WordPress Site Migration: A Developer’s Checklist
Site migration is one of the highest-risk WordPress operations. After completing dozens of migrations — from simple host transfers to complex multisite moves — here’s my battle-tested checklist.
Pre-Migration
- Full backup (files + database)
- Document all active plugins and their settings
- Note DNS records, SSL certificates, and email routing
- Test the backup restore on a staging environment
Common Migration Pitfalls
The most dangerous issue is serialized data in the database. WordPress stores serialized PHP arrays in options and postmeta. A simple search-and-replace on the domain will corrupt these arrays.
In WordPress Migration and Error Resolution, the client’s site broke after migration because a plugin used serialized data for its settings.
Real Migration Projects
- Fix Website Hosting and DNS — DNS propagation and SSL setup
- Restore from FTP + Database Backup
- WooCommerce Restore to New Server
- Clone with UpdraftPlus
- Fix Avada Theme Migration Issues
- Fix Problems After Migration
- Fix Redirects in Migration
Post-Migration Verification
- Check all pages load correctly
- Verify forms, checkout, and user login
- Test email delivery
- Check SSL certificate and mixed content
- Verify redirects and canonical URLs
- Submit updated sitemap to Google Search Console
Need help with a migration? Browse my portfolio or hire me on Upwork.
Really helpful guide! Solved my issue quickly.
Glad it worked for you!