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Free website migration

Move your site, database, email, and DNS to Dotweb at no cost. Our team handles the heavy lifting.

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Switching hosts shouldn’t be a weekend project. When you move to Dotweb, our team handles the migration end-to-end at no charge - files, database, email, DNS, and a final security check. With proper planning, the cutover happens with minimal-to-zero downtime.

What we migrate

  • Files and databases - copied across and reconfigured for your new server (config files updated, paths corrected).
  • Email accounts - mailboxes recreated on Dotweb and existing messages synced from your current mail server.
  • DNS records and TTL - we lower TTL ahead of the cutover so propagation takes minutes, not hours, and your existing records are preserved.
  • WordPress sites - themes, plugins, users, and uploads transfer in full.
  • SSL certificates - re-issued on Dotweb so HTTPS keeps working without browser warnings.
  • Security scan - after the migration we scan the transferred files for malware and let you know if anything turns up.

How to request a migration

  1. Order your hosting plan. Pick a web hosting or WordPress hosting plan that fits your site. You only pay for the plan - migration itself is free.
  2. Request the migration. Choose whichever channel you prefer:
  3. Share access details. We’ll respond with a secure form for credentials. Don’t email passwords in plain text.
  4. We migrate, you review. We run the migration on a staging URL first so you can confirm everything works. Once you approve, we cut DNS over at a time you choose.

What we’ll need from you

  • Your current hosting login (cPanel, Plesk, SSH, or admin/FTP credentials).
  • Your domain registrar login - only if Dotweb doesn’t already manage the domain.
  • A list of email accounts with their passwords, or IMAP details we can use to sync messages.
  • Any custom DNS records (MX, TXT, CNAME, etc.) you want preserved.

Limitations

We can’t migrate from locked sitebuilders - Wix, Squarespace, Webflow, or WordPress.com - because their themes and plugins are locked to those platforms. We also can’t move sites that don’t give you full file and database access.

Free migration is to web hosting or WordPress hosting only. It doesn’t cover managed VPS, and we don’t migrate sites into Dotweb’s own Website Builder.

Not sure if your site can be migrated? Contact us - we’ll check before you commit.

Timeline and downtime

A standard site is typically live on Dotweb within 1–3 business days of receiving access. Larger or more complex setups take longer; we’ll give you a realistic estimate up front.

Zero downtime when planned right

Because we run the migration on a staging URL and lower DNS TTL ahead of time, the actual cutover is fast and predictable. You pick the time, and visitors hit the new server within minutes.

Domain search

Prices exclude VAT, which is added at checkout.

Cookie settings

Choose what Dotweb may store in your browser. You can change your choice at any time under Cookie settings at the bottom of every page. Read more in our privacy policy.

Necessary

Always on

These keep the site working and remember the choices you make on it, such as language and currency. They don’t track you, so they’re always on.

NamePurposeDurationProvider
currencyCookieRemembers the currency prices are shown in.Session, or 1 year once you choose oneDotweb
localeCookieRemembers the language you chose.1 yearDotweb
consentCookieStores this choice.6 monthsDotweb
upm-brand-config:*Local storageCaches the domain search’s settings.Until clearedOur billing partner
upm_guest_sessionCookieSet by our checkout to keep your basket and checkout session.Up to 1 dayOur billing partner

Analytics

Analytics shows us which pages and features are used, so we can improve the site. We also record what you search for in the knowledge base and the domain search, to improve the site and our help articles. Sessions may also be recorded to see where pages are hard to use, with everything you type into forms and the text of your searches masked in the recording. Our analytics partner stores the data in the EU and anonymizes IP addresses. Nothing is set or sent unless you switch this on.

NamePurposeDurationProvider
ph_*Cookie, local storage and session storageAn anonymous ID and session, so we can see which pages and features are used.Up to 1 yearOur analytics partner (EU)