Migrating your Magento store to a new hosting provider may be a bit challenging as the entire process is fairly technical and requires a higher skillset. However, with the proper guidance and preparation, the migration can ultimately be a smooth and painless process.
Below you’ll find a step-by-step process on how you can migrate your Magento store to a new hosting provider.
- Select a new provider: The first step is to look for a Magento hosting provider that has the skills and expertise to support the migration as well as the software. Consider a hosting provider that specializes in Magento as they will be better suited to resolve any issues should they arise in the future. When researching providers, consider their reliability, cost, scalability, and support factors when making your decision. *Pro tip: Have your server specifications on-hand so you can receive a proper quote.
- Update your DNS settings: Once you’ve chosen your new provider, you’ll want to update your DNS nameservers to point to the new provider (see Pro tip below). This requires pointing your domain to the new hosting provider’s nameservers which can take 24 hours to propagate. However, be sure that the new provider has a copy of your current DNS records. *Pro tip: If you don’t use a CDN, we recommend using CloudFlare. This way you can point your site to your new hosting provider instantly, without actually having to change nameservers.
- Prep your Magento store for migration: Before initiating the migration, preparation is of utmost importance. Enable your site’s maintenance mode and begin taking a backup of your store’s database, files, and media. Be sure to keep your store up-to-date with the latest version and fully patched for any security vulnerabilities. This is true for pre- and post-migration.
- Upload your files and media to the new host: After your nameservers and DNS changes have propagated (24 hours), you will need to upload your files and media to the new provider. This includes your Magento files, database, and any custom extensions or themes you have installed. Import your database: You will need to import your database to the new host. This can be accomplished with phpMyAdmin or via SSH using the mysql command. Many hosting providers offer migration assistance. Check with them before beginning to do so to ensure they don’t have any configuration customizations required for setup.
- Update your store’s configuration: Once you’ve uploaded all your data to the new provider, you must now update your store’s app/etc/env.php configuration. Update the file with your new database name, hostname, and password. Configuration may also require updating the base URL in the database (if that changed).
- Test your store: Before going live at the new host, thoroughly test your store to ensure it is working as expected. In order to test your site before going live, you can modify your /etc/hosts file to point to your new server. You can then test your site on the new server, including your store’s pages, checkout process as well as any other key features you deem necessary.
- Launch: Once you have confirmed that your store is working correctly at the new hosting provider, you can make your store live by updating your A record at your new DNS provider (likely your new hosting provider), or if you’re using CloudFlare, simply point the domain to the new IP and it should instantly propagate to the new server.
Note: It may be prudent to consult a migration expert or seek help from your new hosting provider to ensure a smooth and successful migration.
Migrating a Magento store isn’t an easy process however we hope this article can provide some guidance as to the steps as well as prudent measures required for a successful migration.