How to change host and back up website content?

I’ll start with the backup and restore first as that’s more generic.

2) How can I back up and restore everything I have on my wordpress site?

The short version is to install a plugin that lets you back up your site off and let you restore it.

This is one I’ve used though there are others.

https://www.ads-software.com/plugins/updraftplus/

There are others in he repo.

https://www.ads-software.com/plugins/search.php?q=backup+restore

When you perform the backup you want to make sure that you save a copy of your files and database off of your web server. You PC or Mac’s hard drive is a good location until you can restore it on your new site.

The longer version is via this documentation.

https://codex.www.ads-software.com/WordPress_Backups
https://codex.www.ads-software.com/Backing_Up_Your_Database
https://codex.www.ads-software.com/Restoring_Your_Database_From_Backup

You are probably aware of this but please make sure you back up your database. That’s not something that is included in your web server files.

1) How can I change my host and transfer my domain to a new host?

That really depends on your domain registrar and you should contact them to walk through it.

What you want to do is restore your WordPress installation to the new host first and then get your DNS updated to point to the new host.

There are quite a lot of hosts that will offer to do a free migration of your site for you when you join them – worth having a look around and finding providers that will do that.

I use the free version of updraft plus for my backups and it works fine. There are some more options for plugins on this page too:

https://www.ads-software.com/plugins/search.php?type=term&q=updraftplus

1) How can I change my host and transfer my domain to a new host?

> 1st – Tranfer the website to a new host
I use this plugin:
WP Clone: https://en-gb.www.ads-software.com/plugins/wp-clone-by-wp-academy/
– Install the plugin in your actual website.
– Click in “Create Backup”
– Copy the url
– Install WP in your new host
– Install WP Clone plugin in your new wp installation
– Click “restore from url”
– It is very important to save the permanent links.
Done! You have transfer your website from one host to another.

> 2nd – Point domain to the new website
Go to where you bought the domain and in the manage domain page change the 1st and 2nd name server to the new ones.

2) How can I back up and restore everything I have on my wordpress site?

To do everything online, just follow the answer for the first question.
If you want to download a backup. Go to WP clone plugin again and instead to copy the url, right-click on the zip file link and “save link as”
Done! You have a backup of your website.

I use to backup the whole site with BackWPup plugin and move the website manually like below

1. Upload the site zip file to the correct folder of the new webhosting.
2. Unzip the site zip file.
3. Login phpMyAdmin, import the sql file to the new database.
4. Correct the database information in wp-config.php

That’s it.

Dupliator by life in the Grid seems designed for transferring from one host to another.

So install Duplicator on oldhost, and run it. It creates 2 files which you download and save on your laptop. One of the files is installer.php.

You might, just to test things, install the version of your site on your local version of XAMPP. This at least proves to yourself that it works, and you haven’t lost anything.

Then, I think, change the DNS with your registrar, to point to the new host, instead of the old host.

Then install WordPress for your domain name with your new host. You will need the database username and database password details.

Then ftp the installer and the other file to the root directory of your new host. Go to https://your-website-name/installer.php and enter the database username and database password details.

It should install on your new host.

Usually webhosting companies offer to do the transfer for you, as sketch said. This, as you can see, is a bit easier.