In this article we describe the steps to migrate a WordPress website from another, remote server to your Ecenica web hosting account.
Before you start
If you are importing a WordPress site which will be on an addon domain or sub-domain please create these first and ensure they are connected. This will ensure the domains appear in the drop-down list in step 5:
Steps to import WordPress from a remote server
- Log in to cPanel.
- Click WordPress Manager
- Click Remote Import
- Enter the remote WordPress installation details:
- Domain Name: The domain of the WordPress website you are importing
- Server Host: The server name or FTP hostname of the remote website
- Protocol: Choose FTP, FTPS (FTP over SSL) or SFTP (SSH)
- Port: Port of the FTP, FTPS or SFTP remote server
- FTP Username: Username for remote host
- FTP Password: Password for remote host
- FTP Path: The remote FTP path to your website files. E.g if when you login you see public_html or htdocs or www directory then your FTP Path will be /public_html or /htdocs or /www respectively. If you are using an addon domain or sub domain please provide the path to your addon domain or sub domain.
- Installation Directory: The sub-directory of your WordPress site. For example, blog. Leave blank if the installation is in the root /public_html directory.
- Enter the new details for the install on your Ecenica hosting plan.
- Select the protocol and domain you’d like to use for the imported WordPress site. E.g. https://www and example.com.
- In Directory: Enter a sub-directory if required. E.g. blog
- Optionally, in Advanced options, you can choose the database name you’d like to use. The default is auto-generated.
- Click Import
The import of your WordPress website will begin. First your remote details are checked and a connection is made. If an error appears please check the connection details you have provided. You may need to contact the current host of your remote WordPress install for these details.
The import time will vary depending on the size of the WordPress website you are importing and number of files.
Previewing Your Site
After migrating your website you can preview it by editing your computer’s hosts file. This lets you edit your local DNS to see your website. You can follow our guide to edit your hosts file on Windows and Mac.
You can also use SkipDNS to preview your website. Enter the domain and your Ecenica server IP.
Making your Website Live
When you are ready to make your migrated WordPress site live simply update the DNS. Follow our guide to Connecting a Domain Purchased Elsewhere.
If your domain is eligible we recommend transferring it. See how to transfer your domain