Short answer: a website can be moved to another host without a single minute of downtime - the order of the steps is what decides. First you get a copy running on the new server, and only then switch the address. Downtime comes from the reverse order: somebody switches the domain first and uploads the files afterwards.
Why sites "disappear" for a day
Your website's address is turned into a server address by DNS. DNS answers are remembered for a period set by the TTL - if it is 24 hours, then for a whole day part of the world will still be knocking at the old server. If that old server is already switched off, those people see an error.
Hence rule number one: the old server stays switched on for at least a day after the change. It costs a few zloty and saves all your traffic.
The order that works
- Lower the TTL on the domain's records to 300 seconds. Do it 1-2 days before the move - it is the only step that needs a head start.
- Stand up a copy on the new server: files, database, certificate. The new host has the site, but nobody knows it yet.
- Check the copy at a temporary address (the
hostsfile on your own computer, or the host's test address). Click through the whole site: forms, shop, panel login. - Sync the data at the end. If the site is live (orders, comments, posts), take a final database copy right before switching.
- Switch the DNS to the new server. With a TTL of 300 seconds, the world finds out within minutes.
- Leave the old server running for at least 24-48 hours.
- Restore the TTL to its normal value and check the certificate on the new server.
What gets forgotten most often
- Email. If mail sits with your current provider and you repoint the whole domain, you can cut it off. MX records are a separate matter from the website record - they have to be moved deliberately. While you are at it, it is worth knowing that Gmail is dropping fetching from company mailboxes, so a migration is sometimes a good moment to sort out both things at once.
- The SSL certificate. The new server needs its own certificate, issued before you switch traffic.
- Redirects. Rules from
.htaccessor from the panel do not always travel with the files. - Scheduled tasks (cron) - backups, syncs, mailings.
- Database size. A large shop takes longer to move than intuition suggests; at 10 GB this is not a "quick job before the weekend".
When it is worth moving at all
Not for price alone. It makes sense when: the site is slow because of the server (check that first - in most cases the fault lies elsewhere), when the provider has no backups or does not answer tickets, when the renewal jumps to a figure with nothing behind it (the same mechanism as with domains), or when you want everything in one place.
How I do it
I treat a migration as an operation with a checklist, not as dragging files around. A copy and testing on the new server, switching during the quietest hours, the old server kept for a day in case of surprises, and checks after the switch: site, forms, mail, certificate, search results. A standard company site is a few hours of work, all of it invisible to users.
Want to move your site without losing a single enquiry? Write to me - I will tell you how long it will take in your case and whether it is worth it at all. If your current hosting is fine, I will say so plainly.
Frequently asked questions
Will I lose my Google rankings during the move? No, provided the page addresses stay the same and the site never disappears, even briefly. Google notices the server, but judges the content and the addresses.
How long does DNS propagation take? With a lowered TTL, minutes. Without that preparation, up to 24-48 hours.
Can I move the site myself? With a simple site, a backup and some patience - yes. With a shop that has orders in progress, I would not advise doing it for the first time in your life.
What about email during the move? Mail stays where it is as long as you do not touch the MX records. If you are moving that too, it is done as a separate step, with a copy of the mailboxes over IMAP.