Moving a WordPress site to a new host doesn’t have to be stressful. GoZen Host offers free migration handled by our engineers, or you can do it yourself. Either way, your site stays online during the entire process.

Migrating to GoZen Host

Option 1: Free Migration (We Do It for You)

GoZen handles migrations for free on all plans. We move your files, databases, emails, and settings.

  1. Order a GoZen hosting plan
  2. Submit a migration request
  3. Provide your old host’s cPanel/SSH credentials
  4. We migrate everything, verify it works, and notify you
  5. You update DNS to point to GoZen
  6. Done

We schedule the cutover during low-traffic hours and verify everything before notifying you. See Requesting a Free Migration for the full process.

Option 2: Manual Migration (DIY)

If you prefer to handle it yourself, here’s the process.

What You Need

  • Access to your old host (cPanel, SSH, or FTP)
  • A GoZen Host account with a plan active
  • cPanel access on GoZen

Step 1: Export Your Database

On your old host:

  1. Log into cPanel > phpMyAdmin
  2. Select your WordPress database
  3. Click Export > Quick > SQL format
  4. Click Go to download the .sql file

Via SSH:

  mysqldump -u dbuser -p database_name > wordpress_backup.sql

Step 2: Download Your Files

Download the entire public_html directory (or wherever WordPress is installed):

Via SSH:

  cd ~
tar -czf wordpress_files.tar.gz public_html/

Then download wordpress_files.tar.gz via SFTP.

If you only have FTP access, use FileZilla to download the entire directory. This takes longer for large sites.

Step 3: Upload Files to GoZen

On your GoZen account:

Upload via SFTP (fastest) or cPanel File Manager:

  # Via SFTP: upload the archive, then extract
# SSH into your GoZen account:
cd ~
tar -xzf wordpress_files.tar.gz

Make sure files end up in public_html/ (or the correct document root for your domain).

Step 4: Create Database on GoZen

  1. Go to cPanel > MySQL Databases
  2. Create a new database (e.g., gozenuser_wordpress)
  3. Create a new database user with a strong password
  4. Add the user to the database with All Privileges

Step 5: Import Your Database

  1. Go to cPanel > phpMyAdmin
  2. Select the new database you just created
  3. Click Import > choose your .sql file > Go

Via SSH:

  mysql -u gozenuser_wordpress -p gozenuser_wordpress < wordpress_backup.sql

Step 6: Update wp-config.php

Edit wp-config.php on GoZen to match the new database credentials:

  define('DB_NAME', 'gozenuser_wordpress');
define('DB_USER', 'gozenuser_wpuser');
define('DB_PASSWORD', 'your_new_password');
define('DB_HOST', 'localhost');

Remember: cPanel prefixes database names and users with your cPanel username.

Step 7: Test Before Switching DNS

Before changing DNS, verify the site works on GoZen by editing your local hosts file:

Windows: C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc\hosts Mac/Linux: /etc/hosts

Add:

  YOUR.GOZEN.SERVER.IP  yourdomain.com
YOUR.GOZEN.SERVER.IP  www.yourdomain.com

Open your browser and visit yourdomain.com. Verify everything loads correctly. Check:

  • Homepage loads
  • All pages/posts work
  • Images display
  • Login to wp-admin works
  • Contact forms submit

Step 8: Update DNS

Once verified, point your domain to GoZen:

  1. Update nameservers to GoZen’s at your domain registrar, or
  2. Update the A record to your GoZen server’s IP

DNS propagation takes up to 48 hours. During this time, some visitors see the old host and some see GoZen. Both copies of the site are identical, so this is fine.

Verify propagation at GoZen DNS Inspector.

Step 9: Clean Up

After DNS has fully propagated (48 hours):

  1. Remove the hosts file entries you added
  2. Run AutoSSL in cPanel to provision a fresh SSL certificate
  3. Cancel your old hosting account
  4. Set up Backuply to start GoZen backups

Using a Migration Plugin

If you don’t have SSH access on your old host, use a plugin:

  1. Install All-in-One WP Migration on your old site
  2. Go to Export > choose File
  3. Download the export file
  4. Install WordPress on GoZen via Softaculous
  5. Install All-in-One WP Migration on the GoZen site
  6. Go to Import > upload the file
  7. Done

Note: the free version has a file size limit (usually around 512MB). For large sites, use the CLI method or request a free migration.

Troubleshooting

ProblemFix
“Error establishing a database connection”Check wp-config.php credentials. Remember the cPanel username prefix
Images broken after migrationRun a search-replace: change old domain URLs to the new server. Use Better Search Replace plugin
Redirect loop after migrationCheck siteurl and home in wp_options table. Both must match and use https://
Permalinks return 404Go to wp-admin > Settings > Permalinks > click Save (regenerates .htaccess)
Email not working after migrationSet up email accounts on GoZen and update MX records. See Email Migration

What to Do Next

Last updated 07 Apr 2026, 00:00 +0200. history

Was this page helpful?