Migrating WordPress without losing traffic (full checklist)

Migrating WordPress sounds simple — copy files, copy DB, change DNS. But 70% of "DIY" migrations lose between 30% and 60% of organic traffic for 3-6 months. Here's the full checklist to do it right.

Migration types (increasing impact)

1. Hosting change (same domain, same URL structure) — low risk
2. CMS change (e.g. Joomla → WordPress) — medium risk
3. Domain change (e.g. .it → .com) — high risk
4. Full restyle + new URLs — high risk
5. All at once — very high risk (not recommended)

Golden rule: one migration at a time. Never change domain + structure + hosting together.

Pre-migration (week -2 to -1)

1. Full backup (site + DB)

Plugins: UpdraftPlus, BackupBuddy, or hosting native backup. Save to external cloud (not the server itself).

2. Map of all existing URLs

Export current XML sitemap. Crawl with Screaming Frog or Sitebulb. Full list: pages, posts, products, categories, tags.

3. Benchmark crawl (for post comparison)

Save: Core Web Vitals, average position of main keywords (Search Console), indexed pages (site:).

4. Plugin/theme/PHP version inventory

List active plugins, child theme, customisations. New hosting PHP version must be compatible.

Migration (day X)

5. Setup new hosting + empty WordPress

Install WordPress on new hosting with same PHP version. Don't install useless plugins/themes.

6. Copy files and database

Three options:

• Migration plugin (Duplicator Pro, All-in-One WP Migration): simple but with size limits
• Manual: SFTP for files + phpMyAdmin for DB. More technical but always reliable
• Hosting service: many hosts offer free migration (SiteGround, Kinsta)

7. Update URLs in database

If changing domain: WP-CLI or Better Search Replace plugin to update all old URL occurrences in DB.

wp search-replace 'https://old.com' 'https://new.com'

8. Test on new hosting (with hosts file)

Modify local hosts file to point to new IP without DNS propagation. Test everything: homepage, posts, forms, checkout, mobile.

DNS change (day X)

9. Lower DNS TTL before the switch

2-3 days before, lower DNS TTL to 300 seconds. So the change propagates in minutes instead of hours.

10. Change nameservers / A records

Point to new hosting. Monitor global propagation with whatsmydns.net.

11. SSL active immediately

Free Let's Encrypt works everywhere. Without HTTPS, you lose traffic and Google penalises you.

Post-migration (the first 48 hours — crucial)

12. 301 redirects for all changed URLs

If you changed URL structure, every old URL needs a 301 redirect to the new. Plugin: Redirection (free). Without redirects, you lose Google rankings in 48-72 hours.

13. Update Google Search Console

If changing domain: use the "Change of address" tool in Search Console. Explicitly tell Google about the change. Add new domain as separate property.

14. Update XML sitemap + robots.txt

New sitemap must reflect new URLs. Robots.txt must allow crawling. Resubmit to Search Console.

Verification in the first 30 days

• Week 1: verify indexing (site:newdomain.com). Expect a temporary spike of 404 errors in Search Console
• Week 2: all main URLs must be indexed. Rankings drop 5-15% (normal)
• Week 4: traffic should settle at ~95% of pre-migration level
• Week 8: full recovery + positive impact of technical improvements

Most common mistakes and how to avoid them

• No 301 redirects → immediate 50%+ SEO traffic loss
• Sitemap not updated → Google indexes new URLs poorly
• Mixed content (HTTP/HTTPS) → browsers block resources, site appears broken
• Robots.txt blocking everything (staging leftover) → pages disappear from Google
• Friday afternoon migration → if something goes wrong, weekend offline

When NOT to migrate yourself

• Site with > 1,000 indexed pages
• E-commerce with active orders
• Multilingual or multisite
• Complex custom code (custom plugins, API integrations)
• SEO traffic worth > €5,000/month

In these cases, paying €500-2,000 for a managed migration is worth it. The risk doesn't justify the saving.

Want a managed WordPress migration without risk? Included in the Digital Presence Management package or as a one-off project. Request the free audit for an analysis of your current site before moving it.

Want to apply this to your SME?

If you'd like a concrete analysis of your situation, request the free audit from Gamerbit. In 48 hours we tell you exactly where you're losing leads, time or budget — no sales pitch.

If you already know what you need and want a steady system, the Conversion Website package is the most direct starting point.