Point Your Domain to the New Host
After you’ve moved your WordPress files and database to your new hosting provider, the next step is to point your domain name to the new host. This step is critical—it tells the internet where your website now lives. Until this is done, your visitors will still see the old version of your site or may even encounter errors.
How to Change DNS Records
DNS stands for Domain Name System. Think of it as the internet’s phone book. It matches domain names (like yourwebsite.com) to the actual server IP address where your site is hosted. When you switch hosting providers, you need to update the DNS settings to reflect the IP address of your new host.
To do this, log in to the platform where your domain is registered. This could be a service like Namecheap, GoDaddy, Google Domains, or another registrar. Once inside the dashboard:
Go to the DNS settings or Manage DNS section.
Find the section for A Records (IPv4 address).
Replace the old IP address with the new IP address given by your hosting provider.
Save the changes.
Some hosts may also ask you to update the nameservers instead of the A record. In that case, your host will provide you with two or more nameserver addresses like ns1.newhost.com and ns2.newhost.com. You would:
Navigate to your domain’s nameserver settings.
Remove the old nameservers.
Add the new nameservers provided by your hosting company.
Save the changes.
Always double-check the DNS info with your new host. Most reliable hosts offer detailed instructions or even customer support to guide you through it.
What to Expect During DNS Propagation
Once you update your DNS records or nameservers, the changes won’t take effect immediately. This waiting period is called DNS propagation. It can take anywhere from a few minutes to 48 hours, depending on your internet provider and the type of DNS update.
During this time:
Some people may still see the old website.
Others may see the new one hosted on the new server.
You might experience brief moments where your site seems down or incomplete.
This is completely normal. While you wait for DNS propagation to complete, avoid making changes to your site. Any updates you make could be lost if you're editing the old version of the site during the transition.
Pro Tip: Use Temporary URL or Host File
While waiting for DNS changes to take full effect, many hosting providers offer a temporary URL or preview link to access your site on the new server. You can use this to confirm everything is working properly before the domain is fully pointed to the new host.
Alternatively, for advanced users, you can modify your computer’s host file to preview the site on the new server before DNS changes are live.
Post-Migration Checklist for WordPress in 2025 (Expanded & Detailed)
Successfully migrating your WordPress website to a new hosting provider is a big achievement—but your work isn’t finished just yet. After the migration, it’s important to go through a detailed checklist to make sure everything works smoothly on the new server. Even if the transfer seems successful, there might be hidden problems like broken media, slow page load speeds, or plugin issues that can affect your site’s performance and user experience.
This post-migration checklist is your safety net. It helps you catch and fix potential problems before your visitors notice anything wrong. Let’s go through each step carefully and in detail.
Test All Pages and Plugins Thoroughly
Start by going through every single page on your website. Don’t assume everything is working just because the homepage loads. Open all major content pages like the About page, Contact page, Blog posts, Services, Shop, and any landing pages you use for promotions or ads.
As you browse:
Check if all text and images appear correctly.
Look for missing elements like buttons, forms, or menus.
Make sure page layouts are intact and nothing looks broken.
Next, review every plugin installed on your site. Visit their settings pages and test any active features. For example:
If you have a contact form plugin like WPForms, submit a test form.
If you use a slider plugin, verify that the images rotate as expected.
If your site has WooCommerce installed, try placing a test order.
Some plugins depend on specific server configurations or folder paths, and a new host might not replicate those exactly. If anything isn’t working properly, you might need to:
Reconfigure plugin settings.
Reinstall or update the plugin.
Contact the plugin developer for support.
Also, be sure to update your permalinks by going to Settings > Permalinks and simply clicking Save. This refreshes your URL structure and can fix common post-migration 404 errors.
Check Site Speed and Overall Performance
One of the reasons for migrating your WordPress site might have been slow loading times. Now that your site is on a new server, it’s time to verify whether performance has improved.
Use tools like:
GTmetrix – Provides a full performance report with loading time, file sizes, and waterfall charts.
Pingdom Tools – Tests how your website loads from different regions.
Google PageSpeed Insights – Offers speed scores for both mobile and desktop with optimization tips.
Pay attention to:
Time to First Byte (TTFB)
Total page load time
Image sizes and compression
Use of caching and minified resources
If performance hasn’t improved or has gotten worse, investigate possible causes such as:
Missing or misconfigured caching plugins
Unoptimized media files
Poor database optimization
New host’s performance limitations
If needed, reach out to your hosting provider’s support to ask for help with performance tuning. Many premium hosts offer built-in optimization features or CDN integrations that can be activated after migration.
Fix Broken Links, Images, and Media Paths
During migration, file paths and URLs can get out of sync—especially if you changed domains, directory structure, or file locations. This can result in:
Images not displaying on posts or pages
Broken internal links
Embedded media showing 404 errors
Here’s how to fix it:
Run a full site crawl using tools like Screaming Frog or Broken Link Checker to find broken links.
Use the “Better Search Replace” plugin to update old URLs in your database. For example, if your old domain was
oldsite.comand your new domain isnewsite.com, you’ll need to replace all instances of the old domain.
Search and replace tasks can fix:
Image URLs in posts
Internal links
File attachments
Theme or plugin settings
It’s a good idea to back up your database again before doing any major search and replace operations.
Enable SSL and Configure HTTPS Correctly
SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) is no longer optional—it’s a must-have for all websites in 2025. It protects user data, boosts trust, and is a confirmed ranking factor in Google search results.
After migrating your site:
Check if SSL is installed. Most modern hosts offer free SSL certificates via Let’s Encrypt.
Install an SSL plugin like “Really Simple SSL” to automatically redirect all pages to HTTPS and fix insecure content warnings.
Update WordPress Address and Site URL to include https:// by going to Settings > General.
Clear your browser cache and test the site again to ensure everything loads over HTTPS.
If some pages still show “Not Secure” warnings, it usually means there are hardcoded HTTP links in your content or theme files. Use a plugin like “SSL Insecure Content Fixer” or manually update your URLs.
Reconfigure and Test Caching Tools
Caching plays a big role in speeding up your site, but your previous caching setup might not carry over perfectly to the new host. After migration:
Reinstall your caching plugin, such as WP Super Cache, W3 Total Cache, or LiteSpeed Cache.
Purge all existing cache files and rebuild them from scratch.
Check plugin settings to ensure they’re optimized for your current hosting environment.
If your host uses server-level caching, you may not need a plugin-based caching solution at all. Ask your host which setup is best.
Make sure to test your site’s speed before and after enabling caching to see the improvements.
Review Mobile Responsiveness and Browser Compatibility
Don’t forget to test how your site looks on different devices and browsers. After migration, some themes or layouts may break or shift due to server differences or CSS files not loading correctly.
Test your site on:
Smartphones (iOS and Android)
Tablets
Desktops
Browsers like Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge
If you spot layout issues, missing menus, or functionality problems, clear your site cache and browser cache and test again.
Final Check: Functionality, Security, and Backups
Before announcing your site migration is complete, go through this quick list:
Submit your new site to Google Search Console.
Check if Google Analytics tracking is working.
Set up automatic backups on the new host using plugins like UpdraftPlus or BlogVault.
Verify contact forms, payment gateways, and login forms are working.
Install a security plugin like Wordfence to scan your site for vulnerabilities.
For more info you check this article "Migrate or move WordPress website to a new host in 2025"