WordPress Automatic Migrator
Are you looking to migrate your WordPress site to SiteGround? Our free, user-friendly SiteGround Migrator plugin makes the migration process easy and stress-free.
This comprehensive guide will walk you through the steps of migrating your WordPress site with our WordPress migration tool. Using our plugin, you are ensuring a seamless transition without any data loss or downtime.
The tutorial will provide all the information you need to successfully migrate your site with SiteGround WordPress Migrator, so dive in.
In this tutorial, you will find the following information:
What does it mean to migrate a WordPress site?
Migrating a WordPress site means moving it from one server or host to another. This is often done when you want to upgrade your website’s server for more features or better performance. You must also transfer a WordPress site when switching web hosting services.
A WordPress Migration involves copying all files and databases related to the website and then updating settings for the WordPress website to work on its new server. The SiteGround Migrator Plugin is a great tool for transferring your WordPress content and structure seamlessly.
Our free WordPress migration plugin does it all for you and helps you migrate your WordPress site to SiteGround hassle-free.
Is there downtime during migration with WordPress Migrator?
The SiteGround Migrator plugin creates a copy of the content on your live site. Then it populates your content into an empty website created at SiteGround. None of these actions affects your live site, and the migration with the Migrator plugin does NOT lead to any downtime for your current site.
How to transfer my WordPress site with the SiteGround Migrator plugin?
The plugin provides a user-friendly interface that guides you through each step of the migration process. Also, it automatically handles any necessary URL updates to ensure that your site functions correctly in its new home.
Keep reading and follow the steps on how to use our easy Migrator plugin to transfer your WordPress site.
Step 1: Choose to use the Migrator with the Setup Wizard
The easiest way to initiate your WordPress site migration is by using our Website Setup Wizard.
Migrating your first WordPress site to SiteGround
When you log in to your SiteGround Client area for the first time, a Setup Wizard will be there to welcome you.
Hit the Set Up Site button to begin your SiteGround experience.
First, you’ll reach this page, where you need to type the domain of the website you want to migrate to SiteGround.
Next, select the option to Migrate Website with the Superfast WordPress Automigration and click Continue.
On the following page, find and Copy the Migration Token. This is the string (or the key) you need to authorize the transfer of your website.
After you have the token, you can proceed with Step 2 from this guide. Do not point your domain yet – this is a step you will go through later on.
Migrating additional WordPress sites to your account
If you need to migrate more than one website to SiteGround, navigate to your Client Area > Websites section and click on the New Website button.
This will initiate a Setup Wizard for your new site, and the process goes the same way as the first option in this section. All you have to do is repeat the steps.
Step 2: Install the SiteGround Migrator plugin to your WordPress
Once you have the Migration Token, log in to the WordPress Dashboard of the site you want to move to SiteGround. Go to Plugins > Add New and install and activate the free SiteGround Migrator plugin from the official WordPress plugin repository.
Step 3: Paste the migration token in the plugin to start the migration
Once you have the plugins installed, select the SiteGround Migrator menu on your left column.
Now, paste the Migration Token you’ve generated in the first step and press Initiate Transfer. Provide your email address in the respective field to be notified when the transfer is completed.
That’s it! Our system will create a copy of your website, move it to our servers and install it for you. You can follow the progress in the plugin interface:
If the address of your old WordPress site and the new one are different (for example, you want to transfer a copy of your live site onto a temporary sg-host.com domain provided by SiteGround), you will get a message telling you about the URL change and asking you to confirm before continuing.
Additionally, you may get this notification if your website URL is set to open with www, like this https://www.yourdomain.com. The message notifies you that the site copy will be set to load without www on the SiteGround server. However, you can easily configure it again from your database.
Click Continue to proceed with the transfer process.
Note that even if you close your browser, the migration will continue as usual. You can visit that page later to check the results.
Step 4: Check your website and update NS records to finish the migration
Upon finishing the transfer, you will receive instructions both on the confirmation screen and via email on how to complete it.
We create a temporary URL active for 48 hours for each transferred site. With it, you can review and ensure the site looks and functions correctly in the new location before you switch the actual domain DNS to SiteGround.
If everything appears correct, switch your domain’s DNS settings to point to your SiteGround website.
To do that, copy SiteGround’s Name servers from below and take advantage of our blazingly fast central DNS system.
ns1.siteground.net
ns2.siteground.netYou can also find your new DNS settings in the plugin, the email we send, or your SiteGround Client Area at any time.
Optional Step: Generate a migration token in SiteGround Site Tools
By now, it should be clear that to start transferring your site, you need a Migration Token. If you have already created a website using the Website Setup Wizard and need a new token, you can generate one directly from Site Tools.
To do it, go to your Site Tools > WordPress > Migrator.
Select the domain you want to use from the drop-down menu and add a path. The path is needed only if you have a specific setup, for example, if your WordPress site is installed on yourdomainname.com/blog.
Most of the time, you should just leave the Path untouched. Click on the Generate button to get your token.
You will receive a long string of symbols – the Migration Token. It’s unique for each transfer. The token has all the information our system needs to start moving your files and databases. Click on Copy and then paste it into the WordPress Migrator interface as described in Step 2 of this tutorial.
Common SiteGround Migrator issues
At SiteGround, we strive to make website migrations as seamless as possible for our clients. However, on occasion, some errors may occur during the migration process. If that happens, we’ve got you covered!
Check our comprehensive guides page on how to fix common SiteGround Migrator errors. On this page, you will find a separate post with instructions for each known common Migrator issue by an error message.
Following these instructions will help you get your website up and running smoothly. Our support team is available to assist with any questions or issues that may arise during the migration.
Streamline Your Website Transfer with SiteGround Email Migrator
To top up your experience, we designed the SiteGround Email Migrator tool. The tool helps you streamline your WordPress site’s migration to SiteGround by allowing you to transfer any emails and email accounts with this website easily and with a few clicks only. You can access it from your Site Tools -> Email -> Email Migrator.
The SiteGround Email Migrator makes it simple to transfer your messages from your previous server to your SiteGround. It uses the secure IMAP protocol, ensuring that all your messages are safely copied onto SiteGround servers. Read our tutorial to learn the 7 easy steps to migrate your emails.
With the Email Migrator, you can transfer email accounts up to 7GB in size and ensure a seamless transition of your important messages to SiteGround. Get started today and enjoy the peace of mind that comes with secure email migration.