Moving a website to a new host can be done safely, without losing email or content. This website migration checklist walks you through the safe order: copy everything, test it on Host Dada, recreate your DNS records, and only then switch your nameservers.
Before you start
- An active Host Dada hosting package with your domain added to it. See Add a website or domain to your hosting package.
- A login for your current host's control panel (cPanel, Plesk or their own dashboard), or FTP details.
- A login for the company your domain is registered with. This is often, but not always, the same company as your old host.
- Don't cancel your old hosting yet. Keep it running until the new site has been live on Host Dada for at least a week.
The migration in the right order
- Make a list of what you have. Write down every website, subdomain (such as
shop.yourdomain.co.uk), database and email address on the old host. Note which email addresses are real mailboxes and which are forwarders. - Check what your old platform can export. Traditional hosting (cPanel, Plesk, WordPress) can be copied in full. Website builders such as Wix, Squarespace, GoDaddy Websites + Marketing and IONOS MyWebsite can't be exported as a working site. See Moving from Wix and Moving from Squarespace for what's possible.
- Copy a record of your current DNS. At your old DNS provider, open the DNS or zone editor and note (or screenshot) every record: A, CNAME, MX and TXT. The TXT records include SPF and verification codes for services such as Microsoft 365 or Google. You'll need them later.
- Back up the website files. Download everything in the website folder (usually
public_htmlorhttpdocs) as a zip file, or with an FTP program such as FileZilla. - Export the database. If your site uses one (WordPress, WooCommerce, Joomla and most shops do), export it as a
.sqlfile from phpMyAdmin. For WordPress, the database name is inwp-config.phpnext toDB_NAME. - Upload the files to Host Dada. Use File Manager or FTP in the Host Dada Control Panel (see Upload and manage files with File Manager), or cPanel on ProFlex (see cPanel File Manager).
- Create a new database and import your data. See Create a MySQL database and user and Import or export a database with phpMyAdmin. Then update your site's configuration file (for WordPress,
wp-config.php) with the new database name, user and password. - Test the site before changing anything public. Preview it on Host Dada without touching DNS. See Preview your site before changing DNS. Click through the main pages, the contact form and, for shops, the basket and checkout.
- Create your mailboxes and copy your email. Create each mailbox on Host Dada with the same address, then copy the old messages across. See Move your email to Host Dada. If you're moving to Microsoft 365, see Move email into Microsoft 365.
- Recreate your DNS records on Host Dada. Add any records you noted in step 3 that you still need, especially MX and TXT records for email and verification. See Manage DNS records.
- Switch your nameservers at a quiet time. Pick a quiet time (evenings or weekends for most businesses) and change your nameservers to the Host Dada nameservers at your registrar. Our registrar guides are listed below.
- Check, then tidy up. Once DNS has updated, confirm the site loads, email sends and arrives, and the padlock shows in the browser (see Activate free SSL). Keep the old hosting for at least a week, then cancel it.
Host Dada nameservers
| Nameserver | Value |
|---|---|
| Nameserver 1 | ns1.kandekore.net |
| Nameserver 2 | ns2.kandekore.net |
| Nameserver 3 | ns3.kandekore.net |
| Nameserver 4 | ns4.kandekore.net |
Most changes take effect within a few hours and can take up to 24 to 48 hours everywhere. During that window some visitors see the old site and some see the new one, which is why both copies should be identical. See How long do DNS changes take?
Registrar and platform guides
- Change nameservers at GoDaddy, IONOS, 123-reg, Namecheap, Fasthosts or Squarespace
- Migrate from GoDaddy, IONOS or any cPanel host
- WordPress in detail: Move a WordPress site to Host Dada manually
Troubleshooting
The site shows "Error establishing a database connection"
The database details in your configuration file don't match the database you created on Host Dada. Check the database name, username, password and host in wp-config.php (or your app's equivalent), and make sure the user has been added to the database.
Email stopped arriving after I changed nameservers
Your MX records weren't recreated on Host Dada, or they still point at the old provider. Check them under DNS in the Control Panel. Mail sent during the gap is normally retried by the sender's server for a few days, so it usually arrives once the records are fixed.
Some people see the old site and some see the new one
That's normal while DNS updates. It settles within 24 to 48 hours. Avoid making changes to the old site in the meantime, or they'll be lost.
The browser shows "Not secure" on the new site
The free SSL certificate can only be issued once your domain points to Host Dada. Give it a little time after the nameserver change, then follow Activate free SSL and force HTTPS.
Last reviewed: October 2026
