How to migrate your server between hosts without losing data

Changing hosting is daunting because it feels like something will get lost on the way. With a clear order, it doesn't have to. The key is not to shut down the old one until the new one is working and checked.

What usually gets forgotten

Almost nobody loses the main folder; what gets forgotten is what lives outside it: system users, scheduled tasks, service configuration, certificates, firewall rules. A serious migration inventories that whole footprint, not just the visible data.

The right order

First you prepare the destination, then copy everything, verify it boots and works the same, and only at the end change the DNS to point to the new one. Nothing irreversible until the new one is tested.

Test before shutting down the old one

Before moving users, the new server should be running and checked, ideally with a real test. The old server stays on until you confirm the new one is fine. That way, if something fails, you roll back without drama.

DNS and propagation

A DNS change isn't instant: it takes time to propagate. Lowering the TTL beforehand shrinks the window. For a while the two coexist; that's why you shut down the old one only when all the traffic already goes to the new one.

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