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How to Migrate a Website to Hostinger
How to Migrate a Website to Hostinger

Migrating your website to Hostinger

Updated over a week ago

If you have a website hosted on a different platform and wish to migrate it to Hostinger, we are happy to do it for you! 😊

Before starting the migration process, consider the following:

  • First, migrate your website to Hostinger, and only point your domain after the migration is completed. This way, your original website stays online until the migration is over, which can take a couple of days

  • You need to manually migrate your email service. Refer to this tutorial: How to Migrate Email Services to Hostinger Email

Step 1 – Requirements

You are eligible for a free website migration if your site is:

  1. Currently hosted with another hosting provider other than Hostinger, and

  2. Built with an open-source CMS, such as WordPress.org, Joomla, etc.

Websites created with custom builders like Blogger, Google Sites, Shopify, Squarespace, Wix, and others, cannot be migrated. If this is your situation, you will need to re-create your website - Hostinger Website Builder is an excellent tool for this task!

Additionally, it's also recommended to:

  • Disable two-factor authentication and anti-bot verification in your current hosting account and website admin page

  • Ensure there is enough free disk space in your current hosting to create a backup

If your website meets these conditions, move on to the next step. Otherwise, if your website is already hosted at Hostinger, refer to the information below regarding internal migrations:

Internal Migration

Transferring websites between Hostinger accounts or hosting plans does not qualify for free migration. These migrations need to be performed manually on your end. Here are some helpful guides to assist you with the process:

How to move a website to a different Hostinger account

How to move a website to a different hosting plan (within the same Hostinger account)

Step 2 – Preparations

After validating that your website meets the requirements, make sure you have an active hosting plan with at least one added domain.

If you haven’t set up your hosting plan yet, you can request website migration as part of the setup process.

Step 3 – Initiate the Migration Request

Use either of the following methods to reach the migration form:

  • Open the Websites section and click on Add Website → Migrate Website:
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    • The button is labeled Add or migrate a website if you have multiple hosting plans. You will then be prompted to choose the hosting plan for your migrated website
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  • Or, click on the profile icon, select Migrate Website, and then click on Add request:
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    The option to migrate a website from the header menu

Step 4 – Fulfil the Request

You will be guided to complete the migration request:

  1. Enter the name of the website you want to migrate - it can be a domain or subdomain

  2. If your website is WordPress-based, in most cases, it will be automatically detected - check the specific steps below. Otherwise, you can select the platform. Learn more about the migration process for each type of website:

Migrate a WordPress.org Website

If your WordPress is a self-hosted single site installation, follow these steps:

  1. For a live (online) website, select I will provide WordPress Admin details

    1. Confirm that you won't change your domain's DNS settings until the transfer is complete

    2. Enter your WordPress admin credentials; our tool will verify their validity

  2. For an offline website for which you have a local backup, select I will upload my website's files

    1. Drag and drop your website files in .zip format, and your database in .sql format
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  3. Select the destination website from the dropdown list, or select to create a new, empty website

    1. If the website is already added to your hosting plan, be aware that it will be replaced with the migrated website. This action cannot be reverted

    2. For a new website, select the hosting plan if applicable, and enter the new domain name

  4. Review the migration summary to ensure everything is correct, and click on Submit request.

NOTES

Migrate a cPanel/WHM Website

If your current hosting is on cPanel, choose the cPanel and WHM option:

  1. Enter the login URL and the admin credentials

  2. Select the destination website from the dropdown list, or select to create a new, empty website

    1. If the website is already added to your hosting plan, be aware that it will be replaced with the migrated website. This action cannot be reverted

    2. For a new website, select the hosting plan if applicable, and enter the new domain name

  3. Review the migration summary to ensure everything is correct, and click on Submit request

Email migration is not supported - to manually import your emails on your side, follow this guide: How to Migrate Email Services to Hostinger Email 💡

Migrate Another Type of Website

If your website is not WordPress-based and not on cPanel, choose the Other control panel option:

  1. For a live (online) website

    1. Verify on your current hosting that there is a backup feature, as well as enough free space to create a backup

    2. Enter the login URL and the admin credentials

    3. Provide any additional information on the notes field

  2. For an offline website for which you have a local backup

    1. Upload your website files in .zip format, and your database in .sql format to the same folder on one of the supported online cloud storage services: Google Drive, Dropbox, WeTransfer, or OneDrive

    2. Enter the link to the online folder on the Additonal notes field - even if your website is offline, fill in the rest of the fields to so you can continue

  3. Select the destination website from the dropdown list, or select to create a new, empty website

    1. If the website is already added to your hosting plan, be aware that it will be replaced with the migrated website. This action cannot be reverted

    2. For a new website, select the hosting plan if applicable, and enter the new domain name

  4. Review the migration summary to ensure everything is correct, and click on Submit request

After submitting a website migration request, you can check its status immediately ⚡️

Step 5 – Point a Domain to Hostinger

When the migration is completed, you will receive an email notification – you can use the SkipDNS tool and the IP address of your hosting plan to verify it's all good.

Remember to point your domain to Hostinger servers only after a successful migration to prevent prolonged interruptions 💡

Now that you have confirmed that your website is fully migrated, point your domain to Hostinger and enjoy the boosted experience with us! 🚀

Related Articles
How to Manually Transfer a Website to Hostinger
How to Update a Website Migration Request
How to Migrate a Website from DirectAdmin to Hostinger’s DirectAdmin VPS
How to Migrate a Website from cPanel to DirectAdmin
How to Migrate From cPanel to Web or Cloud Hosting at Hostinger
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