How to move a WordPress site to Webway

Before moving the website

Collect:

• Access to the current WordPress dashboard
• Access to the current hosting control panel or FTP
• A complete copy of the website files
• A database export
• The current PHP version
• Any special cron jobs or server settings
• DNS details for website and email services

Do not cancel the old hosting until the migrated website and email have been tested.

Choose a migration method

Method	Best for
Softaculous remote import	Sites accessible through supported remote connection details
WordPress migration plugin	Small or medium sites with working dashboard access
Manual migration	Large, customised or partially broken websites

Option 1: Import with Softaculous

1. Sign in to the Webway hosting panel.
2. Open Softaculous.
3. Select WordPress.
4. Choose the remote import option.
5. Enter the old site's connection details.
6. Select the destination domain and folder.
7. Start the import.
8. Review the imported installation.
9. Test the website before changing DNS.

If you'd rather not do it yourself, Webway moves sites free of charge. Open a support ticket.

Do not overwrite an existing destination installation unless you have backed it up.

Option 2: Use a WordPress migration plugin

1. Install a reputable migration plugin on the old website.
2. Create an export or migration package.
3. Install a clean WordPress copy on Webway.
4. Install the same migration plugin.
5. Import the package.
6. Follow the plugin's replacement and completion steps.
7. Sign in and test the migrated site.

Upload limits vary. Large sites may need a manual migration.

Option 3: Move WordPress manually

1. Export the old database

Use phpMyAdmin or your old host's database tool to export the WordPress database as SQL. Keep the export somewhere secure.

2. Download the WordPress files

Download all files from the old website, including:

• wp-admin
• wp-content
• wp-includes
• Root PHP files
• .htaccess
• wp-config.php

Hidden files must be visible when copying the site.

3. Upload the files to Webway

Upload the files to the destination public_html folder.

Control panel	Main website folder
cPanel	/home/USERNAME/public_html
DirectAdmin	/home/USERNAME/domains/DOMAIN/public_html

Remove Webway's placeholder index.html if it is still present. See How to upload my website with FTP using FileZilla.

4. Create a database

Create a new database and user on the Webway account. Assign the user to the database with the required privileges.

See How to create a MySQL database and use phpMyAdmin.

5. Import the database

Open phpMyAdmin, select the new database and import the SQL file.

Large databases may need to be compressed or split, or imported by Webway Support.

6. Update wp-config.php

Edit these values:

define('DB_NAME', 'NEW_DATABASE_NAME');
define('DB_USER', 'NEW_DATABASE_USER');
define('DB_PASSWORD', 'NEW_DATABASE_PASSWORD');
define('DB_HOST', 'localhost');

Use the complete prefixed database names shown by the control panel.

If the domain name is changing

Update WordPress URLs with a WordPress-aware migration tool or a serialisation-safe search-and-replace plugin.

Do not run a plain text replacement across the SQL file. WordPress stores serialised data that can be damaged by a basic replacement.

Test before changing DNS

Where practical, preview the migrated website before directing public traffic to it.

Check:

• Home page and internal pages
• WordPress admin
• Images and downloads
• Contact forms
• Login and registration
• Checkout and payment functions
• Scheduled tasks
• Redirects
• Error logs

To preview, temporarily add a line to the hosts file on your computer pointing the domain at the Webway server's IP, then remove it after testing.

Point the domain to Webway

When the migrated site is ready, point the domain to Webway. See Point my domain to Webway (change nameservers).

Webway's nameservers are:

• dns1.webway.host
• dns2.webway.host

Changing nameservers can also affect email. Recreate any external MX, SPF, DKIM, DMARC and verification records before switching.

Keep the old hosting and mail services active for at least 48 hours where possible.

Wait for SSL

Free SSL is issued automatically after the domain and www point to the Webway server.

If HTTPS does not become available, see Why does my website say "Not secure"?

After SSL is active:

1. Confirm the WordPress and Site addresses use HTTPS.
2. Check for mixed content.
3. Enable the HTTPS redirect.
4. Clear WordPress, LiteSpeed and browser caches.

Final checks

Before cancelling the old service:

1. Test the site from more than one network.
2. Submit every important form.
3. Place a test order if the site accepts payments.
4. Confirm incoming and outgoing email.
5. Check that scheduled tasks run.
6. Take a fresh backup.
7. Confirm that DNS now resolves to Webway.