Hosting moves do not have to be stressful. Treat them like a project: document, test, schedule, and monitor. Here is a calm plan you can reuse.

1) Audit the current setup

List domains, DNS records, SSL certs, redirects, cron jobs, environment variables, file storage, and email relays. Note any third-party webhooks or integrations.

2) Build a staging copy

Clone the site to the new host. Import the database and media. Configure environment variables and secrets. Ensure file permissions are correct.

3) Test thoroughly on staging

Check forms, logins, payments, search, downloads, emails, and webhooks. Run speed tests and look for console errors. Fix before you touch DNS.

4) Schedule the move

Choose a low-traffic window. Lower DNS TTL to 300s about 24 hours before. Let your team know the window and who is on call.

5) Switch DNS cleanly

Update A/AAAA/CNAME records to the new host. Keep the old host live as a fallback during propagation. For static assets, consider a cache purge after cutover.

6) Verify and monitor

Check SSL, redirects, error logs, and uptime immediately after cutover. Monitor for at least 48 hours. Revert only if you see critical issues you cannot fix quickly.

Move-day checklist