Move WordPress to a new host manually

Step 1: Freeze changes and export the database

Pause publishing, and on a store, note the time — orders taken on the old server after this will not come across. Export the database from phpMyAdmin (select the database → Export → SQL) or over SSH.

wp db export site.sql
# or
mysqldump -u dbuser -p dbname > site.sql

Step 2: Copy every file

Download the whole WordPress directory, not just wp-content: wp-config.php and the hidden .htaccess file matter too. Compressing the directory into one archive in File Manager first makes the transfer much faster and less error-prone.

Step 3: Create the database on the new host

On cPanel, open MySQL Databases: create a database, create a user with a strong password, then add the user to the database with ALL PRIVILEGES. cPanel prefixes both names with the account username, so note the full names it shows.

Step 4: Import the database

Use phpMyAdmin's Import tab on the new database. If the file is larger than phpMyAdmin's upload limit, import over SSH instead.

mysql -u cpuser_wpuser -p cpuser_wp < site.sql

Step 5: Upload the files and update wp-config.php

Extract the archive into the document root, usually public_html. Then set the new database details. Leave $table_prefix exactly as it was on the old server — if it does not match the imported tables, WordPress shows its install screen as if the site were empty.

define( 'DB_NAME', 'cpuser_wp' );
define( 'DB_USER', 'cpuser_wpuser' );
define( 'DB_PASSWORD', 'the-password-you-set' );
define( 'DB_HOST', 'localhost' );

Step 6: Test it before changing DNS

Point only your own computer at the new server with a hosts file entry, then browse the site, log in and submit a form. The file is /etc/hosts on macOS and Linux and C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc\hosts on Windows.

192.0.2.10  yourdomain.com www.yourdomain.com

Step 7: Switch DNS, then issue the certificate

Change the A record or nameservers, remove your hosts entry, and issue the SSL certificate once the domain resolves to the new server. Keep the old hosting account for a few days in case something was missed.