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Everything You Should Know About Website Migration [Checklist Included]
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- November 20th, 2025
To stay current with design trends and web standards, your website may need a redesign every few years. While a simple update or facelift is often sufficient, sometimes a full website migration is necessary. If your current platform no longer meets your growing business needs, it may be time to consider migrating your website.
In this article, we’ll walk you through everything you need to know about website migration, from understanding why it’s important to how to ensure a smooth transition. Plus, we’ve included a comprehensive checklist to help guide you through each step of the way.
Article Overview
- What is a website migration?
- When is a website migration needed?
- Why is website migration important?
- Does website migration affect SEO?
- The Website migration process: a step-by-step guide
- Best practices for a smooth transition
- Issues while migrating your website to a CMS platform
What is a website migration?
Website migration is a significant and often complex process that involves moving your website from one environment to another. It involves a fundamental change to a site’s URL structure, which can include updates to its location, platform, layout, content, architecture, or UX. Website migration doesn’t necessarily mean changing your website’s domain. SEO-speaking, website migration refers to any major changes that impact the site’s indexability and visibility to search engines.
It often happens for your business to grow or your brand needs to change its dynamic so migration to another CMS platform may come at the right time. One of the most popular platforms is, of course, WordPress. However, for different reasons, you may need to switch from WordPress to another platform. Here are some alternatives you can choose from – https://htmlburger.com/blog/wordpress-alternatives/.
When is a website migration needed?
Here is a list of the most common reasons why you might need to migrate your website.
➡️ Domain change: Moving from one domain name to another (e.g., from htmlburger.com to newhtmlburger.com). Businesses rebrand or acquire a more suitable domain name for SEO, marketing, etc. This requires migrating all site content to the new domain and ensuring proper redirection to sustain traffic.
➡️ Hosting migration: Changing the hosting provider or moving your website to another server. If the current hosting provider is too slow, unreliable, expensive, or lacks support for features like higher security or bandwidth, migrating to a new hosting provider may offer better features for you.
➡️ CMS platform migration: Switching from one content management system (CMS) to another (e.g., from WordPress to Shopify). This may happen when the current platform lacks the features needed, the business has outgrown the CMS, or there’s a desire for a more user-friendly or scalable platform.
➡️ Design update: Changing the visual structure and layout of the website. A site redesign may be needed to improve usability, create a more modern look, align with a rebranding, or enhance mobile responsiveness and accessibility. This usually involves migrating existing content into a new design template or framework.
➡️ Protocol migration: If your website has been compromised, moving to a more secure server, by adding SSL certificates (migrating from HTTP to HTTPS), might be necessary and is also what Google highly recommends.
➡️ SEO optimization: SEO-focused migrations may involve cleaning up the URL structure, adding HTTPS for security, or making technical SEO improvements like creating a better sitemap or optimizing page load times. A migration may also be needed to implement a mobile-first design, which is crucial for SEO today.
Each of these significant changes can impact SEO, traffic, and user experience if not handled properly, so following a structured plan is a must when it comes to such a complex task as migration.
Why is website migration important?
We can think of a few reasons why businesses and site owners decide to migrate their websites. Here are some of the most common ones:
➡️ Capacity for growth: As your website grows, your website may need to handle increased traffic, content, and functionality. A scalable website can handle more traffic, larger databases, and increased complexity without slowing down, ensuring a smooth user experience even during growth periods or high traffic spikes. Migrating to a more scalable platform allows you to meet future demands without facing performance issues.
➡️ Security upgrades: Website security is a top priority for businesses. Migrating to a more secure platform, server, or protocol (from HTTP to HTTPS) can significantly reduce vulnerabilities, protect sensitive user data, boost SEO rankings, and maintain compliance with regulations like GDPR or HIPAA.
➡️ Improved performance: Slow-loading websites frustrate users and negatively impact SEO. Migrating to a faster or more reliable hosting company can enhance site speed, and performance and retain visitors longer having a better overall experience.
➡️ Better CMS platform: A more advanced CMS may be what you need as it offers new features, better SEO tools, and easier management. Also, it makes businesses competitive and allows them to take advantage of modern design trends, improved performance, and new development frameworks.
➡️ Rebranding: When a business rebrands or changes its domain name, a migration ensures that the website’s identity aligns with the new brand. Rebranding with a smooth migration helps prevent SEO losses, maintains user trust, and provides a seamless transition to the new brand identity.
➡️ SEO improvements: SEO is critical for attracting organic traffic from search engines like Google. Migrating can prevent traffic loss, maintain or improve the site structure and rankings, and enhance visibility, leading to increased traffic and business growth.
Does website migration affect SEO?
If implemented without a proper plan in place, a site migration can seriously affect SEO negatively. However, if done correctly, it can also improve it drastically. That’s why you should treat any migration as a major project with multiple participants. You should accept that it’s almost impossible to perform a website migration without it having at least some SEO impact. Search engines like Google prioritize fast and user-friendly sites, so a well-executed migration can improve rankings. Make sure to use a website migration checklist to ensure a smooth transition and minimize the risk of negative influence on SEO.
So we have one advice for you: plan, plan, plan! We are here to help, so below we’ve created an apprehensive plan to guide you through each step of your website migration so it goes as smoothly as possible.
The website migration process: a step-by-step guide
Pre-migration
1. Create your pre-migration plan
Before starting the migration, ensure you have a clear idea of how you want the process to go. Each goal will require different steps so plan accordingly. Now, what do you start with?
- Set the project scope: Identify the purpose behind the site migration and determine what parts of your site need to change (SEO, security, rebranding, etc.).
- Prepare a timeline and budget: Set a clear timeline to avoid delays and minimize downtime during peak hours and impact on organic search traffic. Be aware that such a big project may require more than just a few weeks.
- Benchmark performance: Record key performance metrics such as site speed, traffic, rankings, and conversion rates to use as a comparison post-migration.
- Include the team: Inform team members, developers, hosting providers, and content creators about the site migration.
2. Prepare for the migration
After your plan is ready, you need to start the preparation. Depending on the type of migration you’re performing, next steps may include:
- Domain update: Purchase and configure the new domain.
- Web host change: Choose a new hosting provider.
- HTTP to HTTPS: Obtain an SSL certificate.
- Platform update: Choose the new website platform and set up your account.
3. Back-up everything
Having a backup guarantees you can revert to the previous version if anything wrong happens. Before you proceed, ensure you have a full backup of your current website, including:
- Website files (HTML, CSS, JavaScript, etc.)
- Databases
- Media files (images, videos, etc.)
- CMS content and settings
- User data and e-commerce transactions (if applicable)
4. Audit and inventory your current site
Before the actual migration, there are a few additional steps to follow:
- Perform a technical SEO audit: This is a comprehensive analysis of a website’s performance of various factors like technical structure, content, SEO, user experience, and security. This is an important task as it identifies all URLs, content, backlinks, and functionality that will be affected by the migration. Tools like Screaming Frog or Google Analytics can help you generate an inventory of URLs, metadata, and structured data.
- Crawl your site: Use a tool like Semrush Site Audit or Screaming Frog to crawl your current site and list all URLs which will help to create the URL mapping.
- List all media: Identify all media files, downloadable resources, and linked documents.
5. Make a copy of your website on a staging site
Copy your website on a staging or development environment before making changes to the live site. This allows you to test and debug without affecting the live site.
- Set up a staging site: Mirror your live site and implement the changes in a non-public environment (e.g., staging.websitename.com).
- Database copy: Duplicate the database as well and connect it to the new website’s files.
- Test everything: Ensure the migration doesn’t break the design, functionality, or structure of the site.
6. Block access to your staging site
You can block search engines and users from accessing your staging site by adding password protection from the web host panel.
Next, add a “noindex” tag to every page on your staging site so web crawlers won’t include it in search results. The tag you should add in the <head> of each page is this:
<meta name=”robots” content=”noindex”>
Migration execution
7. Update DNS settings
If you’re migrating to a new hosting provider, update your DNS settings to point to the new server. Advise this with your web host. DNS propagation can take anywhere from a few minutes to 48 hours, so plan accordingly.
8. Update your new website
Now it’s the time to update your website – whether you want to change its design, some functionalities, or anything else. Make sure that you don’t change large parts together because if anything goes wrong, it would be difficult to identify where the problem exactly is coming from. Updating small sections is more manageable and easy to isolate any issues. Then test and monitor the migration process to ensure a smooth transition.
9. Map out 301 redirects
If you’re changing the domain name, you’ll need to ensure that old URLs properly redirect to the new URLs. This step is crucial for preserving SEO value and preventing users from encountering 404 errors.
Make a list of all URLs on your website. You can do this manually or use several tools to help like Google Analytics, Google Search Console, and the XML sitemap (file that contains the URLs you want to be indexed). You can get the comprehensive URL list from the audit tool that you previously used.
If your website is moving to a new location, you need to set up a 301 redirect from the old URL to its new one. A 301 redirect ensures that visitors will be redirected to the new location (e.g. http://www.website.com to https://www.website.com).
If there are any old pages that you don’t want to migrate to your new site, these old URLs should receive a 410 status code which tells search engines and visitors that the page and its content have been removed.
10. Update URLs on your staging site
You’re now ready to replace or remove the old URLs on your staging site. This will ensure there are no links to deleted pages and no links going through unnecessary redirects, which can slow down your site and harm SEO.
Check all URLs used and delete those that are no longer used. They can be found as:
- Href links: These are standard links found anywhere on the page.
- Hreflang tags: links for different language versions of your website (if you have those).
- Canonical tags
- XML sitemap
- robots.txt file which includes all blocked URLs.
11. Check the accessibility
If you’ve redesigned your website, it’s advisable to check its level of accessibility. Make sure your website is compliant with the WCAG 2.0 requirements, especially if you start providing services to new countries and markets.
12. Test the staging website
Once you’re ready with all the changes you’ve done, review your website before proceeding with the migration. Make sure everything looks good on desktop and mobile devices, all functionality works well and all pages are present. You can run again the audit tool at this point.
13. Launch the new website
Finally, it is time to proceed with the migration itself. Start small with less important sections and smaller pages and make sure you test it throughout. It is a good idea to do this process when the traffic is usually low in case anything happens.
14. Remove the crawler blocks
Now you need to make your new website available to users and search engine crawlers again. So you should remove the password protection and the “noindex” tags from each page.
15. Delete pages and update URLs
Delete all pages that are no longer being used, make sure all external links are working correctly, and redirect properly to the new website pages. It’s best if all links are updated in the code instead of users being redirected via a backlink.
16. Set up Google Analytics and Google Search Console
Add Google Analytics by setting up an account, data stream, and a tracking code which you should include in the <head> tag of your page. GA tracks user interactions and collects important data when the site goes live.
Also, set up Google Search Console (GSC) to monitor the new website’s search engine visibility and identify issues. Make sure to submit the new XML sitemap to GSC to ensure successful indexability and crawlability. You can also use GSC to track website traffic and identify areas for improvement.
Post-migration monitoring
After the migration process is done, it’s time to carefully observe how well our new website is performing and if there are any issues to be cleared. It’s common to see a temporary drop in results after a site migration. However, if some pages are underperforming more than others, it’s worth investigating further.
Regarding SEO, here are our recommendations:
17. Monitor performance
- Keyword rankings: It’s always a good idea after the migration to monitor rankings and website traffic via a tool of your choice to ensure the success of the site migration.
- Backlinks: If you’ve changed domains, reach out to external websites to update backlinks to your website.
- Audit: Run an audit on your website to check if any errors are coming up.
- GSC: You should see your new website’s pages being indexed and your old pages being deindexed.
- Check redirects: Ensure all 301 redirects are working correctly and redirecting to the appropriate pages.
- Test site performance: Compare loading times and check for any performance issues.
We’ve prepared a special document with a website migration checklist, including all of the steps needed for success. You can download it here.
Best practices for a smooth transition
There are a lot of steps for a successful site migration and it may look overwhelming at first. But not to worry, because with good planning and the right strategy, things should work out well. For the best possible outcome, here are some top practices to follow, summarized:
✅ Plan thoroughly: Define your goals, and create a timeline for planning, implementation, testing, and an exact launch date.
✅ Checklist: Use a website migration checklist to ensure a smooth transition and minimize the risk of negative impact on SEO.
✅ Conduct a pre-migration audit: Crawl your website, check existing issues and if any, resolve them first.
✅ Implement 301 redirects: Map old to new URLs and use 301 redirects to permanently point users and search engines from old to new URLs.
✅ Test in a staging environment: Before going live, test the migration on a staging server to identify potential issues.
✅ Update links internally: Update all internal links on your website so they lead to the new URLs.
✅ Update sitemap and robots.txt: Ensure your sitemap includes all new URLs and submit it to Google Search Console. Ensure the robots.txt file allows search engines to crawl the new site.
✅ Monitor Analytics & Search Console: Use Google Analytics and GSC to track performance and identify issues.
✅ Launch during low-traffic periods: Schedule the migration during low-time traffic to allow for immediate troubleshooting if needed.
✅ Crawl the new website: After launch, crawl the site again to identify any broken links, redirect chains, or missing pages.
✅ Monitor rankings & traffic: Use GSC and analytics to monitor the site’s rankings drops, traffic changes, and any indexing issues.
✅ Fix Errors: Address any 404 errors, incorrect redirects, or indexing issues as soon as they appear.
Issues while migrating your website to a CMS platform
Migrating a website to a CMS platform can be complex, and sometimes things don’t go exactly according to plan. Here are some common problems you might face during migration to some popular CMS platforms, along with tips on how to resolve or prevent them:
1. Shopify
Migrating to Shopify comes with several potential problems, especially if you’re moving from a platform with a different structure, functionality, or SEO setup. Here are some of them:
➡️ Product data formatting: Shopify has specific requirements for product attributes (like SKUs, variants, collections, etc.), and mismatches in data formats can cause issues.
➡️ Limited import/export capabilities: Shopify’s native tools for importing/exporting data are limited, especially for large stores or stores with complex product variants, requiring third-party apps or custom scripts.
➡️ Loss of customer and order history: Shopify doesn’t support importing order history, which may require manual migration or third-party solutions to bring in data.
➡️ Fixed URL structure: Shopify has limited flexibility when it comes to customizing URLs. For instance, you can’t remove certain parts like /collections/ or /products/ from URLs, which might not match the structure of your old site.
➡️ Rebuilding design: Shopify themes use Liquid, so your existing pages’ design may not be easily transferable if you use custom-built themes on another platform.
➡️ Custom functionalities: Features that were custom-built on another platform (e.g., complex filters, product personalization) may need custom development or third-party apps in Shopify.
➡️ Theme limitations: While Shopify has many themes available, advanced customization of themes might require more technical work or custom coding.
2. WordPress
Next, we’re looking at some common problems you might face during a WordPress migration.
➡️ Broken links and missing pages: After migration, internal links may point to the old URLs, resulting in 404 errors. Use a tool like Better Search Replace to update old URLs to new ones.
➡️ Lost media files: Sometimes media files (images, videos, etc.) don’t transfer properly during migration. Check the “Uploads Folder” and make sure that the “wp-content/uploads” folder was copied correctly to the new server. Or use a plugin like Regenerate Thumbnails to ensure all media sizes are properly generated.
➡️ Database connection errors: A common problem after migrating is the “Error establishing a database connection” message. Check the “wp-config.php” file and verify the database name, username, password, and host. If you’re moving to a different host, make sure the database credentials are updated accordingly.
➡️ Plugin and theme compatibility issues: After migration, certain plugins or themes may not work as expected, especially if there’s a change in the server environment (PHP version, MySQL version, etc.). So, make sure all plugins and themes are up-to-date before migration. Also, ensure that your new server environment supports the versions of WordPress, PHP, and MySQL that your site relies on.
➡️ Missing SSL certificate: If your new host doesn’t have an SSL certificate installed, users may see security warnings when accessing your site via HTTPS. You can use the Really Simple SSL plugin to ensure your site is correctly configured for HTTPS.
➡️ Slower website: Your website may become slower due to differences in server performance or improper caching. You can clean the cache and optimize performance by using a caching plugin like WP Super Cache or W3 Total Cache. Optimize and clean the WordPress database by using plugins like WP-Optimize.
3. Wix
Migrating to Wix can simplify website management for users who prefer a drag-and-drop builder with less technical maintenance. However, it also comes with challenges, particularly for those migrating from more complex or custom-built platforms. Here are some of the hurdles you may struggle with:
➡️ No direct import tool: Wix doesn’t provide built-in tools for importing websites from other platforms or custom-built websites, therefore you have to manually recreate your website, which can be time-consuming. Or, instead, you can consider hiring a web developer to do this for you.
➡️ Loss of custom functionality: Wix is a closed system, which limits your ability to use custom code, plugins, or advanced features that your current site may rely on. Check for pre-built apps that might replicate the functionality of your current site. If you need advanced customization, Wix offers a tool called Velo by Wix, which allows for custom coding. However, it may still not offer the full flexibility of open-source platforms like WordPress.
➡️ Design limitations: While Wix offers a drag-and-drop builder, its design flexibility is limited compared to other platforms that allow more control over HTML and CSS. If your existing site has a custom design, it may be difficult to fully replicate it on Wix. Choose a Wix template that matches your current design and use the drag-and-drop editor to customize it as much as possible. With some coding knowledge, you can use Velo by Wix to add custom CSS or JavaScript.
➡️ Limited eCommerce features: Wix’s eCommerce features are limited compared to platforms like Shopify or WooCommerce. It lacks advanced options like complex product variations, multi-currency support, and advanced checkouts. While suitable for small-to-medium stores, larger, more complex shops may benefit from Shopify or BigCommerce for better scalability and features.
➡️ No database or file access: Wix doesn’t allow access to your site’s database or server files, making complex data migration or custom configurations difficult. You’ll need to manually transfer complex data (databases, forms, or user-generated content) into Wix’s system using built-in features or third-party apps.
4. Squarespace
Squarespace is a user-friendly drag-and-drop platform, however, some specific issues may arise during the migration process. This is particularly true for users coming from more customizable or complex platforms like WordPress, Joomla, or custom-built sites. Some common problems include:
➡️ No direct import for complex sites: Squarespace doesn’t have an import tool for every platform. While it does offer import options for WordPress and some blogging platforms, more complex sites, especially those with custom-built elements, will need to be manually recreated.
➡️ Limited code control: Squarespace has limited access to the underlying HTML, CSS, and JavaScript code compared to platforms like WordPress. While it allows some custom CSS and code blocks, users with highly customized websites may find this restrictive. Also, custom functionality, such as unique plugins or specific integrations, may not work on Squarespace without limited custom coding.
➡️ Functionality loss: Squarespace may not support certain advanced features like membership systems, and extensive eCommerce functionality. If your site uses complex functionality like advanced forms, custom databases, or user account systems, you might need to rethink or abandon it altogether.
➡️ eCommerce limitations: Squarespace provides eCommerce tools, but they may not be as advanced as platforms like Shopify or WooCommerce. For larger or more complex stores, Squarespace might lack features like dynamic pricing, multiple payment gateways, or detailed inventory management. Importing any eCommerce data may require manual work.
➡️ No database access: Like Wix, Squarespace doesn’t give users direct access to the database or server-side code. If your site relies on extensive databases, like user data and product inventories, these will require third-party integrations or manual input.
➡️ Third-party integrations: Squarespace supports many popular third-party services (e.g., Mailchimp, Stripe), but it may not integrate with some of the more niche or highly specialized services your existing site may rely on. Custom integrations might require more technical work or may not be supported at all.
5. HubSpot
Migrating a website to HubSpot can be great for businesses looking to integrate their CMS with marketing automation, CRM, and sales tools. However, the migration process can be complex if your existing site relies on custom designs and advanced functionalities. Below are some troubles you might bump into during migration:
➡️ Third-party tools and plugin Compatibility: Unlike WordPress, which has thousands of plugins, HubSpot operates within a more closed ecosystem. If your existing site relies on specific third-party tools or plugins, you’ll need to find compatible HubSpot integrations or develop custom solutions.
➡️ No direct database access: Just like Wix and Squarespace, HubSpot doesn’t give users direct access to the website’s database. If your current website relies on database-driven features (e.g., dynamic content, user profiles, complex data retrieval), you may need to use HubSpot’s built-in tools, which can be limiting.
➡️ Limited custom coding: HubSpot allows for custom code in its CMS, but the environment may feel more restrictive compared to open platforms like WordPress or Joomla. If your site relies on specific plugins, widgets, or custom functionality, replicating these features in HubSpot might require significant development work.
➡️ Limited eCommerce support: HubSpot’s native CMS does not have full-fledged eCommerce functionality like WooCommerce or Shopify. If your website is an online store, migrating to HubSpot might require using third-party eCommerce platforms that integrate with HubSpot.
➡️ Form migration: Forms built on other platforms (especially custom-built forms) may not directly translate to HubSpot’s form system. If your website has complex forms with conditional logic or unique integrations, these may need to be rebuilt using HubSpot’s form builder or custom modules.
6. Webflow
Lastly, we’re going to mention migrating a website to Webflow, which can be a great option for those seeking design flexibility and control over the visual aspects of their site. Some issues that may occur are:
➡️ Manual content migration: Webflow doesn’t offer a one-click migration solution for platforms like WordPress, Joomla, or custom-built websites. Most migrations require manually recreating the content in Webflow, which can be time-consuming.
➡️ Custom design rebuild: Webflow’s strength is its design flexibility, but if you’re migrating from a site with a custom design, you’ll need to recreate the entire layout manually using Webflow’s designer.
➡️ Manual SEO setup: You’ll need to manually optimize your site for SEO by setting up meta tags, alt text, structured data, and canonical tags in Webflow. Unlike platforms with dedicated SEO plugins (e.g., Yoast for WordPress), Webflow requires manual configuration, which can be overwhelming during migration.
➡️ Limited eCommerce capabilities: Webflow’s native eCommerce functionality is relatively basic compared to platforms like Shopify or WooCommerce. Complex product variations, advanced tax settings, and multi-currency support are either limited or non-existent. Large stores with custom checkout flows may find Webflow too limiting.
➡️ No database access: Webflow does not allow direct access to a website’s database or server files. This can be limiting if your site relies on custom databases, server-side scripts, or features that require direct data access.
➡️ Media management: Webflow doesn’t have a media library like WordPress, which allows for bulk management of files. If your current site has a large number of media files, you’ll need to upload and organize them manually in Webflow. Re-linking images and media can be labor-intensive.
Conclusion
Website migration is a complex process that makes major changes to your website, so it requires careful planning and execution to minimize the risk of negative impact on SEO. If done correctly, it can boost your SEO, create organic traffic, and attract more visitors and potential customers to your website and brand. By following the steps we’ve mentioned above and sticking to the provided checklist, you can ensure a smooth and successful migration that enhances your site’s performance, user experience, and SEO.