Website Migration

Change Hosting Without Losing Data
Migrate by Restoring From a Backup

A server change is one of the most common moments for data loss — especially around database connection settings and email. Yedekalma treats migration not as a separate operation but as a restore: you install the module on the new server too and add the domain to your account; the source's latest full backup (files + database) is restored there, the database is mapped and the connection settings are updated. The site address is changed automatically only on WordPress; on other systems you update the address in the configuration yourself.

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Where It Goes Wrong

What Gets Lost During a Migration

Copying files is the easy part; the problems appear elsewhere.

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Database connection

Credentials change on the new server; if the config is not updated the site will not load.

✉️

Mailboxes

Email is what gets lost most often — mailboxes are frequently transferred incompletely.

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Data in the gap

Orders and form entries arriving on the old server after the copy was taken get forgotten.

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SSL certificate

Without a certificate on the new server visitors see a browser warning and trust drops.

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PHP version differences

A much newer PHP version can break older code in unexpected ways.

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Scheduled tasks

Cron entries do not travel; reports and automated jobs stop silently.

The Process

The Main Steps

1️⃣

Take a full backup

Immediately before migrating, take a full backup covering files, database and email.

2️⃣

Restore on the new server

Install the module on the new server and restore by mapping the target database; your configuration file is updated.

3️⃣

Test before switching DNS

Check the site through a temporary address before pointing the domain.

4️⃣

Switch DNS

Keep the old server running for a few days until propagation completes.

Post-migration checklist

Verify in order: the homepage and inner pages load · you can sign in to the admin · forms submit and email is sent · a test order goes through if you take payments · the SSL certificate is installed · scheduled tasks have been recreated · your search-engine redirects still work.

Do not shut down the old server right after the DNS change. Visitors and email may still reach it until propagation completes; keeping it running for a few days prevents that loss.

FAQ

Website Migration — Frequently Asked Questions

Will my site be down during migration?

The migration is written to the new server; your live site on the old server keeps running meanwhile, and you can check the new copy through a temporary address. The moment to watch is when you point the domain at the new server: during DNS propagation some visitors may still reach the old server. Lowering the TTL on your DNS records before the switch shortens that window.

Do I have to change database connection details by hand?

No. During restore you remap the target database and the connection details in your site's configuration file are updated accordingly. This is the step where migrations most often go wrong, so it is automated. The module must be installed on the target server.

Is my email migrated too?

Yes, if your IMAP mailboxes were backed up they can be written back into mailboxes you create on the new server. Message-ID duplicate detection prevents duplicates. Note that you must create the mail accounts themselves (usernames and quotas) on the new server.

When should I shut down the old server?

Not immediately after the DNS change. Keep it running until propagation is complete and you have confirmed everything works on the new server — usually a few days is enough. Visitors and email reaching the old server during that period are not lost.

What should I check after migrating?

In order: the homepage and inner pages load, you can sign in to the admin, forms submit and outbound email works, a test order goes through if you take payments, the SSL certificate is installed, scheduled tasks are recreated and your redirects are preserved.

Is a different PHP version on the new server a problem?

It can be. Incompatibilities are especially likely when you move an old site to a much newer PHP version. That's why we recommend testing the site on the new server via a temporary address before you point your domain to it.

Change Hosting Without Losing Data Migrate by Restoring From a Backup