To ensure a smooth migration of your website to our new hosting environment, please review and complete the following steps before your scheduled migration date.

✅ 1. Inventory Your Website

• List all domains and subdomains associated with your site.
• Identify all platforms and applications in use (e.g., WordPress, ColdFusion, custom PHP).
• Note third-party integrations, such as email services, APIs, analytics, or payment gateways.

📁 2. Gather Access Credentials

Make sure you have current login credentials for:

• CMS/Admin Panel (e.g., WordPress, Joomla)
• FTP/SFTP or file manager
• Database access (e.g., phpMyAdmin or direct MySQL credentials)
• DNS provider (e.g., GoDaddy, Cloudflare)
• Email services (if hosted separately)

🗃️ 3. Clean Up Your Site

Before migrating, it’s a good opportunity to:

• Delete unused themes, plugins, and media files
• Clear out spam comments, logs, and backups stored on the server
• Update all CMS software and plugins to their latest versions
• Backup your site (we’ll do this too, but it’s best practice on your end)

🧪 4. Review Dependencies

• Ensure custom scripts or server requirements are documented (e.g., ColdFusion version, PHP modules)
• Check for hard-coded paths or IP addresses that may need to be updated after migration
• Document any cron jobs or background tasks currently running

🕵️ 5. Audit DNS Records

• Review all DNS entries (A, MX, CNAME, TXT) to make sure they are up to date
• Share a list of custom DNS records that need to be preserved (SPF, DKIM, etc.)
• If you’re using Cloudflare or another proxy, provide login details or access

📨 6. Email Considerations

• If email is hosted on the same server, be sure to:
  • Export current mailboxes
  • Note forwarders and autoresponders
• If email is hosted externally (e.g., Gmail, Microsoft 365), confirm:
  • MX and SPF records are not altered during migration

📆 7. Schedule Downtime (If Needed)

• Choose a low-traffic time window for the migration
• Inform your team and stakeholders about expected downtime or DNS propagation delay (up to 48 hours, but usually faster)

🧾 8. Post-Migration Checklist (We’ll Help With This)

After migration is complete, we’ll help verify:

• Website loads properly on the new server
• Forms, shopping carts, and user logins function
• Email sending/receiving works (if applicable)
• All pages are accessible and error-free

✉️ Questions or Help?

If you need assistance at any point, feel free to reach out. We’re here to support you before, during, and after the move.