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Move an existing WordPress site to StretchWP

A step-by-step guide to migrating a WordPress site you already run onto managed StretchWP hosting, with a pre-migration checklist and how to avoid downtime.

What migrating means

Migrating brings an existing WordPress site — its content, media, theme, and settings — onto managed StretchWP hosting. Afterward, the site benefits from the managed plugin suite, automatic updates, backups, and one-click admin access. The goal is a clean cutover with no data loss and minimal downtime.

Migration is a coordinated process, not a single button, because your existing site could be anywhere, in any state. Preparing well is what makes it smooth.

Before you migrate: checklist

Work through this before requesting the migration:

  1. Take a full backup of your current site (files + database) and keep it somewhere you control. Never migrate without an independent backup.
  2. Note your current host and access — hosting login, WordPress admin, and how you manage DNS/your domain registrar.
  3. Inventory plugins and themes. List what's active. Flag anything that overlaps the managed suite (security, caching, backups, SEO, image optimization) — those will be replaced by the first-party versions.
  4. Record your domain and DNS setup. Know where your domain's nameservers point and which records exist, because the final step is repointing DNS.
  5. Check size and complexity. Very large media libraries or heavily customized sites may need extra coordination.
  6. Freeze major changes. Avoid publishing big updates during the migration window so the copied version matches what you expect.

See Checklist before migrating or restoring a StretchWP site for the full list.

The migration steps

  1. In your workspace, open StretchWP and start a migration / move an existing site request.
  2. Provide the details Stretch asks for: your current site URL, and secure access or an export so the content can be copied.
  3. Stretch provisions a new managed site and imports your content, media, and theme onto it. It first appears on a temporary StretchMedia URL so you can review it before going live.
  4. Review the staged copy on the temporary URL: check pages, posts, images, menus, and forms. Confirm nothing is missing.
  5. When it looks right, connect your custom domain — publish the DNS records Stretch provides (see Custom domains for your StretchWP site).
  6. Once DNS propagates and verifies, the site goes live on your real domain, now fully managed.
  7. After you've confirmed the live site is healthy, decommission the old host.

A realistic example

You run paynecoaching.ca on a budget shared host and it's slow and occasionally goes down. You want it managed:

  1. You back it up independently, then request a StretchWP migration.
  2. Stretch imports it; you review the copy at a temporary StretchMedia URL and confirm every page and photo made it across.
  3. You realize the old site used three overlapping plugins (a cache plugin, a security plugin, and an image optimizer) — all now handled by the managed suite, so you drop them.
  4. You publish the DNS records to point paynecoaching.ca at StretchWP.
  5. DNS verifies, the site goes live, load times improve, and backups/updates are now automatic.
  6. You keep your old backup for a couple of weeks, then close the old hosting account.

Tips

  • Review on the temporary URL before touching DNS. DNS is the only step visitors notice. Get everything right on the staged copy first, then cut over.
  • Expect the managed suite to replace overlapping plugins. Don't reinstall your old security/cache/backup plugins after migrating.
  • Lower your domain's DNS TTL a day ahead if you can, so the final cutover propagates faster.

Troubleshooting

Some media didn't come across — large libraries occasionally need a second pass; report exactly what's missing so it can be re-imported rather than re-doing everything.

A custom plugin doesn't behave the same — highly customized or premium plugins may need reconfiguration or their own license re-entered; flag these in advance.

Site looks different on the temporary URL — usually a caching or hardcoded-URL issue; report it before cutover so it's fixed on the staged copy.

FAQ

Will my site go down during migration? The new site is built and reviewed on a temporary URL first, so the live site keeps serving until you repoint DNS. Downtime is typically just the short DNS cutover window.

Do I keep my SEO / URLs? Yes — the goal is to preserve your permalinks and content so rankings carry over. Verify key URLs on the staged copy.

Can I roll back if something's wrong? Keep your independent pre-migration backup until you've confirmed the live managed site is fully healthy.

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