Switching hosting providers is one of the most common things Australian businesses do — and one of the most feared. Stories of websites going down, emails disappearing, and databases becoming corrupted during a migration are everywhere. Most of those horror stories come from rushing the process or skipping backups.
At Australian Hosting Solutions, part of the AIIMS Group infrastructure, we manage website migrations for businesses across Australia every week. This guide walks you through every step — or you can call us on (02) 9199 8787 and we will handle the entire transfer for you, live on the phone, 22 hours a day.
What Do You Need Before Transferring Your Website?
Before you touch anything, gather these five things:
- A full backup of your website files — download everything from your current host via cPanel File Manager or FTP
- A database export — in cPanel, open phpMyAdmin, select your database, and export it as a .sql file
- Your email account details — usernames and any email you need to preserve
- Access to your domain registrar — you will need to update nameservers at the end
- Your new hosting account credentials — from Australian Hosting Solutions web hosting or your chosen provider
How Do You Transfer a Website to a New Host Step by Step?
Step 1: Back Up Your Entire Website
Log in to your current hosting cPanel, go to Backup Wizard, and download a full backup. This creates a compressed archive of all your files, databases, and email. Store this on your local computer — not just in the cloud — before you do anything else.
If you are on WordPress, install a plugin like UpdraftPlus or Duplicator to create a portable backup package that is easy to restore on the new server.
Step 2: Set Up Your New Hosting Account
Sign up with your new hosting provider and get your cPanel login details. At Australian Hosting Solutions, your account is provisioned within minutes and includes a free SSL certificate, LiteSpeed web server, Google Cloud infrastructure, and 22-hour phone support.
Step 3: Upload Your Website Files to the New Server
Log in to your new cPanel, open File Manager, navigate to the public_html folder, and upload your website files. If you used a backup plugin, upload the archive and use its restore wizard. For FTP transfers, connect FileZilla to your new hosting credentials and drag your files across.
Step 4: Import Your Database
In your new cPanel, create a new MySQL database and user. Then open phpMyAdmin, select the new database, click Import, and upload your .sql file. Once imported, update your wp-config.php file (for WordPress) with the new database name, username, and password.
Step 5: Test Your Website on the New Server Before Going Live
Before changing your nameservers, test the site on the new server using a temporary URL or by editing your local hosts file to preview the new server. Confirm all pages load, images display correctly, forms submit, and your database-driven content appears.
Step 6: Update Your Domain Nameservers
Log in to your domain registrar and update the nameservers to point to your new host. For Australian Hosting Solutions, use:
ns1.australianhostingsolutions.com.au
ns2.australianhostingsolutions.com.auDNS propagation takes between 30 minutes and 48 hours. During this time, some visitors may see the old site and some the new one — which is why testing first is critical. Keep your old hosting account active until propagation is fully complete.
Step 7: Transfer Your Email Accounts
Recreate your email accounts on the new server with the same usernames. Export any emails you want to preserve from your old webmail (Roundcube) as .mbox files and import them into the new accounts. Update your email client settings (Outlook, Apple Mail) with the new server details.
How Long Does a Website Migration Take in Australia?
| Task | Time (DIY) | Time (AHS Assisted) |
|---|---|---|
| Backup and export | 30–60 min | 15 min |
| Upload files and database | 30–90 min | 20 min |
| Testing on new server | 30–60 min | 10 min |
| DNS nameserver update | 5 min | 5 min |
| DNS propagation | 2–48 hours | 2–48 hours |
What Are the Most Common Website Migration Mistakes to Avoid?
- Not backing up before starting — if something goes wrong with no backup, recovery is extremely difficult
- Cancelling the old hosting account too early — keep it active until DNS has fully propagated and you have confirmed everything works
- Forgetting to update the database connection in wp-config.php — WordPress will show a database error on the new server until this is updated
- Not recreating email accounts — email will stop delivering if MX records and mailboxes are not set up on the new server
- Not testing before changing nameservers — once DNS propagates to the new server, you cannot easily roll back without downtime
Why Transfer to Australian Hosting Solutions?
When you move to Australian Hosting Solutions, you get more than just server space. Every client receives a dedicated point of contact, live phone support 22 hours a day, locally stored data at Equinix SYD5 in Sydney, Google Cloud infrastructure, LiteSpeed web server technology, and free SSL. No DIY help articles, no offshore ticket queue — a real person who handles problems on the call.
Ready to switch?
We migrate your website for free.
Call us and we will handle the entire transfer while you are on the phone.
(02) 9199 8787Frequently Asked Questions About Website Migration in Australia
Will my website go down during the transfer?
Not if you do it correctly. Set up the new server completely and test it before changing your nameservers. During DNS propagation, traffic is split between old and new servers — neither is truly “down”. Keep the old hosting active until propagation completes.
Do I need to transfer my domain when I switch hosting?
No. You can keep your domain at your current registrar and simply update the nameservers to point to the new host. A domain transfer (moving the registration itself) is optional and separate from moving your hosting.
Will my emails be affected during the migration?
Email delivery can be interrupted during DNS propagation. To minimise disruption, set up your email accounts on the new server before changing nameservers, and reduce the TTL on your MX records to 300 seconds (5 minutes) 24 hours before the switch.
How long does DNS propagation take in Australia?
For Australian ISPs (Telstra, Optus, TPG), propagation typically completes within 2–4 hours. Global propagation can take up to 48 hours. Use dnschecker.org to monitor progress in real time.
Can Australian Hosting Solutions migrate my website for me?
Yes. We handle website migrations as part of our onboarding. Call (02) 9199 8787 and our team will transfer your files, database, and email accounts to your new hosting plan — usually completed within the same call.
What happens to my SEO rankings when I migrate to a new host?
If all URLs, content, and redirects remain the same, your SEO rankings are unaffected by a hosting migration. In fact, moving to a faster Australian server often improves rankings over time due to better Core Web Vitals scores.