Origin Desk

Website Migration Checklist

Step-by-step checklist for moving a website to a new host without losing data, email or search traffic.

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Before you move

Build the new site

Cut over

After the move

Work through this checklist in order. Each group matches a phase of a typical move, and the order matters: the biggest migration disasters come from skipping the first group and changing DNS before the new site has been tested.

Tick items as you complete them. The state is kept only in your browser on this device, so it is a convenience for tracking your own progress, not a record shared with anyone. If you are moving an online store or a site that receives form submissions all day, add a step to pause orders during the final data sync, or to export and re-import any orders placed during the cutover window.

The checklist assumes a standard website with files, a database and email on the same domain. If your email is hosted elsewhere, for example with a separate mailbox provider, you still need to preserve its DNS records. If your site is built on a hosted website builder rather than a server you control, you may not be able to export everything, so read the platform's export documentation first. The companion guide on migrating a website explains each step in more detail and describes what to do when something goes wrong.

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