Because you tested in step 4, you already know the new copy works. Visitors who reach the new server see the working site; visitors still cached on the old server see the old working site. That is why there is no gap.
Step 8: Verify, then keep the old host alive for a week
Check the site from your phone on mobile data (not your Wi-Fi, which may be cached). Send a test email in and out. Log into WordPress. Then leave the old hosting account running for at least a week before cancelling it, in case something was missed. Cancel the hosting, but never let the domain itself expire; if the registrar is the old host, transfer the domain out or keep that one service active.
Three GoDaddy-specific things
- Domain and hosting are separate products. Cancelling hosting does not cancel the domain, and vice versa. Read the cancellation screen carefully.
- Managed WordPress has no cPanel. Use the built-in backup export or a migration plugin instead.
- Email may be Microsoft 365 resold by GoDaddy. If so, it does not need to move; just make sure the MX records are copied exactly to the new DNS.
Or let us do all of it
Every WebClub hosting plan includes migration by our team at no charge. Sign up, send us your current login, and we do steps 2 through 8 and confirm with you before the DNS switch. Most sites are moved within a day, and your visitors never know it happened. See the plans or ask us about your site first.