Don't Break Your Site! A Safe, Step-by-Step Guide to WordPress Migration (Part 14)

WordPress migration doesn't have to risk your site's functionality. Whether you're moving to a new host or switching from WordPress.com to self-hosted WordPress.org, a careful, methodical approach protects your content, preserves your SEO rankings, and prevents frustrating downtime. This comprehensive guide walks you through the entire process safely.

Migrating your WordPress site can feel daunting. That "break your site" fear is real—according to WordPress experts, common migration pitfalls include broken links, missing images, and downtime that can negatively impact your search engine rankings and user experience. However, with proper planning and the right tools, you can execute a seamless transition.

This tutorial synthesizes best practices from industry leaders to give you the safest path forward.

Why Migrations "Break" and How to Avoid Disaster

Before diving into the steps, it's essential to understand the common failure points. A migration typically breaks when:

• Site URLs don't update properly, causing stylesheets and scripts to stop loading.

• The database isn't fully transferred, leaving posts or pages missing.

• File permissions changed on the new server, preventing WordPress from functioning correctly.

• Special characters in the database become corrupted, displaying as � something else.

What is the universal solution to all these potential issues? A complete backup is your most important pre-migration task. This safety net allows you to restore your original site instantly if anything goes wrong.

Pre-Migration Checklist: Don't Skip These Steps

Proper preparation is the key to a smooth migration. Complete these tasks before making any changes:

• Create a full backup: Use a reliable plugin like UpdraftPlus, Jetpack VaultPress, or Duplicator to back up your entire site—files, database, themes, and plugins. Verify the backup was successful by checking its file size and potentially restoring it to a local test environment.

• Choose the right hosting plan: Ensure your new hosting account meets your site's requirements for storage, bandwidth, and PHP version compatibility.

• Document critical information: Note down all active plugins, your current theme, and any custom code snippets you've added to functions.php or other files.

• Check for incompatible plugins: Some hosting environments, like WordPress.com, require deactivating certain plugins before migration.

• Plan for downtime: Inform your visitors of potential maintenance. Schedule the migration during your lowest-traffic periods.

Choosing Your Migration Method

Your approach will depend on your technical comfort level and where you're migrating from and to. The official Migrate to WordPress.com plugin is the recommended method for transferring a self-hosted site to WordPress.com.

Table: Migration Methods Comparison

Step-by-Step Safe Migration Using a Plugin

For most users, a plugin-based migration offers the best balance of safety and simplicity. Here's the process using the official Migrate to WordPress.com plugin as an example:

Step 1: Prepare the Destination Site

Your destination site should be a fresh WordPress.com site with a Business or Commerce plan. Do not use an existing site with content you want to keep, as it will be erased during the import.

Step 2: Install the Migration Plugin on Your Source Site

1. In your destination site's dashboard, go to Tools > Import > WordPress and select "Migrate site."

2. Choose the "I'll do it myself" option.

3. You'll be prompted to install the "Migrate to WordPress.com" plugin on your source site (your current site). Install and activate it.

Step 3: Connect the Sites with a Migration Key

1. From your destination site, navigate to the Migrate to WordPress.com menu and click "Get Key" to generate a unique migration key. Copy this key.

2. On your source site, go to the Migrate to WordPress.com tool in your dashboard.

3. Paste the migration key into the field and click "Start migration".

The migration time will vary based on your site's size, ranging from 10 minutes to several hours. During this process, avoid making edits to either site. You will receive an email confirmation when the migration is complete.

Post-Migration: Critical Steps to Ensure Success

Your work isn't done once the transfer is complete. These post-migration checks are crucial:

1. Review Your New Site Thoroughly

   • Check several pages and posts to ensure images and content display correctly.

   • Test your contact forms, search functionality, and navigation menus.

   • Check that links are not still pointing to your old domain.

2. Update Your Domain Name Settings

   • If you're moving to a new domain, you'll need to connect or transfer your domain to the new host. This involves updating your domain's nameservers or DNS records, which can take up to 48 hours to propagate globally.

3. Implement a Redirect from Your Old Site (Crucial for SEO)

   • To preserve your hard-earned search engine rankings and avoid confusing visitors, set up a 301 redirect from your old site to the new one. On WordPress.com, this is a paid "Site Redirect" service. Alternatively, you can set your old site to private.

4. Clean Up

   • Review and remove any administrators who should no longer have access.

   • Deactivate and delete any plugins that are no longer necessary or are incompatible with your new host.

   • Check that licensed themes or plugins have transferred correctly.

Troubleshooting Common Migration Issues

Even with careful planning, you might hit a snag. Here's how to address common problems:

• "Invalid Migration Key" Error: Ensure you copied the key from the destination site, not the source site. Use the "Copy Key" button to avoid missing characters.

• Special Characters Showing as �: This indicates a database encoding mismatch. Contact your new host's support; they can often convert your destination site's database to the correct character set (usually UTF-8).

• Critical Error After Migration: This is typically caused by a plugin or theme conflict. Try accessing your site via FTP/SFTP and renaming the /wp-content/plugins folder to /wp-content/plugins-old to disable all plugins. If the site loads, reactivate your plugins one by one to identify the culprit.

• Site URL Issues: If you cannot access the admin area because the site URL is incorrect, you can manually fix it by adding defines to your wp-config.php file:

  php

  define('WP_HOME', 'https://yournewsite.com');
  define('WP_SITEURL', 'https://yournewsite.com');

  Remember to remove these lines after fixing the settings in the dashboard.

Conclusion: Your Safe Migration Awaits

Migrating your WordPress site is a significant task, but it doesn't have to be a scary one. By backing up everything first, following a structured guide, and using the powerful tools designed for this purpose, you can move your website with confidence.

The key is to prioritize safety at every step. A successful migration means your site arrives at its new home fully intact, functional, and ready to grow. Now that you're equipped with this knowledge, you can leave the fear behind and plan your site's move strategically.

Have you migrated a WordPress site before? What was your biggest challenge? Share your experiences in the comments below!