Rescue and migration
Website broken, hacked or moving? Start here.
Tell us what’s wrong. We diagnose it, restore it or move it safely, then help stop it happening again.
Start here
What’s wrong?
Pick the line closest to what you’re seeing. It takes you to the service that fixes it.
Two terms you’ll see. DNS is the set of records that points your domain at your website and email. SSL is the certificate behind the browser padlock.
Not on the list? Report it anyway and we’ll find the cause during an initial assessment.
- Your site is down, won’t load, or shows an error or blank page.We’ll find out whether it’s hosting, DNS or code.initial assessment
- Google or your browser warns visitors that your site is unsafe.Hacked site cleanup
- Your site redirects to spam, or strange pages appear in Google.Hacked site cleanup
- Your host suspended the site, or there are admin users you don’t recognise.Hacked site cleanup
- Your site shows a certificate error or “Not secure”.Domains, DNS and SSL
- Your domain expired, or email stopped arriving after a change.Domains, DNS and SSL
- Your host is shutting down, or your site is too slow where it is.Host and platform migration
- You’re moving from Wix or Squarespace to WordPress.Host and platform migration
- You were cleaned up before, and it happened again.Security hardening
Right now
While you wait
Five safe things to do before we speak. None of them makes the problem worse.
01
If card details may be at risk, take the site offline now.
Use the maintenance or suspend option in your host’s control panel. It can go back on once we’ve checked it.
02
Don’t delete files or restore an old backup yet.
Changed files show how it started, and an old backup can bring the same weakness back.
03
Change your hosting password from a clean device.
Use a phone or computer you trust, then do the same for your site admin and email.
04
Note when you first saw the problem.
Write down the time, what you saw and who told you. Screenshot any warning.
05
Don’t send passwords by email or chat.
Not to us or anyone else. We’ll send you a secure way to share access.
Services and scope
Four services, each with a clear scope
We assess the problem and confirm the scope and next steps in writing before work starts.
Most urgent
Hacked site cleanup
Malware, spam pages or a Google warning.
- Malware, spam pages and hidden back doors removed
- A full backup taken before we change anything
- Google and browser warnings cleared, review requested
- Passwords changed on every account involved
- Incident timeline and diagnosis in writing
Certificate or domain
Domains, DNS and SSL
Certificate errors, expired domains, lost email.
- One certificate, domain or DNS problem fixed
- Your current records saved before any change
- Email records checked so messages arrive
- A written note of every record we changed
Has to move
Host and platform migration
A closing host, a slow site or a platform change.
- An inventory of pages, files, databases and mailboxes
- A tested backup that you keep
- A DNS plan, with the switch-over time agreed
- Old site stays live until the new one passes checks
Prevent
Security hardening
After a cleanup, or before you need one.
- A review of plugins, themes, users and hosting
- Two-step sign-in on every admin account
- Old accounts and unused plugins removed
- A ranked list of risks, and what we changed
How it works
How a rescue works
Five steps, in the same order every time. You’ll always know which step we’re on.
01
We acknowledge your report and set the next step.
A person confirms we’ve got it and offers a time for your initial assessment.
02
We diagnose the cause before we quote.
During an initial assessment we confirm the likely cause. You get a fixed fee, and nothing starts until you say yes.
03
We restore what’s broken, starting from a backup.
We copy the site first so every change can be undone, then fix or move it. Updates come at agreed times.
04
We verify the fix with real checks.
We test sign-in, forms, checkout, email and how Google sees the site.
05
We report what happened and how to prevent it.
You get the written report, plus a ranked list of what would stop it happening again.
The person you talk to does the work. The same person runs your initial assessment, restores the site and writes the report.
What we need from you
Once you’ve agreed the fee, we’ll ask for these. Nothing more.
- Access to your hosting account
- An admin login for the site
- Access to your domain registrar, if DNS is involved
- One person who can approve decisions
Never by email. Share logins through your password manager, or the one-time secure link we send you. We remove our access at the end and note it in the report.
BearStackRescue and migration
Your website needs a way forward.
Tell us what’s broken. Let’s work out the next step.
Proof, not promises
What you get in writing
At the end of every rescue you receive a plain-language report. Keep it for your records or the next developer.
Incident timeline.
What happened and when, in your timezone.
Diagnosis.
The cause in plain words, and how we confirmed it.
Recovery checks.
Each test we ran after the fix, and its result.
Prevention plan.
Remaining risks, ranked, with the fee to fix each.
For moves, the report also holds the inventory, the DNS plan and the post-move tests.
Let’s talk about your website
Let’s get to the cause.
Share your website and what has changed. A useful starting point is the error, warning or problem you can see.
- 01 Share your website
- 02 Describe the problem
- 03 Agree the next step
FAQ
Rescue questions, answered
Something not covered here? Ask it in your report and we'll answer it on the call.
What happens after I report a problem?
A person reads it and replies with a time for an initial assessment, plus anything safe to do meanwhile. On the call we confirm the likely cause and quote a fixed fee for the agreed scope. Nothing is charged until you agree it.
How much does a rescue cost?
We assess the problem and confirm the scope and any fee in writing before work starts.
How long will it take to fix?
It depends on the cause, which is why we diagnose first. We’ll give you a time during the initial assessment, and update you at agreed times while we work. If that time changes, we’ll tell you why.
Could I lose my website or data?
We take a full backup before we change anything, so every step can be undone. We can’t bring back data that was deleted and never backed up. On the call we’ll tell you honestly what looks recoverable.
How do I give you access safely?
Through your password manager’s sharing feature, or the one-time secure link we send you. Never by email, text or chat. When we finish, we remove our access and note it in the report.
Can you help if someone else built my site?
Yes. We need access to the hosting or platform account, and it helps to know who built it. If your original developer is still around, we’re happy to work alongside them.
Should I contact my host first?
Check your host’s status page and whether your domain renewal has lapsed; both are quick to rule out. If your host suspended the site for malware, keep their message and forward it to us.
Will it happen again?
No one can honestly promise a site will never be attacked again. A cleanup closes the way in we found. Security hardening closes the other gaps we can see, so a repeat is less likely and easier to spot.