Here is how to switch web hosts without downtime: build and test a complete copy of your site on the new host while the old one stays live, change your DNS only after the copy checks out, and leave the old server running for a few days afterward. If your email is hosted separately from your web host, it keeps working when every DNS record is copied across exactly; if your old host also holds your mailboxes, they have to be moved and the MX records updated as part of the migration. If your URLs stay the same, the host change itself does not require new redirects, but preserve and test any existing redirects.

The rest of this article is the checklist behind that answer. It covers what to gather, the order to do things in, what tends to break, and how to tell whether the company moving your site is doing it properly.

Why do websites go offline when you switch web hosts?

The cause is usually timing, not the copying itself. One guide to moving a domain puts it plainly: downtime usually happens because of DNS propagation delays. DNS is the system that tells the internet which server answers for your domain name, and changes to it do not reach everyone at once.

The WordPress training lesson on changing hosts says a nameserver change typically takes 24 to 48 hours to propagate, and in some cases up to 72 hours. A safe plan to switch web hosts is built around that window. Both servers hold a working copy of the site until the change has finished spreading.

What should you gather before you switch web hosts?

Most migration problems trace back to something nobody wrote down beforehand. Collect these four things first.

• Your domain registrar login. Hosting and domain registration are two separate functions, even if you bought both from the same company on the same day. Find out where the domain is registered and confirm you can log in.
• A full copy of your DNS records. Before anything changes, export the DNS zone or note every record: A, AAAA, CNAME, MX, TXT (including SPF, DKIM, DMARC and any Google or Microsoft verification records), SRV and CAA.
• Where your email is hosted. You can find out by checking your current MX records with your registrar’s DNS lookup tool or a free online MX checker.
• A fresh backup. For a WordPress site, the official documentation says to back up the WordPress directory, images, plugins and other files, as well as the database, before moving to another server.

Also list everything on the site that a customer interacts with, such as contact forms, quote requests, bookings and payments. That list becomes your test plan after you switch web hosts.

How do you switch web hosts without downtime, step by step?

1. Lower the DNS TTL early. Google’s guide to hosting changes suggests lowering the TTL to a conservative low value, for example a few hours, at least a week before the move. That way DNS caches refresh faster when the switch happens.
2. Take the backup. Back up the files and the database, and keep a copy somewhere other than the old host.
3. Copy the site to the new host. If you run WordPress and the database and URLs remain the same, the documentation says you can move by just copying your files and database. Update wp-config.php if the database name or user changes.
4. Stop making changes to the old site. The WordPress lesson warns that any changes made after the export have to be duplicated manually on the new site. Agree on a date after which nobody adds posts, products or page edits until the move is done.
5. Test the new server before the public sees it. You can force your own computer to use the new server through its hosts file while everyone else still reaches the old one. Click through the pages, forms and checkout on the new copy.
6. Change the DNS. The domain itself does not have to move. It can stay with its registrar, and you only change the DNS records or name servers to point to the new host.
7. Check everything again on the live domain. After switching, check the site, the HTTPS certificate, sending and receiving email, and forms. Google also recommends that you check that different ISPs around the world are updating to your new DNS settings correctly.
8. Leave the old server on. Keep the old server running for 48 to 72 hours, until every cache has expired. Do not cancel the old account on the day you switch web hosts.

What happens to your email when you switch web hosts?

Email is where business owners get hurt most often, because it can fail quietly. It helps to know that the website and the mailboxes are controlled by different DNS records: A records point to your web server, while MX records point to your mail server.

What you need to do depends on where the mailboxes live.

• If your current web host also hosts your mailboxes, decide whether to keep email with that provider or move it separately. If you move email to a new provider, migrate the mailboxes and update the relevant DNS records. Ask the new host who does that work. Some hosting companies will migrate all of your email accounts for you when you set up a new account, but do not assume it.
• If your email is hosted somewhere else, the important job is making sure the MX records and the email-related TXT records from your DNS list are carried over exactly as they were.

Either way, test it. Send a message to your business address from an outside account, reply to it, and confirm that both arrive.

What about SSL and contact forms when you switch web hosts?

Both are on the post-switch checklist above because a page can look perfectly normal while one of them is broken. Before the move, ask who is responsible for the HTTPS certificate on the new server and when it will be in place. After the move, load the site and confirm the browser shows it as secure.

For forms, submit a real test through every form on the site and confirm the message reaches the right inbox. A form that displays a thank-you message has not necessarily delivered anything.

Will it hurt your Google rankings if you switch web hosts?

Nobody can promise what Google will do, but Google has published guidance for this exact situation, and it is reassuring on one point. After you switch web hosts, it is normal to see a temporary drop in Googlebot’s crawl rate immediately after the launch, followed by a steady increase over the next few days. A brief dip in crawling is not a sign that the move went wrong.

Two more points from Google are worth knowing:

• Do not use the Change of Address tool. Google’s help page lists moving a site without any user-visible URL changes, such as changing hosting providers, among the cases where that tool should not be used.
• If URLs do change, redirect them and leave the redirects alone. Google’s guide to moves with URL changes says to keep the redirects for as long as possible, generally at least one year.

The practical lesson, when you switch web hosts, is to keep a host change as a host change. If you also want a redesign or a new URL structure, be aware that Google documents moves with URL changes separately and they add redirect work. If search brings in a large share of your leads, it is worth having someone watch your visibility through the move. BrevardHost.net offers fully managed SEO for businesses that want that handled for them.

How can you tell a provider is handling the move properly?

When you switch web hosts, you do not need to do the technical work yourself to judge whether it is being done well. A provider that is handling the move properly will be able to answer these questions without hesitation:

• Have you recorded every DNS record on my domain, including the email and verification records?
• Where is my email hosted today, and will you be moving the mailboxes or leaving them where they are?
• When will you lower the TTL, and when is the switch scheduled?
• Can I see and test the site on the new server before the DNS changes?
• From what date should I stop editing the old site?
• Who installs the HTTPS certificate on the new server?
• After the switch, who tests the forms and email in both directions?
• How long should I keep the old hosting account open?

If the answer to the first question is a request to transfer your domain, ask why. A transfer is not required to switch web hosts.

This is also where the type of hosting matters. With managed hosting, the provider is responsible for the setup, administration, management and support of the server. On our fully managed web hosting and VPS, we manage SSL certificates and server user logins. If you need a new SSL, we install it, and if you need new email accounts, we create them. For businesses that want one team for the whole site, our fully managed websites combine design, hosting, security, updates and support with a dedicated account manager. That applies whether you need a new website or support for an existing one.

Frequently asked questions

How long does it take to switch web hosts?

Allow more than a week from start to finish. Google suggests lowering your DNS TTL at least a week in advance of the move, and a nameserver change typically takes 24 to 48 hours to propagate, sometimes up to 72. How long the copying and testing take depends on your site.

Do I have to transfer my domain name when I switch web hosts?

No. The domain can stay with its current registrar, and you only change the DNS records or name servers so they point to the new host. Hosting and domain registration are separate services, even when one company sold you both.

Will my email stop working when I switch web hosts?

It depends on where your mailboxes are hosted, which you can find out by looking up your MX records. If your web host also hosts your email, the mailboxes have to be moved and the MX records changed as part of the migration. Test sending and receiving straight after the switch so any problem is caught quickly.

Should I tell Google I changed hosts with the Change of Address tool?

No. Google lists a hosting change with no user-visible URL changes among the moves the tool should not be used for. That tool is not meant for a move where your site URL stays the same.

When is it safe to cancel my old hosting account after I switch web hosts?

Not on switch day. The guidance is to keep the old server running for 48 to 72 hours, until every cache has expired. Cancel the old hosting only after about a week without problems, once you have confirmed that the site, the certificate, the forms and email all work on the new host.

If you are planning to switch web hosts and would like a second opinion on your checklist, consultations with BrevardHost.net are always free and come with no obligation. Book a free consultation or call 321.449.3898, and we will walk through your current setup with you.