VGNCloud
A move is copy, import, point. The scary part is DNS, and DNS is just a number you already control. This page is the checklist we give people who write in. It works for web hosting and for a VPS.
1. Buy the new box first
Order the plan. For WordPress-sized sites the WordPress plans are usually enough. If you need root, pick a VPS on the VPS page and finish setup from the first-login guide. Do not change DNS yet.
2. Copy files while the old site still answers
On web hosting: use the panel file manager or SFTP. On a VPS: rsync or scp into the document root you created. Copy wp-content, uploads, and any custom config. Leave the old site online. Visitors should not notice a folder being copied.
3. Export and import the database
Export SQL from the old host. Create an empty database on the new plan โ one database per WordPress install on our web hosting. Import. Then edit the config so the new host, name, user and password match. Search-replace the old URL only if the hostname will change. If the domain stays the same, you usually only change the connection details.
4. Test on the new address before you switch
Open the new IPv4 or the temporary hostname. Log in. Place a test order if it is a shop. Fix permalinks and SSL on the new side. On a VPS you terminate TLS yourself; on web hosting, SSL is included.
5. Lower the TTL, then point the records
A day before the cut, set the DNS TTL to 300 seconds if you can. Then point A (and AAAA if you have one) at the new address. A VGNCloud VPS has a dedicated IPv4 that survives a reinstall โ see why that matters. Mail records are separate. Do not touch MX unless you are also moving mail.
6. Watch, then cancel the old host
Keep the old plan paid until you have seen a clean day of traffic on the new one. Then cancel there. Cancelling here is a different button from deleting a VPS โ reinstall, delete, or cancel.
Stuck? One email to contact with the old URL and which product you bought. We will not invent a white-glove migration SKU on this page. The cloud catalogue is the full list of what is for sale.