Overview
This article provides information about the WordPress Content Move Service provided by DreamHost's in-house expert WordPress Support Team.
What is the WordPress Content Move Service?
The WordPress Content Move Service moves the entire content of your site from one DreamHost account to another, and in almost all cases, includes the following:
- Your WordPress site and database
- The existing SSL/TLS certificate serving the domain
- Any custom DNS records you’ve created for the domain at DreamHost
- Any existing email addresses attached to the domain and their contents
- Any Announcement Lists or Discussion Lists attached to the domain
- Any subdomains that are hosted as DNS Only or Redirect
If there are any technical limitations preventing any of the above from being moved, DreamHost will let you know BEFORE performing the service and work with you to come up with an appropriate workaround.
The service can also be used to make a copy of your existing site and fully host it under a different domain on your own account, all while leaving the original site intact.
How it works
The following describes the general WordPress Content Move Service process:
- Once you contact DreamHost and establish that the Content Move Service fits your needs, DreamHost will then add the service charge to your account and send you an email to confirm additional details to help ensure the move goes as smoothly as possible, as well as to ask you to pay for the service fee.
- Once the fee is paid, reply to the message with the details requested. DreamHost will then begin the move process.
- DreamHost will send you another email when the move completes to let you know it's done. The email may also include any additional details or instructions if necessary.
- If everything looks satisfactory and you’re happy with the move, there is no need to reply. DreamHost will assume you are satisfied with it. On the rare occasion that you do notice a problem that may have been missed during the QA process, you can reply with a brief description of it. Please provide any details that DreamHost can use to identify the problem in order to get things back on track for you.
FAQs
How many site moves are included in the service?
DreamHost can move as many sites as you wish, but they are individually priced at $25 each.
Will my site remain online during the process?
In an account-to-account move, DreamHost must temporarily remove the hosting on your domain from the source account so it can be added to the new one. This is unavoidable and unfortunately, it does cause a brief amount of downtime. Fortunately, this usually lasts no more than five minutes due to DreamHost's ultrafast TTL settings.
If you’re using third-party nameservers and need to update your domain's A records, let DreamHost know what time works best for you so that the move can be performed at an optimal time.
If DreamHost is simply making a copy of your site and hosting it on your own account, it will remain live throughout the process.
What is the turnaround time?
Once the service is paid for and DreamHost has everything it needs from you, the entire process normally completes in just a few hours. If your site is particularly large, it may take a little longer but DreamHost will keep you updated if there are any delays.
Due to the nature of the process, some follow-up may be necessary before DreamHost can begin the move. In cases where there is more than one account owner, DreamHost will need consent from each owner before initiating the content move.
Can I continue to post to my website?
No. From a technical standpoint, if you update your site while DreamHost is transferring the data, or before your new DNS records have propagated, you’re actually making changes on the OLD server. DreamHost strongly recommends making no changes to your site once you’ve ordered the service to avoid any problems.
You should also consider toggling the site into Maintenance Mode (e.g., if it's an eCommerce site or receives comments/posts, as these too may be lost if placed during the move). DreamHost is happy to schedule a time window for the move to occur to suit your schedule where possible.
Will the mobile version of my site be affected?
DreamHost is only able to guarantee to move the desktop version of your site. If you’re using a plugin to generate a mobile version, this usually continues to run just fine, but there can be issues if the plugin you’re using does not use regular WordPress enqueues. If you do have issues with the mobile version of your site after a move, please let DreamHost know. The team is more than happy to offer some limited troubleshooting to get the mobile site running as well.
