Step-by-step guide to transfering your web hosting to a new web host with domain transfer

If you are planning to move your website to a new host along with domain transfer, here are some easy tips to follow.

1. First, allow plenty of time- at least a week before your hosting plan expires. You do not have to let your existing host know about your plan to move away from them. However, you have to be aware of the auto-renewal feature. Your existing host may have auto-renewal turned on in your account. What this does is - they auto renew your hosting and/or domain 7 to 14 days prior to the expiry date. If you are not sure, check with them if they have auto-renewal enabled in your account. If they have it enabled, request for the auto-renewal to be turned off. You can then take your time to transfer your hosting and/or domain.
2. Backup everything from your existing web space - all files and folders inside the /public_html or /www folder and the databases.
   
   You can perform backups from the cPanel easily as shown below. If your host provides some other hosting control panel, look out for similar features. In the cPanel, click on the Backups tool. You can do a full backup or partial backup. Alternatively, you can use File Manager tool in cPanel to compress the folders and use PhpMyAdmin to backup the database tables. After performing the required backups, download the compressed files to your computer.
3. Buy a hosting package of your choice with a new host. If you are also interested in transferring the domain name from your existing provider, the hosting package may provide domain transfer options at the time you sign up with them. However, I would suggest buying only the hosting package first. Then upload your backups to the new host, test them by using temporary URL or changing your local DNS (these will be discussed below). When everything is working as expected, then sign up for the domain transfer as a second step.
4. When buying a new hosting package, you may get options such as:
   

   - Register a new domain
   - Transfer my existing domain
   - I will update my nameservers on existing domains

   As discussed in (3), since we are buying only the hosting package, just select the option similar to the third option (I will update my namesevers on exisiting domains). The sign up process may ask for your domain name. That's fine. Since you are not transferring the domain at this stage, nothing is going to happen. You are only buying a web space with the new host.
5. Once the payment is confirmed, you will be sent a confirmation email from the new host with cPanel details and instructions. It will have all the required details such as the name of your new Hosting Plan, Server IP, Name Servers, cPanel and FTP urls, username/password, etc.
6. Now it's time for you to start uploading your backups to the new hosting space you have just purchased and start testing them before changing the name servers or transferring the domain.
   
   In order to do this, check to see if your new host allows cPanel Migration service. That may make things easier for you.
   
   Alternatively, you can set up FTP to the new host and start uploading the backup files to the /public_html folder. Make sure to use the temporary FTP address (the one with the IP address) because at this stage, your website url is still pointing to the old host. Then login to the cPanel provided by your new host. As with the FTP setup, use the temporary url (the one with the IP address) for accessing the cPanel. Then open up the File Manager in cPanel and decompress the folders. Use database tools to create databases and usernames as per your websites. Use PhpMyAdmin to upload backed up sql files to create tables within each database. Also create sub-domains just like you have in your existing hosting. If for some reason, you had to use a different database name, database username/password, remember to make adjustments to your website's configuration files to reflect those changes.
7. Once you have set up the folders, sub-domains and databases correctly, you can now test your website(s). There are 2 ways to test your website.

   Method 1 - Using temporary URL
   You can use the temporary url (one with the IP address) to test your websites. The temporary url may be provided in the confirmation email. If it's not there, you can ask your new host or find it from their FAQs or support pages. The temporary url is usually in the format: http://111.222.33.44/~yourusername/. If you are testing with the temporary url, you may also need to make some small changes to the .htaccess files of the website(s). If you don't make changes to the .htaccess file, chances are that only your home page will work and the sub-pages remain inaccessible. In .htaccess file, make sure to enable the following:
   

   RewriteEngine On
   RewriteBase /~yourdomainname/

   If the website is in the sub-folder, do this:

   RewriteEngine On
   RewriteBase /~yourdomainname/subfolder/

   Method 2 - Making changes to the hosts file
   This method ensures you can test your websites in the new host by directly using the actual url. For this you will need to modify your computer's hosts file. This method does not require you to modify the .htaccess file. Your computer will look up the local hosts file before looking up DNS information for the domain.

   All you need to do is open your C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc\hosts file in Notepad (make sure to run Notepad as Administrator) and add a new line in the format:
   

   111.222.33.44 www.yourdomain.com

   Here the IP address is the Server IP address that is sent in the confirmation email when you signed up for the new hosting account.
   
   After making changes to your hosts file, open the Command Prompt and type in ipconfig/flushdns. This will flush your DNS cache. Then restart your browser and visit your website as you would normally do using the url like this: www.yourdomain.com. This will load the website from the new host.

   Using either of the methods above, if your web pages look fine, then you are ready to change the name servers or transfer the domain to the new host.

8. If you are wanting to transfer domain to the new host, skip this step and go directly to step 9. However, if you just want to change the nameservers to point to the new host, all you have to do is login to your domain provider (in this case your existing host) and go to their Domain Management page or something similar. Just change the nameservers to the new nameservers provided by the new host. It will propagate the changes in a few hours.
   
   If you have used Step 7 - Method 2, you can now remove the entry added in the hosts file. Then open up the Command Prompt and flushdns like you did earlier and restart your browser.
   
   That's all you need to do and your new hosting setup is completed.
9. If you are wanting to transfer domain to the new host, you need to get the EPP (Auth) code of your domain from the existing provider. Usually you can get the EPP code by logging into your existing host or provider and go to Domain Management page or something similar. There you will find an option to obtain the EPP code. It is usually sent to your email address.
   
   Apart from obtaining the EPP code, you will need to check for a couple of things in the Domain Management page:
   

   - Check the Registrar Status option. If it is locked, change it to Active or Unlock.
   - Check if you have Domain ID Protection enabled. If it is enabled, it is best to disable it to avoid Domain Transfer Confirmation email being sent to the email address of the registrar - then you will never receive the confirmation email. If it is already disabled or you do not have ID Protection feature initially set up, then you don't have to worry about it.
   
   If you do not have access to change the above options, you will have to contact your existing host and request them to modify these settings for you.

10. After completing the above step, you should now have a copy of your EPP code in your email. Now login back to your new host and find the Transfer Domain section. They may charge you a fee for domain transfer depending on the type of domain you are transferring. Just follow the steps. One of the steps should ask you to enter your EPP code. You will also be presented with Domain ID Protection option (depending on the type of domain, a fee may incur). Just go through the steps and pay the fees- if any.
11. You will then receive a confirmation email for domain transfer. All you have to do is click the link in that email to confirm the domain transfer. It may take a few days to get the transfer done. Once the transfer is successful, you will be notified by email or you can regularly check the status on the Domain Management page of your new host.
12. Once everything is done, you can now remove the entry added in the hosts file (if you have used Step 7 - Method 2). Then open up the Command Prompt and flushdns like you did earlier and restart your browser.