Transferring website hosting to another company

If you need to move your domain hosting to another hosting provider, there are several steps you must take to ensure that your data has been correctly backed up and your DNS is adjusted. The following information describes the necessary steps you must take to transfer website hosting.

The very first thing you should do before you make any changes to your account is to backup your data. Visit the following article for more information:

• Back up an account in the panel

This details how to backup three of the most important parts of your account:

• website files
• database
• email

It's important to obtain a textual copy of the DNS records for your domains in case your new host needs any of them.

To obtain your DNS records:

1. Navigate to the Manage Websites page.
2. Open the DNS Settings page:

   

   • If in Grid view, click the 'vertical 3 dots' button under your domain. From the popout menu, click the DNS Settings link.
   • If in List view, click the 'vertical 3 dots' button to the right of your domain. From the popout menu, click the DNS Settings link.

     The domain's DNS records display.

3. Copy all the DNS records in case your new hosting company requires you to replicate them on their servers.

You can view the following articles for further details on DNS at DreamHost:

• DNS
• Custom DNS

Before you point your DNS to the new hosting company, make sure you have backed up the following:

• Web files via Account Backup or FTP
• Database via Account Backup, phpMyAdmin, or Command Line
• Emails via Account Backup
• Copy of the DNS records

Now that everything is backed up, you must log into your new hosting company's panel and upload all of your site's content. Check with your new host for instructions on how to upload your data within their system.

Option #1 — If your domain is registered at DreamHost and you want ALL records hosted at the new company

If your domain is registered at DreamHost, all you need to do is update your nameservers to point them to your new hosting provider. Updating your nameservers points ALL of your DNS records to the new hosting company. This means all email, website, and custom DNS records will be hosted at the new company. View the following article for instructions on how to change your nameservers:

• Changing your nameservers at DreamHost

DNS propagation time

Each record created requires its own time for the DNS to resolve. You can use the following links to check the progress of the record:

• whatsmydns.net — A popular site that checks DNS records around the world.
• Viewing your DreamHost DNS records — Use DreamHost's DNS propagation checker in the panel.

The following article provides details on DNS propagation as well if you’d like to read more about that:

• DNS propagation

Option #2 — If your domain is registered at DreamHost and you only want the website hosted at the new company while keeping email hosted at DreamHost

If you want your site to point away from DreamHost while keeping your email hosted at DreamHost, you must create custom DNS records. Contact your new host to obtain the correct IP addresses to point to. Then view the following article for instructions on how to create A records for your site.

• Adding custom DNS records

DNS propagation time

Each record created requires its own time for the DNS to resolve. You can check the progress of the record at a site such as this:

• https://www.whatsmydns.net/

The following article provides details on DNS propagation as well if you’d like to read more about that:

• DNS propagation

Option #3 — If your domain is NOT registered at DreamHost

If your domain is NOT registered at DreamHost, you must log into the account where it is registered and adjust the nameservers from there.