Moving hosts without losing email
Most migration problems are not about the website. They are about email that quietly stops arriving after the switch.
A host move touches three things: the website files, the database and the DNS records that tell the internet where to find them. Email lives in those DNS records too.
01 / Inventory
Write down everything the domain does
Before anything moves, list every service that uses your domain: the website, mailboxes, forwarding addresses, a booking tool, a newsletter platform. Each one usually has its own DNS record, and each one can break.
02 and 03 / Backup and DNS plan
The records to copy before you switch
Take a full backup of files and database, then export the current DNS zone. These are the records that matter most for email.
| Record | What it does | If it is missing |
|---|---|---|
| MX | Says which server receives your email | Incoming email stops arriving |
| SPF | Lists who is allowed to send as your domain | Your emails land in spam |
| DKIM | Signs outgoing email so it can be verified | Mail is rejected or flagged |
| DMARC | Tells receivers what to do with failed checks | Spoofed mail is harder to stop |
| A / CNAME | Point the domain and subdomains to servers | Site or tools stop loading |
04 / The switch
Plan for the in-between hours
After DNS changes, some visitors reach the new server and some still reach the old one. This can last up to 48 hours. Keep the old hosting live until the window closes.
05 / Post-move tests
Test it like a customer would
Planning a host move?
We start with an inventory and a DNS plan, agree the switch time with you, then test email, forms and checkout after the move.
Plan a migration
