Moving a website from one hosting company to another can sound complicated, especially if you have never migrated a website before. You may worry about losing files, breaking your WordPress installation, misconfiguring your domain, or having your website go offline.
One feature that can make the process easier is free website migration.
InterServer is a web hosting company that offers migration assistance for eligible hosting customers. Instead of handling every technical step yourself, you can request help moving your website from your existing hosting provider to InterServer.
But how does InterServer's free website migration actually work? What information do you need to provide? Does it include WordPress websites? And what should you do before and after the migration?
This guide explains the process in simple terms and provides practical tips to help you move your website with fewer problems.
What Is Website Migration?
Website migration is the process of moving a website from one hosting server to another.
For example, imagine that your WordPress website is currently hosted with Company A. You decide to move to InterServer because you want different hosting features or pricing.
A typical migration can involve moving:
Website files
WordPress files
Databases
Images and media
Email accounts, where supported
Website configuration
DNS settings
SSL configuration
Other hosting-related data
The exact migration process depends on the type of website and the hosting environments involved.
For a simple WordPress website, much of the process involves transferring the website files and database and then making sure everything works correctly on the new server.
What Is InterServer Free Website Migration?
InterServer free website migration is a service intended to help eligible customers move their existing websites to InterServer hosting.
Instead of manually downloading your website, creating a new database, uploading files and configuring everything yourself, you can request migration assistance from InterServer.
This can be particularly useful if you are not comfortable working with:
cPanel
FTP
MySQL databases
WordPress files
DNS records
Server configuration
The important point is that "free migration" does not mean every possible website or hosting setup will automatically be transferred without any conditions.
The migration process can depend on your current hosting provider, website type, account information and the hosting package you are moving to.
How Does InterServer Website Migration Work?
The basic process is fairly straightforward.
Step 1: Sign Up for InterServer Hosting
The first step is to have an InterServer hosting account that can accommodate the website you want to move.
Before purchasing a hosting plan, consider the requirements of your existing website.
For example, check:
How much disk space your website uses
How much traffic it receives
Whether it uses WordPress
Whether you have email accounts
Whether you need databases
Whether your website uses special server software
You don't want to move a large website to a hosting package that doesn't meet its requirements.
Step 2: Prepare Your Existing Hosting Account
Before requesting migration, gather the information needed to access your existing hosting account.
Depending on the migration, this may include details such as:
Current hosting provider
Hosting control panel information
FTP/SFTP credentials
Database information
WordPress login details
Domain information
Never send your hosting password to someone through an unsecured public channel.
If InterServer provides a secure method for submitting migration information, use that method.
Step 3: Submit a Migration Request
After you have your InterServer account and the necessary information, you can request migration assistance.
The hosting support team can then review the migration requirements and determine what needs to be transferred.
This is where having accurate information becomes important.
If you tell the migration team that your website is hosted on cPanel, for example, they can better understand the environment they are working with.
Step 4: InterServer Transfers the Website
During the migration, the website data is copied from the old hosting environment to the new InterServer server.
For a typical WordPress website, this can include:
WordPress core files
Themes
Plugins
Uploads
Database
Configuration files
The objective is to reproduce the website on the new hosting account.
The exact technical procedure can vary depending on the old and new hosting environments.
Step 5: The Website Is Tested
After the files and database have been transferred, the website should be checked before you completely switch your domain to the new server.
This is an important part of the process.
You should check things such as:
Homepage
Blog posts
Images
Contact forms
WordPress dashboard
Plugins
Website menus
Internal links
SSL certificate
Login functionality
For an online store, additional testing is necessary.
You should also check:
Product pages
Shopping cart
Checkout
Payment integrations
Order notifications
Step 6: Update Your DNS
Once the website is working correctly on the new hosting account, the next step is usually pointing the domain toward the new server.
This is done through DNS settings.
Your domain may be registered with a completely different company from your hosting provider.
For example:
Domain registrar: Company A
Old hosting: Company B
New hosting: InterServer
You don't necessarily have to transfer your domain registration just because you are changing web hosts.
You can keep the domain with the current registrar and update the DNS records or nameservers as instructed by your new host.
Does InterServer Migration Work With WordPress?
WordPress websites are among the common types of websites that people move between hosting providers.
A WordPress migration generally involves moving both the website's files and its database.
Your WordPress website may contain:
Posts
Pages
Images
Themes
Plugins
Categories
Comments
User accounts
Settings
Moving only the files is not enough.
The database contains much of the information that makes the WordPress website function.
Example of a WordPress Migration
Suppose you have a small blog with:
300 articles
2,000 images
15 plugins
A custom theme
A MySQL database
A migration isn't simply a matter of downloading the homepage.
The migration needs to preserve the website's underlying files and database so that the site continues functioning after the move.
Afterward, you should test the website before changing DNS.
Do You Need to Move Your Domain to InterServer?
No, changing your web host does not automatically require transferring your domain registration.
Your domain and hosting are separate services.
For example, you could have:
Domain: Registered with one company
Hosting: InterServer
This arrangement is completely normal.
When migrating a website, you can generally leave the domain registration where it is and point it to your new hosting account.
This can be useful if your domain has several years remaining before renewal.
What Information Should You Prepare for Migration?
Preparing the necessary information can make the migration process smoother.
Create a checklist before contacting the hosting provider.
Hosting Information
Have information about your current host available, including:
Hosting company name
Control panel type
Account information
FTP/SFTP details if required
Server information where applicable
Website Information
Also identify:
Website URL
Website platform
WordPress version
Number of websites
Approximate website size
Database requirements
Domain Information
Keep track of:
Domain registrar
DNS provider
Current nameservers
DNS records
Email-related DNS records
You don't necessarily need to change everything, but knowing how your domain is configured can prevent surprises.
What Should You Do Before Moving Your Website?
Even when a hosting company is helping with migration, you should prepare your website first.
1. Create a Backup
Always keep your own backup before a migration.
This is one of the most important precautions.
Keep copies of your:
Website files
Database
Important media
Configuration information
If something goes wrong, having a backup gives you another way to recover.
2. Update WordPress
If you use WordPress, consider updating WordPress, plugins and themes before migration.
However, don't blindly update everything immediately before an important migration if your current website is unstable.
The goal is to start with a known-working website.
3. Remove Unused Plugins
Unused plugins can increase website complexity.
Before migration, review your WordPress dashboard and remove plugins you no longer need.
Don't delete plugins simply because they are inactive if you still need their associated data or settings. Make a backup first.
4. Check Your Email
This step is easy to overlook.
If you use email addresses connected to your domain, such as:
check how your email is currently configured.
Changing nameservers without understanding your email DNS records can potentially interrupt email delivery.
Make a note of important DNS records before making major changes.
5. Record Your Current Website
Take screenshots or record important settings.
For example, document:
DNS records
WordPress settings
Important plugin configurations
Email settings
Redirects
This gives you a reference point if something looks different after migration.
Will Your Website Go Offline During Migration?
A migration does not necessarily mean your website must be offline for an extended period.
A carefully planned migration can reduce downtime.
One common approach is to transfer the website to the new server first and then change DNS after confirming that the new copy works.
However, DNS changes can take time to propagate.
During this period, different visitors may temporarily reach different servers depending on DNS caching.
For that reason, avoid making major website changes immediately during the DNS transition if you can.
For example, if you publish five new articles while the DNS change is still propagating, those changes might exist on one server but not the other.
How Long Does Website Migration Take?
There is no single migration time that applies to every website.
A small website can be much easier to migrate than a large website with thousands of files and a large database.
Factors that can affect migration time include:
Website size
Number of files
Database size
Current hosting environment
New hosting environment
Number of websites
Email configuration
DNS setup
Special server requirements
A simple WordPress blog is generally less complicated than a large ecommerce website with multiple integrations.
Don't judge migration time solely by the number of pages on your website. A website with 100 pages and thousands of large images can require more work than a simple site with hundreds of lightweight pages.
What Should You Check After Migration?
Don't assume everything is perfect simply because the homepage opens.
Spend some time testing the website.
Test Your Main Pages
Open:
Homepage
About page
Contact page
Important landing pages
Popular blog posts
Category pages
Check Images
Open several old articles and confirm that images are displaying correctly.
Broken images can sometimes happen when paths or files aren't transferred correctly.
Test Forms
Submit your contact form.
Check whether the message reaches your intended email address.
Check WordPress
Log into the WordPress dashboard and verify that:
Posts are available
Pages are available
Plugins are active
Themes are working
Media files are present
Settings look correct
Check SSL
Your website should load securely over HTTPS.
Test both:
and
Your preferred version should redirect correctly to HTTPS if that is how your site is configured.
What About SEO After a Hosting Migration?
Changing hosting providers does not automatically mean your website will lose its Google rankings.
However, mistakes during migration can cause SEO problems.
For example, you could accidentally:
Block search engines
Remove pages
Change URLs
Break redirects
Create server errors
Remove important metadata
Break internal links
Misconfigure canonical URLs
Keep Your URLs the Same
If possible, avoid changing your website's URL structure during a hosting migration.
For example, if your article currently uses:
example.com/how-to-choose-a-laptop/
don't change it to:
example.com/blog/how-to-choose-a-laptop/
at the same time as the hosting migration unless you have a specific reason.
Changing hosting and URL structure simultaneously makes troubleshooting more difficult.
Check Robots.txt
Make sure your new server isn't accidentally blocking search engine crawlers.
Your robots.txt configuration should be reviewed after migration.
Check Google Search Console
After the migration, monitor Google Search Console for:
Indexing issues
Server errors
Crawl problems
Redirect errors
Security issues
This is particularly important for websites that depend heavily on organic traffic.
Common Mistakes to Avoid During Website Migration
Website migration is usually easier when you avoid unnecessary changes.
Mistake 1: Not Creating a Backup
This is the biggest avoidable mistake.
Always maintain a backup before starting.
Mistake 2: Changing Everything at Once
Don't migrate hosting, redesign the website, change URLs and install a completely new theme on the same day unless you have a good reason.
Make the hosting migration as controlled as possible.
Mistake 3: Forgetting Email DNS Records
Your website may work perfectly while your email stops working.
Review your MX and other relevant DNS records before changing nameservers.
Mistake 4: Not Testing the New Website
Don't immediately assume the migration worked because the homepage loads.
Test your important pages and functions.
Mistake 5: Forgetting SSL
Visitors should be able to access the website securely using HTTPS.
Check the SSL setup after migration.
Mistake 6: Making Major Content Changes During DNS Propagation
Wait until you're confident that traffic is consistently reaching the new server before making important changes.
This reduces the possibility of content being added to the wrong copy of your website.
Is Free Website Migration Better Than Doing It Yourself?
That depends on your technical experience and the complexity of your website.
If you're comfortable with:
cPanel
FTP/SFTP
MySQL
DNS
WordPress
Backups
you may be able to migrate your own website.
But if you're unfamiliar with server management, migration assistance can save you time and reduce the number of technical steps you need to handle yourself.
The biggest advantage isn't necessarily the word "free."
The real benefit is having migration assistance available when you're moving an existing website.
Who Can Benefit From InterServer Migration Assistance?
The service can be particularly useful for website owners who:
Are moving from another hosting provider
Have WordPress websites
Don't want to manually migrate files and databases
Are uncomfortable with server configuration
Want help with the technical side of switching hosts
Small businesses, bloggers, freelancers and website developers may all encounter situations where migration assistance is useful.
Practical Example: Moving a Small Business Website
Imagine you operate a small business website with:
WordPress
20 pages
100 blog posts
Several contact forms
A custom domain
Business email
You decide to move the website to InterServer.
A sensible migration plan would look like this:
Purchase the appropriate InterServer hosting plan.
Create a complete backup of the existing website.
Collect the required hosting information.
Request migration assistance.
Allow the website data to be transferred.
Test the new website.
Confirm that pages and forms work.
Review SSL and DNS settings.
Point the domain toward the new hosting server.
Monitor the website after the DNS change.
This approach keeps the migration organized rather than treating it as one large technical task.
Tips for a Smooth InterServer Website Migration
Here are some practical tips worth keeping in mind.
Keep Your Old Hosting Active Temporarily
Don't immediately cancel your old hosting account after migration.
Keep it available until you're confident that:
The new website works
DNS is updated
Email works
Important files are present
No major errors exist
Keep a Backup
Even after migration, maintain a backup of the original website for a reasonable period.
Test Before Changing DNS
If possible, verify the new website before directing all visitors to the new server.
Check Email Separately
Website functionality and email functionality are two different things.
Test both.
Monitor Your Website After Migration
For several days after moving, watch for:
404 errors
Broken images
Login problems
Form failures
Slow pages
SSL warnings
Server errors
Search Console problems
Frequently Asked Questions
Is InterServer website migration really free?
InterServer offers free migration assistance for eligible hosting customers, but the exact conditions and scope can depend on the hosting account and migration requirements. Check the current migration terms with InterServer before starting your move.
Can I migrate a WordPress website to InterServer?
WordPress websites can be migrated between hosting providers. The migration generally involves transferring the WordPress files and database and then checking that the site works correctly on the new server.
Do I have to transfer my domain?
No. You can generally keep your domain registered with your existing registrar while hosting your website with InterServer.
Will my website lose Google rankings after migration?
Changing hosting providers by itself does not automatically mean your rankings will disappear. However, technical mistakes such as broken URLs, server errors, incorrect redirects or crawler blocking can cause SEO problems.
Should I back up my website before migration?
Yes. Keeping your own backup is strongly recommended, even when the hosting provider is assisting with the migration.
Can I migrate email along with my website?
Email configuration depends on how your current email service is set up. If your email is connected to your domain, pay close attention to DNS and MX records during the migration.
What happens to my old hosting account?
It's usually sensible to keep the old hosting account active until you have confirmed that the website and other services are working properly on the new server.
Is website migration difficult?
It can be simple for a small website but more complicated for large or customized websites. The difficulty depends on the hosting environments, website platform, databases, email setup and other technical requirements.
Final Thoughts
InterServer free website migration can make switching hosting providers easier, particularly if you're not comfortable manually moving website files and databases.
The process generally involves preparing your current website, providing the required information, requesting migration assistance, transferring the website, testing the new copy and then updating DNS when you're ready.
The most important thing is not to rush.
Back up your website first, understand your DNS and email setup, test the migrated website carefully, and keep your old hosting available until everything is working correctly.
If you're considering moving an existing WordPress blog, business website or other site to InterServer, check the current migration requirements before starting. A few minutes of preparation can prevent hours of troubleshooting later.
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