WebsiteMoving your website to a new host: what to watch out for
2 min readBefore the switch, make a list of every URL on your site, and a copy of the site and your email. After the move, redirect every old URL to the page that replaces it and check the whole list. Watch your email: it often runs through the same domain and stops working without anyone noticing.
Moving isn't a big job if you do it in the right order. Where it goes wrong is the stuff people forget.
Make a copy and a list first
A copy of the site, and a list of every URL that exists now. That list is your check afterwards.
Don't forget your email
Your email often runs through the same domain. Change your DNS settings without moving your email records and nothing comes in anymore, and you only find out when a customer calls to ask why you never replied.
Redirect old URLs
If a URL changes, set up a permanent (301) redirect from the old one to the new one. Otherwise that page can lose its place on Google.
Check after the switch
Go down the list: does every URL lead somewhere? Does the form still work? Is email arriving? Nobody can promise your position will stay exactly the same. What you can do is make sure no URL gets lost.
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