Quick answer: Free website migration means your new host copies your site’s files and databases from your old host to your new account at no extra charge. It covers the move, not a redesign or repairs. To prepare, gather access to your current host or a full backup, know who controls your domain’s DNS, and list anything unusual your site depends on.
“Free website migration” shows up on a lot of hosting pages, and it doesn’t always mean the same thing. At one host it’s a full hands-off move. At another it’s a plugin and a help article. Some limit it to one site, or to sites under a certain size, or only to WordPress. This guide explains what a free migration normally covers, what it usually leaves out, the questions worth asking before you rely on one, and how to get your site ready so the move goes smoothly. If you want the bigger picture of what a migration involves first, start with our explainer on what website migration is and how it works.
What does free website migration actually include?
At its core, a free website migration is the copy job: your site’s files, its database and its settings moved from the old server to your new hosting account, then checked so it runs there before your domain points at it.
In practice that tends to mean:
- Site files. Everything in your web folder: themes, plugins, uploads, images, scripts and configuration files.
- Databases. For WordPress and most PHP sites, the content lives in a MySQL database. That gets exported from the old host and imported on the new one.
- Configuration updates. The database name, username and password change on a new server, so the site’s config file has to be updated to match.
- A working copy to check. You should get a chance to look at the site on the new account before anything public changes.
That last point matters more than people expect. A migration isn’t finished when the files arrive. It’s finished when the site works on the new server and your domain points there.
What a free migration usually doesn’t cover
Most free migrations move your site as it is. They don’t fix it, rebuild it or change what it runs on.
Things that commonly fall outside a standard free move:
- Redesigns or platform changes. Moving from one CMS to another, or rebuilding a site, is a different project from moving hosts.
- Repairing a broken site. If the site already throws errors on the old host, those errors usually come along with it.
- Domain registration transfers. Moving your hosting and moving your domain registration are separate jobs. You can keep the domain where it is and just point it at the new host.
- Email, unless it’s agreed up front. Mailboxes are often handled separately from the website. If your email lives with your old host, ask how it will be handled before you start.
- Software the new plan doesn’t support. If your site needs something specific, like a particular PHP version, check the new plan supports it before the move, not after.
None of this makes a free migration less useful. It just means you should know where the line is, so nothing you assumed was included gets missed.
Questions to ask before you rely on a free migration
The short version: ask what’s moved, how many sites are covered, what access they need, and whether your old site stays live during the move.
Before you sign up anywhere on the strength of a free migration offer, it’s worth getting clear answers to these:
| Question | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Is the migration done for me, or is it a self-service tool? | “Free” can mean someone does the work, or that you get a plugin and instructions. |
| How many sites does it cover? | If you’re moving several sites, a one-site limit changes the picture. |
| Which kinds of sites are supported? | Some offers only cover WordPress. Custom PHP or Laravel sites may be handled differently. |
| Are databases and email included? | The database is essential. Email is the part most often left out. |
| What access do they need, and how do I share it safely? | You’ll be handing over a login or a backup, so it should go through a proper support channel. |
| Does my current site stay live during the move? | It should. Visitors shouldn’t notice anything until DNS changes. |
| Who changes the DNS? | Somebody has to point your domain at the new host. Know whether that’s you, them or your developer. |
A host that answers these plainly is usually a host that has done plenty of migrations. Vague answers are a sign to dig a little further.
How to prepare your site for a free website migration
Good preparation is mostly about access and information. The more you have ready, the less back-and-forth there is.
1. Confirm you can get into your current hosting
Make sure you can still log in to your current hosting account. If the site was set up by a freelancer or an agency years ago, this is often where moves stall: nobody remembers the password, or the account is in someone else’s name. Sort that out first. If logging in isn’t possible, a full backup of your files and database works instead.
2. Take your own backup anyway
Even when someone else is handling the move, keep a copy of your files and database yourself. It costs nothing and it means you’re never relying on a single copy of your site. Store it somewhere other than the server you’re leaving.
3. Find out who controls your DNS
Your domain might be registered in one place, with DNS managed in another. Work out where your nameservers point and who can log in there. Our guide on how to point a domain to your hosting explains the difference between changing nameservers and editing DNS records, and which one you’ll likely need.
4. Write down anything unusual
Cron jobs, scheduled tasks, a specific PHP version, custom redirects, a contact form that sends through a particular mail service, a staging copy you also want moved. These are the details that cause trouble if nobody mentions them. A short list saves a lot of guessing.
5. List your email accounts
If your mailboxes live with your current host, write down every address you use. Even when email isn’t part of the move, you’ll need that list to recreate the mailboxes on the new side before your domain switches, so nothing gets lost in between.
6. Lower your DNS TTL a day or two before the switch
TTL, or “time to live”, tells other servers how long to cache your DNS records. A shorter TTL means the change to your new host spreads more quickly once you make it. MDN has a clear definition of TTL if you want the detail. It’s optional, but it makes the switch tidier.
7. Don’t cancel your old hosting yet
This is the most common mistake in any migration. Keep the old account running until the site has been checked on the new server, DNS has switched over and everything has settled. Cancelling early is how short moves turn into outages.
Does a free migration affect your SEO?
A straight hosting move on the same domain, with the same URLs, shouldn’t hurt your search rankings. Search engines care about your URLs and content, and a host change keeps both the same.
Where SEO risk creeps in is when other things change at the same time: a new domain, a new URL structure, or a redesign that drops pages. Google’s documentation on moving a site with URL changes covers that case properly, including redirects. If you’re planning a redesign as well as a move, it helps to treat them as two separate jobs. This piece from Diligent Creators on redesigning a website without losing SEO rankings walks through the redesign side.
After the move, open a few of your most important pages, check that your forms send, and look for any images that don’t load. Those checks catch most issues quickly.
Should you migrate your site yourself or use a free migration?
If you’re comfortable with file managers, database exports and DNS, moving a small site yourself is very doable. If you’d rather not touch any of it, a free migration hands that work to people who do it regularly.
For WordPress specifically, our step-by-step guide to migrating a WordPress site to a new host covers both the plugin method and the manual method, so you can judge how much work it would be. For many people, the deciding factor isn’t skill but time, and the risk of getting the DNS switch wrong on a site that brings in business.
If you want to understand what the server side of hosting is doing while all this happens, this explainer on web hosting infrastructure is a good background read.
How free website migration works at ResellerBytes
Every ResellerBytes shared hosting plan includes free website migration, and it’s done for you rather than left as a do-it-yourself tool.
The process is simple. You choose a plan from our Starter, Business and Pro shared hosting plans, then open a support ticket with the domain you’re moving and what the site runs on. You share access to your current host, or a full backup, inside the ticket only. We copy your files and databases to your new account, and you check the site there. Then you point your domain at us. Your current site stays live on the old host until you make that switch.
If you also want mailboxes moved, list them in your ticket and we’ll confirm what can be moved for your setup before we start. The same goes for anything unusual, like cron jobs or a specific PHP version: mention it up front and we’ll check it. Full details of what we need from you are on the free website migration page.
Frequently asked questions
Is free website migration really free?
At most hosts that offer it, yes, the move itself carries no extra charge when you buy a hosting plan. Check whether there are limits on the number of sites or the kind of site covered.
Will my website go down during a free migration?
It shouldn’t. Your old site keeps running while the copy is made and checked. The only moment that matters is the DNS switch, and keeping the old hosting active until it settles covers that.
Do I need to transfer my domain to use free migration?
No. Domain registration and hosting are separate. You can leave the domain with its current registrar and point it at the new hosting. If you do want to move the registration later, ICANN’s transfer policy explains how registrar transfers work.
What do I need to give the new host?
Usually access to your current hosting account or a full backup of your files and database, plus details of who manages your DNS. Share these only through the host’s support ticket system, never by public chat or social media.
Are my emails moved in a free website migration?
Not always. Email is often handled separately from the site. Ask before the move, and keep a list of your mailboxes so they can be recreated on the new side before DNS changes.
Is free website migration the same as a free website transfer?
In everyday use, yes. Both mean moving your existing site from one host to another without paying a separate fee for the work.
Ready to move?
A free migration is only as smooth as the preparation behind it. Get your hosting access or a backup ready, know who controls your DNS, list anything unusual, and keep your old hosting until the switch is done. When you’re ready, pick a plan from our shared hosting plans and open a ticket, and we’ll handle the move.
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