How to Migrate Your Website to Apex Managed Hosting

Moving your website to Apex Managed Hosting is straightforward — and in many cases, completely free. This guide walks you through all six ways to migrate, so you can choose the method that best fits your setup and comfort level.

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Method 1: Request a Free Apex-Assisted Migration #

The easiest option. Our team handles the entire migration for you at no charge.

What’s included:

• Full WordPress site transfer (files, database, themes, plugins)
• DNS cutover guidance
• Post-migration verification

Steps:

1. Log in to your Apex customer portal at my.apexmanagedhosting.com.
2. Open a support ticket or use the live chat and request a Free Site Migration.
3. Provide your current host’s login credentials (cPanel, Plesk, or SFTP access) and your domain name.
4. Our team will set up your site on a staging URL so you can review it before going live.
5. Once you approve, we handle the DNS cutover and confirm everything is working.

Best for: Anyone who wants a hands-off migration with zero risk of downtime or data loss.

Turnaround time: Typically within 24–48 hours.

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Method 2: Plugin-Based Self-Migration (All-in-One WP Migration or Duplicator) #

Migrate yourself using a WordPress plugin — no server access required.

Using All-in-One WP Migration: #

On your current (old) site:

1. Install and activate the All-in-One WP Migration plugin.
2. Go to All-in-One WP Migration > Export > Export To > File.
3. Download the .wpress export file to your computer.

On your new Apex instance:

1. Install WordPress on your new Apex instance (see: How to Install WordPress on a New Instance).
2. Install and activate All-in-One WP Migration.
3. Go to All-in-One WP Migration > Import > Import From > File.
4. Upload the .wpress file. The plugin will restore your entire site.
5. Log in with your original WordPress credentials (the import replaces all data).
6. Update your site URL if needed under Settings > General.

Using Duplicator: #

On your current (old) site:

1. Install Duplicator and go to Duplicator > Packages > Create New.
2. Follow the wizard to generate a package — you’ll get an installer.php file and a .zip archive.

On your new Apex instance:

1. Upload both files to your new Apex instance root via SFTP.
2. Visit https://yourdomain.com/installer.php in your browser and follow the installer wizard.
3. Enter your new database credentials when prompted (available in your Apex managed panel).
4. Complete the installation and delete the installer files when finished.

Best for: WordPress sites under 512MB. Larger sites may require the pro version or Method 3 below.

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Method 3: Manual Migration (Database Export + Files via SFTP) #

The most reliable method for large or complex sites. Gives you full control.

What you’ll need: SFTP access to both hosts, phpMyAdmin or WP-CLI access, and your Apex database credentials.

Step 1 — Export your database: #

1. Log in to your old host’s cPanel and open phpMyAdmin.
2. Select your WordPress database, click Export, choose Quick format, and download the .sql file.

Step 2 — Download your WordPress files: #

1. Connect to your old host via SFTP (using FileZilla or a similar client).
2. Download your entire public_html (or WordPress root) folder to your computer.

Step 3 — Upload files to Apex: #

1. Get your SFTP credentials from your Apex managed panel (see: How to Access Your Site via SFTP).
2. Connect via SFTP and upload all your WordPress files to the instance root.

Step 4 — Import your database: #

1. In your Apex managed panel, open phpMyAdmin for your instance.
2. Select your new database, click Import, and upload the .sql file from Step 1.

Step 5 — Update wp-config.php: #

1. Open wp-config.php on your Apex instance via SFTP.
2. Update the following values to match your Apex database credentials: DB_NAME, DB_USER, DB_PASSWORD, DB_HOST

Step 6 — Update the site URL: #

1. In phpMyAdmin, open the wp_options table.
2. Update siteurl and home to your domain (or staging URL if testing first).

Best for: Large sites, multisite installs, or developers who want full control over the process.

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Method 4: cPanel / Plesk Account Transfer #

If you’re moving a non-WordPress site or want to transfer an entire hosting account (including multiple sites, email accounts, and databases), a full account transfer is the way to go.

1. Contact your current host and request a full cPanel or Plesk backup of your account. Most hosts provide this in the control panel under Backups.
2. Download the full backup archive (.tar.gz or similar).
3. Open a support ticket with Apex and attach or share the backup file.
4. Our team will restore the account to your Apex instance, including all databases, files, and email configurations.
5. We’ll verify everything is working on a staging URL before you update your DNS.

Note: Once you share your backup file, our team handles the entire restore process and will confirm everything is working correctly on a staging URL before your DNS is updated.

Best for: Transferring multiple sites at once, non-WordPress applications, or migrating email accounts alongside your website.

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Method 5: Subdomain Staging Migration (Migrate Without Downtime) #

This method lets you fully set up and test your site on Apex before making any DNS changes — so your live site stays up the entire time.

Step 1 — Set up a staging subdomain: #

1. In your Apex managed panel, create a new instance.
2. Assign it a temporary subdomain like staging.yourdomain.com or use an Apex-provided test URL.

Step 2 — Migrate your site to the staging instance: #

Use any of Methods 2, 3, or 4 above to copy your site to the staging instance.

Step 3 — Update the staging URL in WordPress: #

1. In phpMyAdmin on the staging instance, open wp_options.
2. Set siteurl and home to your staging subdomain URL so the site loads correctly for testing.

Step 4 — Test thoroughly: #

• Check all pages, forms, plugins, and WooCommerce (if applicable).
• Test on mobile and desktop.
• Verify SSL is working (see: How to Add a Free SSL Certificate to a New Domain).
• Test email sending if your site sends transactional emails.

Step 5 — Go live with a DNS cutover: #

1. When you’re satisfied, update your domain’s DNS to point to Apex (see: How to Point a Domain to Your Apex Managed Hosting).
2. DNS propagation typically takes 15 minutes to a few hours.
3. Once propagated, update siteurl and home in wp_options to your live domain.
4. Clear your site’s cache.

Best for: High-traffic sites, eCommerce stores, or anyone who cannot afford any downtime during the transition.

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Method 6: WooCommerce Store Migration #

Migrating a WooCommerce store requires extra care to preserve orders, customers, products, and payment gateway settings. Follow these steps to ensure nothing is lost.

What you’ll need: Admin access to both WordPress installs, and your payment gateway credentials (Stripe, PayPal, etc.).

Step 1 — Export WooCommerce data: #

1. In your old WordPress admin, go to WooCommerce > Tools > Export.
2. Export each of the following as separate CSV files: Products, Orders, Customers, Coupons.
3. Save all CSV files to your computer.

Step 2 — Migrate the full WordPress site: #

Use Method 2 (plugin-based), Method 3 (manual), or Method 5 (staging) to copy your entire WordPress install — including WooCommerce and all its data — to your new Apex instance. The WooCommerce CSV exports in Step 1 are a backup safety net.

Step 3 — Verify WooCommerce settings: #

1. Go to WooCommerce > Settings and confirm your store address, currency, and tax settings are correct.
2. Check WooCommerce > Settings > Shipping and verify all shipping zones and rates carried over.
3. Go to WooCommerce > Settings > Payments and re-connect your payment gateways: Stripe (re-enter API keys) and PayPal (verify email or reconnect). Test each gateway using sandbox/test mode before going live.

Step 4 — Check permalink structure: #

1. Go to Settings > Permalinks and click Save Changes (even without changing anything). This flushes rewrite rules and fixes any broken product/shop URLs after migration.

Step 5 — Test the full purchase flow: #

1. Add a product to the cart.
2. Go through the full checkout using a test card (Stripe test mode) or PayPal sandbox.
3. Confirm the order appears in WooCommerce > Orders.
4. Confirm the order confirmation email is sent and received.

Step 6 — Import CSV backups if needed: #

1. If any products, orders, or customers are missing, go to WooCommerce > Tools > Import.
2. Upload the relevant CSV file from Step 1 and map the columns as prompted.

Step 7 — Enable Redis cache: #

WooCommerce stores benefit greatly from Redis object caching. Enable it in your Apex managed panel (see: How to Enable and Configure Redis Cache in Your Apex Managed Panel) to ensure fast page loads and checkout performance.

Best for: Any store running WooCommerce, especially those with large product catalogs, active subscriptions, or high order volumes.

⚠️ Important: If your store uses WooCommerce Subscriptions, contact our support team before migrating — subscription payment tokens are gateway-specific and may require manual re-authorization by customers.

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After Your Migration — Final Checklist #

Once your site is live on Apex, run through these steps:

• Confirm your SSL certificate is active (green padlock in browser)
• Test all contact forms and email notifications
• Clear all caches (Apex managed panel + any caching plugins)
• Update any hardcoded URLs in your database or theme files
• Enable Redis cache for better performance
• Run a speed test to confirm performance improvements
• Update your WordPress admin email if needed under Settings > General

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Need Help? #

Our support team is available 24/7. Open a ticket or start a live chat at apexmanagedhosting.com — we’re happy to assist with any step of your migration.