When a migration fails or the site looks wrong

Nothing changes for your visitors until you move the domain's DNS, so a migration that went wrong can always be fixed or run again. Your old site keeps serving the whole time.

It failed

Open the migration and read the message — it says which step failed and why, in plain words (for example a login that was refused, or a host that blocks the connection). Fix that and start the migration again. If the same step fails again, ask the support assistant or open a ticket: we can read the migration's own records and fix it with you, or move the site for you — free.

Some items could not be copied

The list shows N couldn't be copied separately from what arrived. Common causes are files the login cannot read or a database the source would not dump. Add a second way in (SSH, or an archive) or ask us to finish it.

The site looks wrong on the new address

Read What we moved, and how it looks. It names the usual problems:

• Default holding page — the files landed outside the web root.
• Images or styles blocked (mixed content) — some addresses are still http://. Search

and replace them to https://, or ask us.

• Links still point at the old host — old absolute URLs. WordPress migrations rewrite these

automatically; other sites may need a search and replace.

• A much smaller page or an error — a theme or plugin did not load, often a PHP version

difference. Pick the same PHP version the old host used and check again.

Switching DNS

When the site is right on its temporary address, change the domain's DNS to point here. Lower the TTL to five minutes a day before, so the switch takes minutes and is just as quick to undo. If you moved email, press Run mail cutover after the switch so the last messages come across.

Very large sites

Size is a question of time and disk space, not of limits. We check the site's disk space before writing anything and tell you if it will not fit — upgrade the plan or tidy the old site first.

Getting a person

Ask the support assistant in the dashboard, open a ticket, or ask us to migrate the site for you from Restore & import. That is free and an engineer starts within 72 hours.