With the right preparation, a website migration to 1-grid can be completed with little or no noticeable downtime.
This guide will help you prepare for migrating your website to 1-grid while minimising downtime and reducing the risk of service interruptions.
By the end of this guide, you will learn what to do before your migration begins, what to expect during the process, and how to prepare your website, email services and DNS settings for a smooth transition.
What This Means
A website migration involves moving your website and its associated services from one hosting provider to another.
Depending on your website, a migration may include:
- Website files
- Databases
- Email accounts
- DNS records
- SSL certificates
- Website applications such as WordPress
While the website itself is moved to a new hosting server, your domain name usually remains the same. Once the website migration to 1-grid is complete, your domain’s DNS records are updated so visitors begin accessing your website from the new server.
Because these DNS updates take time to spread across the internet, some visitors may temporarily see your old website while others see the new one. This process is known as DNS propagation.
Before You Begin
Before starting your migration, ensure that you have:
- An active 1-grid hosting service
- Access to your current hosting account
- Access to your domain’s DNS management
- A recent backup of your website and databases
- A list of your email accounts (if email is also being migrated)
Having this information ready can help reduce delays.
Steps to Prepare for a Website Migration to 1-grid
Step 1: Review Your Existing Website
Before making any changes, review your current hosting environment.
Check that you know:
- Where your website is hosted
- Which domain name is connected to the website
- Which databases are in use
- Whether email is hosted with the same provider
- Which SSL certificate is installed
Having a clear understanding of your current setup helps ensure nothing is overlooked during the migration.
Step 2: Create a Full Backup
Always create a complete backup before migrating.
Your backup should include:
- Website files
- Databases
- Images and media
- Email data (where applicable)
- Configuration files
A recent backup provides an additional layer of protection should anything unexpected occur during the migration.
Step 3: Review Your DNS Settings
Before updating your website to the new hosting environment, review your existing DNS records.
Where possible:
- Record your current DNS settings.
- Lower your DNS Time to Live (TTL) value before migration if you manage your own DNS.
TIP: Reducing the TTL in advance may help speed up DNS propagation once your records are updated.
Step 4: Migrate Your Website
Once your new hosting account is ready, transfer your website to the new server.
This may include:
- Uploading website files
- Importing databases
- Migrating/recreating email accounts
- Restoring backups
- Installing SSL certificates
- Verifying website functionality
IMPORTANT: Once migration is complete, it will be important to test all migrated content.
Step 5: Test the Website Before Updating DNS
Before directing visitors to the new server, test your migrated website carefully.
Confirm that:
- Pages load correctly.
- Images display properly.
- Forms submit successfully.
- Databases connect correctly.
- User logins work.
- SSL certificates are functioning.
- Website features behave as expected.
Identifying issues before updating your DNS helps minimise disruption once visitors begin accessing the new server.
Step 6: Update Your DNS Records
Once you’re satisfied that your migrated website is working correctly, update your domain’s DNS records to point to your new hosting server.
After the DNS update:
- Some visitors may reach the old server.
- Others may reach the new server.
- This is expected while DNS propagation completes.
IMPORTANT: Propagation typically completes within 24 hours, although some internet service providers may take up to 48 hours to refresh their cached DNS information.
Step 7: Monitor Your Website During Propagation
While DNS propagation is taking place:
- Monitor your website for unexpected behaviour.
- Test your website from multiple networks or devices.
- Verify that email is sending and receiving correctly if email services were migrated.
- Avoid making major website changes until propagation has completed.
Once propagation finishes, all visitors should consistently reach your website on its new hosting environment.
Important Things to Know
- DNS propagation is a normal part of every website migration and may take up to 48 hours to complete.
- Most websites experience little or no noticeable downtime when migrations are carefully planned.
- Website files, databases, email services and DNS records may all form part of a migration, depending on your hosting setup.
- If your email services are also being migrated, email delivery may briefly route through either the old or new server during DNS propagation.
- Keep your previous hosting account active until you’ve confirmed that your website and email services are working correctly on the new server.
- Avoid publishing new website content or making significant changes during the migration period, as this can lead to data inconsistencies between the old and new servers.
Before You Move On
Before considering your migration complete, make sure you have:
- Confirmed that your website loads correctly on the new hosting environment.
- Tested your contact forms, user logins and key website functionality.
- Verified that your SSL certificate is active.
- Confirmed that email can be sent and received if email services were migrated.
- Checked that your DNS records point to the correct server.
- Allowed sufficient time for DNS propagation before investigating access issues.
- Confirmed that all website content is present before cancelling your previous hosting service.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Cancelling your previous hosting account before DNS propagation has completed.
- Forgetting to create a backup before beginning the migration.
- Updating website content during the migration process.
- Assuming DNS updates take effect immediately worldwide.
- Forgetting to test email services after updating DNS.
If This Didn’t Work
If your website or email services are not working correctly after migration, gather the following information before contacting 1-grid Support:
- Your domain name.
- Your hosting package details.
- The approximate time the migration or DNS update was completed.
- Any error messages displayed.
- Screenshots of the issue (where possible).
- Details of any website functionality that is not working correctly.
- Confirmation of whether email services are also affected.
Providing this information will help our Support team investigate the issue more efficiently.
Related Articles
- How to Change Your Domain’s Nameservers
- Understanding DNS Propagation
- How to Back Up Your Website
- How to Restore a Website Backup
- Troubleshooting Website Downtime After DNS Changes
FAQs
How long does a website migration take?
The migration itself varies depending on the size and complexity of your website. Once DNS records are updated, propagation usually completes within 24 hours but can take up to 48 hours.
Will my website be offline during migration?
Not necessarily. With proper planning, many website migrations are completed with little or no noticeable downtime.
Why do some visitors still see my old website?
This is usually caused by DNS propagation. During this period, different internet providers may still direct visitors to your previous hosting server until their DNS records refresh.
Should I cancel my previous hosting account immediately?
No. It’s recommended that you keep your previous hosting account active until you’ve confirmed that your website, email services and DNS updates are working correctly after propagation.
Will my emails be affected during migration?
If your email services are migrated or your MX records are updated, email delivery may be temporarily affected while DNS propagation completes.
Can I make changes to my website during migration?
It’s best to avoid making significant changes until the migration and DNS propagation have completed to reduce the risk of missing or conflicting data.
Empowering Insight
Website migrations can seem intimidating, but they’re a routine part of managing a growing online presence. With good preparation, complete backups and careful testing, most migrations are completed smoothly with minimal disruption to your visitors.
Need Additional Support?
If you’ve followed the steps in this guide and are still experiencing issues after your website migration, we’re here to help.
Contact us with the information listed in the If This Didn’t Work section. Providing these details upfront will help us investigate your migration more efficiently and get your website back online as quickly as possible.