The “Invisible” Migration Checklist: 5 Things Your Web Developer Might Forget When Moving Hosts

A website migration checklist should include backups, DNS records, email settings, SSL certificates, redirects, database checks, forms, analytics, SEO settings, speed

testing and post-launch monitoring. Moving the website files is only one part of the job. The business outcome depends on everything around the site continuing to work.

The five items most often missed are not always dramatic. They are small infrastructure details that quietly affect enquiries, rankings and trust.

1. DNS TTL and record ownership

DNS controls where your domain points. Before a migration, the existing DNS zone should be reviewed and documented. The TTL should also be checked so the final switch can happen more predictably.

Important records include:

• A records and CNAME records for the website
• MX records for business email
• TXT records for verification and security
• Subdomains used by apps, CRMs or landing pages
• Old records still supporting live tools

If DNS is handled badly, visitors may reach different versions of the site depending on their network. Forms, tracking and login areas may behave inconsistently.

2. Email authentication records

Many migrations focus on the website and forget email. That is risky because business email often depends on the same domain.

The key records are:

• MX records: Tell the internet where email should be delivered
• SPF records: Confirm which servers can send email for your domain
• DKIM records: Add a trusted signature to outgoing email
• DMARC records: Tell receiving systems how to handle suspicious messages

If these records are missing or incorrect, emails may land in spam or fail authentication. For an SME, that can mean missed enquiries, delayed invoices and customer confusion.

3. SSL certificates and HTTPS behaviour

The site must load securely after the move. SSL should be installed and tested before the final DNS change, not treated as a launch-day extra.

A migration should check:

• HTTPS works on all key pages
• HTTP redirects to HTTPS
• The SSL certificate covers the correct domain versions
• Internal links use HTTPS
• Images, scripts and embedded files do not create mixed content warnings

Security warnings damage confidence quickly, especially on checkout, booking and enquiry pages.

4. Redirects, canonicals and old URLs

A site can look fine to visitors while search engines see broken paths. If URLs change during migration, old pages need clear 301 redirects to the most relevant new pages. A migration should check:

• Old URLs redirect properly
• Important landing pages still return a 200 status
• Redirect chains are avoided where possible
• Canonical tags point to the correct final pages
• The XML sitemap is updated
• Broken internal links are fixed

This protects SEO value and makes the move easier for users, crawlers and analytics tools.

5. Forms, cron jobs and background tasks

Some website functions are not visible until customers use them. These include contact forms, quote forms, booking tools, WooCommerce order emails, payment callbacks, cron jobs, cache rules, backups, security scans and API connections.

A form that says “sent” is not enough. The message must reach the right inbox with the correct subject, tracking data and sender details.

For WordPress sites, behaviour can also change when PHP versions, permissions, caching or mail handling differ between hosts.

To move a website without downtime, prepare the new hosting environment first, test the site before launch, lower DNS TTL in advance, switch DNS at a sensible time, keep the old hosting active temporarily and monitor the website after launch. The safest migration uses overlap, not a rushed cutover.

A practical migration process should include:

1. Audit the current hosting, DNS and email setup
2. Take a full backup of files and databases
3. Build the new hosting environment
4. Test the website on staging
5. Check forms, checkout, login and key pages
6. Prepare SSL and redirects
7. Review DNS records before changing anything
8. Switch DNS during a quiet business period
9. Monitor uptime, errors and email delivery
10. Keep the old hosting available during the transition

For Irish SMEs, timing matters. A migration during peak trading hours adds unnecessary risk. For e-commerce, hospitality, professional services and trades, a controlled quiet window is usually safer.

SmartHost treats migration as infrastructure work, not just a copy-and-paste task.

Our approach connects the visible website to the systems behind it: DNS, SSL, business email, redirects, performance, backups and support. The goal is not only to move the site. The goal is to keep the business operating normally.

For suitable projects, this includes:

• Reviewing the current hosting and DNS setup
• Checking email-related records before changes are made
• Moving the website into a tested hosting environment
• Using NVMe hosting for fast storage access
• Supporting WordPress migrations with practical checks
• Preparing SSL and HTTPS behaviour properly
• Checking redirects and core SEO signals
• Monitoring the site after launch

Server location affects latency. Redundancy and failover planning affect resilience. GDPR also matters in the Irish and EU context, especially where hosting decisions touch customer data, backups and operational accountability.