How to Move a Website to a VPS with Zero Downtime

A website can move without visitors noticing a thing. The trick is to switch the domain last — once the new server has been tested and is running.

Step 1. Prepare the new server

Set up the same environment on the VPS as on your old hosting: the same PHP version, the same database type and the required extensions. Version mismatches are the most common reason a site “won’t start” after a move.

Step 2. Copy the data

Transfer the files and a database dump. Copy large sites in two passes: the bulk of the data in advance, then, right before the switch, only what has changed. This cuts the sync window down to minutes.

Step 3. Test before switching

Without changing DNS, open the site on the new server via the hosts file on your computer. Walk through the key scenarios: home page, catalog, cart, checkout, contact form, admin login and outgoing email.

Step 4. Lower the TTL in advance

A day before the move, lower the TTL of your DNS records to 300 seconds. Then, once the address changes, ISPs will refresh their caches in minutes rather than a day.

Step 5. Switch the domain

Point the A record to the new server’s IP. For a while, some visitors will still reach the old server — so keep it running for at least a day and, if the site takes orders, put the old copy into read-only mode so the data doesn’t diverge.

What to check afterwards

• The SSL certificate is issued and working, with an http-to-https redirect.
• The site sends email — forms and order notifications.
• Scheduled tasks (cron) are running.
• Backups are set up in the new location.

We migrate client projects free of charge and handle the technical side ourselves — from preparing the environment to verifying everything after the switch.