If you’re looking for simple instructions on how to move your website from Wealthy Affiliate to a new hosting provider you’ve come to the right place. In this tutorial, I’ll show you the easy way to back up and migrate your sites step-by-step.
7 Simple Steps
- Back up your website
- Choose your new host
- Save your login info
- Back up your domain-specific emails
- Change the DNS
- Install WordPress
- Restore your website from the backup
So, you’ve decided to move your website from Wealthy Affiliate to a new hosting provider.
Good move. The affiliate marketing training is excellent but the hosting sucks, big time.
But don’t wait until after your membership expires to back up your website(s). Wealthy Affiliate used to allow 14 days for members to move their sites but they’ve cut that out. Once your premium membership expires your websites will be removed from the servers so you won’t have access to them.
Please read “What happens to my hosting if I cancel my membership at wa?” It reads, in part, “If you decide to cancel your membership, your hosting will be turned off immediately upon your date in which your premium membership is cut off.”
They kind of snuck that one in as you can see by the low number of Likes and Comments. I didn’t receive an email about this change of policy, I discovered it by accident. Hardly anyone knows it exists. It should have been a post but it was quietly published as a question posted by Kyle which he answered himself.
If you haven’t already canceled your membership then follow these instructions. You can only cancel your membership and stop automatic billing through your account settings. Sending an email or private message won’t work. And, as you know, there are no refunds according to their Terms of Service.
Free Starter Members
Sorry, these instructions on how to migrate a website from Wealthy Affiliate to another hosting provider don’t apply to starter (free) members. You’ll need to use a plugin to migrate your site and only premium members can install plugins.
You could, however, use copy and paste into a Word or Google doc. And then start again with a new domain name.
No cPanel, no problem
There’s no access to a hosting control panel at Wealthy Affiliate, even as a premium member, so your options are limited.
But that’s OK. There’s one plugin that makes migrating a website to another host a breeze and we’ll be covering that in this article.
It can be quite daunting trying to figure it out on your own. So, I’ll walk you through every step of the way. Just follow along one step at a time.
Take a deep breath. You can do it!
1. Back Up Your Website
Backing up is the most important part of the entire proceedings.
Murphy’s Law states that if anything can go wrong it will, at the worse possible time.
If you don’t back up your website before your membership at Wealthy Affiliate expires then you won’t be able to move your website to another hosting provider.
So, if your Wealthy Affiliate membership has expired, you have two choices:
- Resubscribe for another month, or
- Abandon your website
If your membership is still current then backing up is going to be a walk in the park.
The plugin we’ll use is free for backing up. And, for a website under 512MB, there’s a free extension that is required for restoring your site. But if your site, like most, is bigger than 512MB then you can expect to pay for the premium extension when it’s time to import your website at the new host.
At the time of writing this article, the cost of the premium extension is $69. But there is a hack to increase the import upload limit if you want to save money.
In this video, you’re going to learn how to increase the upload file size imposed by the All-in-One WP Migration plugin to whatever size you need to accommodate your website.
Before we go any further, I want to point out that it is legal to access and modify the source code of the free version of this plugin because, like all plugins at wordpress.org, it’s licensed as open source.
But there is a small problem. The legacy version of the plugin is no longer available at wordpress.org so you’ll want to download it from FreeAndCheapEbooks for a small fee.
The Hack
- Download All-in-One WP Migration plugin from FreeAndCheapEbooks
- Install and Activate the plugin
- Open Plugins Editor
- Select All-in-One WP Migration plugin
- Edit constants.php file
- Change number 28 on Line 284 to 56
- Save the updated file
Let’s create the backup
Anyway, let’s get on with creating the backup.
For most websites, you’ll need the legacy version of the All-in-One WP Migration plugin. Go to Plugins > Add New and upload the plugin.
But, if you have a small website then, in your WordPress website dashboard, go to Plugins > Add New and search for All-in-One WP Migration.
Please note: the free plugin will only work for small websites under 512MB. For most websites, you’ll need to pay for the premium extension or use the legacy version hack.
Install and Activate the plugin.
You’ll see a new item in your menu, All-in-One WP Migration, between Tools and Settings.
Choose “Export” and select “Export to” > “File”.
Depending on the size of your website, creating the backup can take several minutes.
Click on the green “Download” button and save the file on your computer where you can find it easily.
Keep your browser open while your backup is downloading. The bigger the file is, the longer it’s going to take. And it will take even longer on a slow connection.
2. Choose Your New Host
Now is a good time to consider which host you’ll choose.
Your needs are different from someone else’s so the hosting company you choose should be the one that suits your needs and budget best.
CLAIM YOUR DISCOUNT: As the owner of this website I’ve tracked down special deals and discounts for some of the products and services mentioned herein. When you use the links on this page to make a purchase I may get a small commission and you may get a great bargain. It’s a win-win all around. Full disclosure.
Your new host may provide a free migration service for new clients. Check before deciding on the Do It Yourself approach to website migration. Tap the buttons below, look for Live Chat or Support and ask the question.
Because of the limitations at Wealthy Affiliate, your new host will need the backup file from All-in-One WP Migration to complete the migration for you.
If they can’t (or won’t) do it for you then you have the choice of either completing the migration yourself or hiring a professional to do it for you.
I’ve successfully migrated many websites to different hosting companies. And my professional fees are very reasonable. Please leave a comment below (your email address will not be published) if you’d like a quote. Or send an email to marion [at] marionblackonline.com
Should I Use Managed WordPress?
Managed WordPress is a tad more expensive than the usual shared hosting option. If you’d prefer to pay extra to have some of the techie stuff done for you then it’s something to consider. But if you’re capable of installing a few plugins and saving your own backup files then you may not need Managed WordPress.
Having said that, if you’re very inexperienced with managing your own website then Managed WordPress could save you a lot of headaches.
Shared, Virtual Private Server, or Dedicated Server?
Most website owners will want shared hosting. Shared hosting simply means that your website shares space and resources (memory, bandwidth, etc.) with other websites on the same server.
It’s a bit like having several different apps on your home computer. They all run independently but they’re taking up space on the same hard drive. If you try to run too many programs at the same time then your computer may get sluggish.
Some shared hosting, particularly on cheap services, may get a bit overcrowded, slowing down your website. You’ve no doubt experienced some slow loading times and outages while using Wealthy Affiliate.
The hosting providers I recommend take pride in offering fast servers and at least 99.9% up-time rates.
A virtual private server (VPS) keeps your websites, and their resources, separate from the other sites using the same server.
And a dedicated server means you have the entire server to yourself.
Only consider using a virtual private server or a dedicated server if that’s really what you need.
For most website owners I strongly recommend using shared hosting, at least until such time as you find it less than optimal for your needs… that could take a long time.
Which Host Should You Choose?
As you know, there are many hosts vying for your business.
My personal choice is DreamHost but you may find Siteground is a better fit for you and your website(s).
Most hosting providers offer a “honeymoon” period at a cheaper price than the ongoing subscription. Make sure you check the “regular” price, as well as the special offer, as that’s what you’re going to be paying after the “honeymoon” period is over.
The longer the initial period of hosting you purchase the more you’ll save. Try to get at least 1 year’s hosting to start with.
After extensive research, I narrowed down the top hosting companies to just the top two. Check them out using the buttons below so you can decide which one is best for your website(s) and your budget.
Domain Name Registration
Let me mention here that you can have your domain name registered with one company and your website hosted at another. In fact, that’s what I recommend. If you do want to change the registration of your domain name to another registrar then it’s a good idea to do that as a separate exercise from the migration process. You’ll want to minimize downtime and trying to do both together could get messy.
Move a Website Overview
Your website consists of a lot of files, folders, and a database. All your posts, pages, and comments are in files, your themes and plugins are in files, and all the images and other media you’ve uploaded are in files. The database holds the information that links all those files together so your website just ‘works’.
Tools > Export creates an XML file which is something like a text file. It’s a quick and dirty backup of your database but it’s totally useless for migrating a website to another server. You need to back up your Media Library, Themes, and Plugins as well as the database. Fortunately, we have an easy-to-use method to do just that.
Moving a website is similar to moving house. You need to pack up your belongings (files, folders, and database) before the removalists arrive. Then you’ll want to let everyone know about your new address (DNS). And, after the move, you’ll need to unpack everything (install WordPress and restore the site).
Your Domain Name Servers (DNS) tell the internet where to find your website’s files. In other words, the DNS provides the information of which hosting company is hosting your files, database, and emails on their servers. If you were to change the DNS before you moved the files then the internet wouldn’t be able to find your website.
In order to move your website to another host you’ll need to back up your entire website (all the files, database, and your emails) and save the backup on your computer. Then you’ll need to upload the entire website to the new hosting company after changing the DNS.
3. Save Your Login Info
It may seem obvious but I’ll mention it anyway, you’re going to need your current website login information to access your website after the migration process.
Use the Notepad or TextEdit app on your computer to store the information and save it somewhere easy to find, say your desktop.
You’ll need your:
- Current website username, email address, and password
- Login URL, username and password for your new hosting provider
- DNS (Domain Name Servers) for your new hosting provider
Check with Wealthy Affiliate and your new hosting provider for any of the details you don’t already have stored in your text file.
To log into your website without using Wealthy Affiliate > Websites > SiteManager just type your domain name followed by /wp-admin into the address bar of your browser e.g. example.com/wp-admin
4. Back Up Your Domain-Specific Emails
Backing up your domain specific emails is something you’ll need to do for yourself if you want to be able to access the old emails after the move.
If you haven’t set up domain specific emails for your website then feel free to skip this section.
Just to clarify, IMAP and POP3 are different ways of accessing your emails.
IMAP syncs your email client with the server and your emails stay on the server. But when you change to another server at another host your existing emails will disappear forever. Ooops!
POP3 downloads all mail from the server and stores it on your own computer or device. This enables you to access your emails even when you’re not connected to the internet. So even when they’ve been deleted from the server you’ll still have access to them.
POP3 is the method you’ll need to put into place before you migrate your website to another host.
Your emails will only be available on the devices you’ve downloaded them to, so you may want to use POP3 on your mobile devices as well as your computer.
Android phone
iPhone
Mac OS X
MacMail
Outlook 2016
Mozilla Thunderbird
When you’ve finished setting up your email client for POP3 test it by disconnecting from the internet. If you can still access your emails then you should be good to go.
5. Change the DNS
When you’ve created and saved your backup using All-in-One WP Migration it’s time to change the DNS (Domain Name Servers) to point to your new hosting provider.
At Wealthy Affiliate, go to Websites > SiteDomains and click on Settings> Name Servers for your website.
Paste in the nameservers you’ve been given by your new hosting provider and click on Save Settings.
…and wait.
It takes time for the change of nameservers to propagate throughout the internet. Possibly up to 48 hours though it’s usually a lot less.
You can track the progress of your websites at:https://dnschecker.org/ andhttps://www.whatsmydns.net/
Wait until the DNS has propagated and then install WordPress on your empty website at the new host.
6. Install WordPress
The instructions here are for DreamHost, my #1 recommendation. If you’ve chosen a different hosting provider then follow their instructions for installing WordPress. Most of them have a very simple way to automatically install WordPress with just a few clicks.
Log into your Web Panel at DreamHost, click on Domains > One-Click Installs, and select WordPress.
Select your website from the drop-down list and allow the app to create the database automatically.
Deluxe Install would add some extra plugins that you may not need. Just take the tick out of the box for a cleaner install.
The WP Website Builder is mainly for newbies. It could complicate the migration process so you can leave it out too.
Click the Install button and DreamHost will automatically install WordPress for you. You’ll get an email in about 10 minutes with instructions on how to set your password and log into your site.
7. Restore Your Website From the Backup
In your new empty WordPress dashboard delete any extra plugins you don’t want then go to Plugins > Add New and install All-in-One WP Migration.
This time you’ll want to use “Import” to upload your saved backup.
Select your backup file from your computer and you’ll probably see this message:
Click on the first link if your website’s backup file is under 512MB or click “Get unlimited” if the file size is over that limit.
For Small Websites
Seriously, just ignore the other options and download the free Basic extension from WP-Migration and save it on your computer.
For Larger (Most) Websites
You’re gonna need the premium extension or the hack mentioned above.
In your WordPress dashboard go to Plugins > Add New and upload the extension. Install and activate the new plugin.
Now you can go back to All-in-One WP Migration > Import and import your backup file.
Read and understand the warning message then click on “Proceed”. Follow the on-screen instructions making sure to save the Permalinks structure to whatever you had before the migration process. This step is critical!
Click Finish when you’re done.
Final Steps
Now your website has been restored to exactly what it was when you created the backup using All-in-One WP Migration.
To log in you’ll need your old username/email address and password. If you’d like to change your password to something easier to remember then you can do that from your User Profile Page. But make sure it’s a strong password that a would-be hacker is unlikely to guess.
Check out your site from the front end, and within your WordPress dashboard, to make sure everything is just the same as it was before.
Install Some Free Plugins
You’ll need a security plugin now. I use and recommend Wordfence – it’s a free plugin so add it in the usual way and go through the setup wizard.
To minimize spam comments you’ll want Antispam Bee.
And I recommend Updraft Plus for regular automatic backups. Yes, now you’ve got a new hosting provider Updraft Plus will be able to work automatically. All you need to do is set it up and periodically download the backup files and save them on your computer. Isn’t it nice to be in charge?
Another plugin you’ll want to add is File Manager. I’ll tell you why in a minute.
You’ve likely heard of FTP (File Transfer Protocol) as a techie way of accessing your website’s files and folders. Well, File Manager is an easy-to-use alternative to FTP. If you can use Windows File Explorer you’ll be able to use File Manager. But do be careful and always save a backup before you mess with your website.
Deactivate and Delete All-in-One WP Migration
All-in-One WP Migration is a great plugin for migrating your websites from one hosting provider to another but once you’ve done that you have no further need of it. It’s not a good option for regular backups. Deactivate and delete the plugin and then delete the file it created so you don’t clog up the server. Deactivate and delete All-in-One WP Migration File Extension as well.
Use WP File Manager to locate All-in-One WP Migration backups folder and delete it.
And, like they say in the cartoons, “That’s All Folks!”
If this has helped you or if you have any questions please leave a comment below. I read all comments personally.
Hi Marion,
I joined WA a month or so ago and have 2 weeks left on the Premium membership, I want to cancel my membership and move my website over to a new host. I’ve done a backup, but I was wondering will the SSL for my website be lost or will the new web host (either Dreamhost) cover this?
Hi Joanne,
Dreamhost is an excellent choice for your new hosting provider as they developed a free migration plugin for you to use. Please follow these instructions Migrate Your Website to DreamHost in 7 Easy Steps.
Don’t worry about your SSL certificate as Dreamhost provides free Let’s Encrypt SSL certificates.
If you have any more concerns please reply here or contact Dreamhost’s live chat help service.
Hi Marion,
I have split from Wealthy Affiliate some time ago and did
backup of my website to my machine however it is not in form of one zip file but rather a directory with all the files inside. Will it work while I do the upload to my new host provider?
And also, where is my database file? is it somewhere in that directory among all those other files?
Thanks for that in advance
Hi Chris,
It all depends on what format you saved the files in. Give it a try at your new host and if that doesn’t work use the contact form at https://www.wealthyaffiliate.com/contact to ask if they still have a backup of your site.
It could be that you’ll want to start over with “yoursite.com version 2.0”. You can make it bigger and better by learning from your experience.
Best of luck,
Marion
Hi Marion,
I just started with WA less than a month ago. I purchased my domain through them, so I’m getting an error “Domain cannot be transferred
There are less than 60 days from the domain registration and we are unable to initiate the transfer procedure. Please try again when 60 days from domain registration have passed.” I no longer want to be a WA Premium member. Can I disable drop down to a ‘regular’ member and then transfer my account after 60 days from domain registration?
Hi EK,
You don’t have to be a premium member of Wealthy Affiliate to have your domain name registered there. So you don’t need to transfer your domain name to another registrar in order to keep your website. Simply migrate your website to another hosting provider and leave the registration alone until it’s closer to the time of renewal then you can decide if you want to transfer the domain name registration or just leave it where it is.
Even though you can’t revert to being a “starter” member you will still have access to the domain name registration section of the WA website. All the other sections will no longer be available to you but you’ll always have access to the domain name settings.
Does the Hack still work with latest WordPress?
Also why not just use the normal import-export tool from WordPress?
Good questions.
I haven’t used the hack myself recently but if there was a problem I’m sure someone would have left a comment here to that effect. If you choose to migrate your site to SiteGround or DreamHost then you can do so in 7 easy steps without hacking anything.
Migrate Your Website to DreamHost in 7 Easy Steps
Migrate Your Website to SiteGround in 7 Easy Steps
The WordPress Tools > Export creates a text file of your database so it’s only useful for back-dating your database on the same server. It does not include your themes, plugins, or (most importantly) your media library.
Hello Marion thank you for this information! I’m trying to move my website from Wealthy Affiliate to Dreamhost but it seems to not be working. How much do you charge for your services? I am willing to pay for you to help me transfer my website since I am completely lost. Thank you!
Hi Michelle,
It’s so easy to migrate your website to DreamHost as they have a site migration plugin that will do all the work for you. You’ll find my simple instructions at https://marionblackonline.com/migrate-dreamhost/
If you have any problems, just contact DreamHost’s support team and they will help you every step of the way. If I can help with anything else please just reply here.
Love your instructions, thank you so much 🙂
Hello Marion thanks for your teaching. I want to move my website from Wealthy affiliate to dream host, which means I will need to renew my premium membership which expired last week. Please I will need your help, how much will it cost me? Wealthy affiliate monthly payment is too much, is there any other site that can be of help? Because I’m a beginner.
Hi Lilian,
Migrating a small website (under 512MB) is very simple and you really don’t need to pay me or anyone else to do it for you. Just follow the instructions on this page. https://copy.marionblackonline.com/move-website-from-wealthy-affiliate/#1_Back_Up_Your_Website If you know how to install a plugin then you’re good to go.
Reach out to me if and when you get stuck and I’ll help you over the hurdle.
Hi Marion. Thank you for this insightful review. I will like you to assist me in moving my website to be hosted at DreamHost. May I know your fee. What is the process.
Hi Debbie,
There’s absolutely no need to pay me or anyone else to migrate your website to DreamHost. I’ve got full instructions for you at Migrate Your Website to DreamHost in 8 Easy Steps (2020)
Thanks a lot, Marion. Its very kind of you. I am going to follow the instructions right away. Grateful.
I have a few websites and I have installed Yoast SEO, WP Fast Cache to name a few and when I do Google Console/analytics I get score C on one and D on the other. When I searched my very new and incomplete website from siterubix (I am a free subscriber) It is all A+. I do not know if I should fix my existing sites and add a blog or start a totally new blog site/ website with a faster theme? Would it be better to pay for Themeforest, or Astra and start fresh- would that make the difference? I do not know how much is the theme or the underlying structure. Plus, I do not know how to fix my current themes?
Also, Will I lose the A+ functionality of my WA site if I move it to WP? I am thinking of just not completing my WA site, or should I complete it to have a better framework that adds speed and then move it to a WP domain?
When a site loads slowly it can be due to a number of factors including the theme and plugins that you’re using. But the main problem is usually that the images you’re using are too big. Make sure you reduce the size of your images to the size they will be showing on your site before you upload them. I use and recommend the GeneratePress theme as it’s light-weight and very customizable.
hi Marion, I copied and pasted the dns of siteround onto my wealthy affiliate dns and it failed. do u know what I can do?. Michelle
Hi Michelle,
How long ago did you change the DNS? It can take up to 48 hours for the change to propagate throughout the internet. Did you click on the “Save Settings” button? Please try again and if you still have problems contact Site Support at Wealthy Affiliate.
just yesterday. it popped up as an error and couldn’t complete. but I have seen that my cloud storage was full and I had a red x next to my backup website. Yes, I clicked the save button. Ok, I wasn’t sure if wealthy affiliate support would help me. The last couple of times I contacted them they were not very friendly. Thanks
Hey Marion,
Thanks a lot for giving me a reply on email and redirecting me to the article. Great article, and thanks for sharing
You’re very welcome, Sandra. Let me know if you have any questions.
Hi Marion, do you know what happen to my .com domain after migrating my website to another host provider and cancelling my WA subscription? Thanks in advance!
Hi Daniel,
Your domain name is yours for as long as you keep renewing it. You don’t need to be a premium member at WA to have your domain names registered there, so you can leave it registered at Wealthy Affiliate or transfer the registration to a different domain name registrar, that’s entirely up to you. I have my domain names registered at Wealthy Affiliate but I have them hosted at DreamHost.
Gotcha, at the moment I’ve already created my backup and changed de dns servers. I’m waiting for the website to not be displayed anymore and install the new one in my new hosting provider. The problem is that I was trying to close my WA account to see what am I able to access in the platform and it seems that everything is deleted. If I do that, maybe I won’t have access to SiteDomain (?)
It’s not going to be a problem, Daniel. Wealthy Affiliate registers domain names for anyone, not just premium members. After your main account is closed you will still be able to log in but the only part of the Wealthy Affiliate platform that you’ll be able to access will be the Site Domains area. You’ll still have full control over your domain names.
Hi Marion,
Thank you for your insightful post. I am considering moving one site from WA. I have noticed that the hosting is slow, although I have compressed the images, etc. I am evaluating my finances to see if I will be able to do move my site next year. I am already in conversation with a good host provider that I know is excellent. You mention somewhere in here that I may not be able to keep my domain name? one domain name I want to keep, so hopefully, I will be able to do that.
I have bookmarked your site for when the times comes to move my site. Moving my site means I just need a better hosting provider that I can scream at if slow for some reason. Just kidding no screaming, but with an independent hosting provider as a consumer, you can really get things done to the customer’s satisfaction.
As you said WA membership training is fine.
Thank you,
Hi Ana, there is absolutely no reason why you should not be able to keep your domain names going forward regardless of where your website is hosted. I use Wealthy Affiliate for the registration of my domain names even though I host the websites at DreamHost.
What I do recommend is that if you want to transfer the registration of your domain names you do that as a separate exercise to migrating your websites. Trying to do both at the same time could result in excessive downtime.
That was an awesome tutorial but it looks like they removed version 6.77 from allinone wp migration so we can’t use the hack. My site isn’t that big anyway so hopefully i don’t need to pay. thanks.
You can buy the old version (6.77) from Free and Cheap eBooks for about $10 if you need it.
Hi Marion,
Thanks for the info. I did everything mentioned but the import always gets stuck at a certain percentage, not completing.
I’m currently hosting my site with WA but I requested the domain transfer and bought basic hosting from Godaddy. I’ve been trying to migrate the site with all the plugins, Duplicator, UpdraftPlus, WP all in one, you name it, none of them worked. There’s always some error.
Godaddy doesn’t provide cPanel so I can’t create a new database. This is why WP All In One would be perfect. Any ideas?
Thanks,
Roman
This is one more reason that I don’t recommend hosting with GoDaddy. Please cancel your GoDaddy account and ask for a refund then open an account with one of the excellent hosting companies that I DO recommend. DreamHost has just released a plugin (free to clients) which will enable you to migrate your website with just a few clicks. Or check out SiteGround and BlueHost as they also offer great hosting packages with excellent technical support.
Hi Marion,
I looked everywhere to find out how can I move my website hosting from WA, and I found your site. I signed up to DreamHost (via your affiliate link of course!), and followed your instructions to backup my website in WA using the All-in-One WP Migration plugin into a file, and then restored that in my WP installation in DreamHost. I have also updated my domain’s nameserver to point to DreamHost.
However I have this problem. After all these are done, when I access my website (let’s say it’s mydomain.com), it showed an error that the site is not found. I checked my WP site in DreamHost and the URL is “mydomain.com.dream.website” instead.
Do you know what’s wrong? Thanks
Hi Alex,
That was just a temporary redirect while the change of nameservers was propagating throughout the internet. I see mygoldfishisalive.com is working just fine now.
Make sure to activate your free SSL certificate and add the plugins I recommend for backups, security, and spam control: Updraft Plus, Wordfence, and Antispam Bee.
Best wishes for your future successes,
Marion
Thanks Marion! I have activated SSL and I can see the site is functional now. Will check out the plugins that you mentioned. Thanks again for your help!
wIshing you the best in life Marion.
I have sub domain site as a free member with wealthy affiliate. I want to migrate the site to namecheap because i know if you do not upgrade Wealthy Affiliate people will eliminate your site it happened to me.
As a free member what do i need to provide to namecheap people because i have no access to the cpanel and the plugins as you already know. What information will they need?
Thanks for your information
Antonio
Hi Antonio,
Unfortunately, as you are a free member, there is no way you can migrate your website to another hosting provider.
The best option that I can think of is to copy and paste all your content into Microsoft Word or a similar word processing app and then copy and paste it into a brand new website.
And I really don’t recommend NameCheap as a web hosting provider. They are primarily a domain name registration service which, I understand, provides cheap shared hosting on over-crowded servers. Please consider this discount hosting option as an alternative.
Best,
Marion
Hello Marion, thank you very much for this amazing information. I have one question for you. All these steps are just to move the website and the domain to another host, in case of closing the WA account, or I can do it as well but continue to be WA Member? Thank you, anticipate.
Hi Diana,
I’ve been a member at Wealthy Affiliate for over 5 years but I don’t use their hosting because it’s not as good as I’ve got at DreamHost. I strongly recommend that you move your websites to DreamHost, BlueHost, SiteGround or WPX to get fast, reliable service for your site’s visitors. There’s absolutely no need to cancel your membership at Wealthy Affiliate just because you want a better hosting provider. The affiliate marketing training is still spot on.
Hi Marion,
Thank you for your quick response and also for your recommendation. I apreciate it.
Hello,
I’m trying to modify All in One Migration Plugin, you sad that we need change number 28 on Line 284 to 56 in constants.php.
I can’t find that numbers, line 284 ili blank.
Can you please check that, maybe they modify plugin.
Yes, Dam, they have modified the plugin. As mentioned below the video “The legacy version of the plugin is no longer available at wordpress.org so you’ll want to download it from FreeAndCheapEbooks for a small fee.”
Hi Marion, I’m currently in the process of restoring my website on a new host platform. I’ve downloaded the 6.77 of the all in one plugin to my computer from the link you provided, and it came in a zip file. What’s the next step after downloading it? I don’t see it covered in the video, or maybe I’ve missed something. Would really appreciate your help, thank you
Hi William, the next step is to install WordPress on your new website at your new host. Then you can add the new plugin in the usual way.
I know there are quite a few steps here so just jump back in at “Install WordPress” and take it from there. https://marionblackonline.com/move-website-from-wealthy-affiliate/#tab-con-2
Hey Marion thanks for the reply. I was actually having trouble figuring out how to install the 6.77 version of the all in one wp migration plugin I downloaded to my website dashboard. Thankfully, I was able to figure it out and I’ve successfully imported my website to my new host. Thank you
Hi Marion,
Thanks for all your help.
I followed your instructions about moving my websites from WA to another host (SiteGround). It all went well. The SiteGround tech support people moved my large site (1 GB) as I had one free move to use.
I ran some page speed tests of my largest site before and after moving. I was surprised at the results.
My home page speed on a mobile device was 58 before and 73 after.
A long blog post on a mobile device was 56 before and 80 after.
The before and after tests were 5 days apart. But the time difference should not explain the big differences in numbers. I am more concerned about site performance on mobile devices than desktop (desktop numbers were all in the 90s). I conclude that WA hypes its hosting performance.
Hi Glen,
Congratulations on making the move to Siteground.
It has long been my contention that WA hosting is OK for newbies with zero tech skills. For those of us who take our business seriously, we need better hosting. That’s why I never moved my sites to Wealthy Affiliate and prefer to pay extra for quality hosting.
I hope all goes well for you in your future endeavours.
Marion
Hi! I am trying to move my WA to Bluehost and I get a message saying that I need a EPP Authorization code, do you know what that is and how can I get it? Thanks
The authorization code is only required when you want to change the registration of the domain name to a different registrar. It’s not needed for migrating your website. And I don’t advise changing the registration of the domain name at the same time as moving your website.
Wait until after the migration is complete then go back to https://my.wealthyaffiliate.com/websites/domains > Settings and select Transfer Domain from the drop-down list.
Wonderfully detailed instructions on how to move a site from WA to another host. I love the little plugin hack. Many thanks.
Thanks for stopping by, Irene. Let me know if you have any questions.
Hi I wish I would have read this before doing my transfer!! I have 3 sites i built for 3 months and I transferred without doing anything you stated am I SOL??
Hi Marion, I want to move 2 websites from WA to probably bluehost. Is that something you can do for me… I just don’t have the time… 🙂
I also have other domain names that I bought through WA but I haven’t installed yet, can those be moved too.
Thanks
Yes, Carmen, I can help you with this. I’ve sent you an email.
This is great article. I was always looking for how i need to move my website from one host to other. This article made it easier.
Can you tell me if free member at WA have access to the cpanel?
Wealthy Affiliate does not have a user-accessible cPanel, Antonio. And free members can’t use FTP or install plugins so there’s no way to back up your free website. The only option you have is to copy and paste your content into a new website or an app like Microsoft Word.
Marion, excellent work, I wish I had that privilege mind. How MUCH WILL you charge for your “professional services” in a few weeks I will migrate my site for WA.
Sorry, Antonio. As a free member, there’s no way to back up your website in order to migrate it to another hosting provider.
Hi Marion great tutorial but my problem is that I moved my website from my host WA to another host. The subdomain wasn’t moved now I’m not a member and need to get a backup file from them and have no way to get a hold of them.
Hi Fred,
You can try to contact Wealthy Affiliate at https://www.wealthyaffiliate.com/contact/. If that doesn’t work then you may have to resubscribe to get access to WA’s backup of your subdomain. You may even have to change the DNS back to WA before you can access the subdomain.
A most thoroughly detailed set of instructions for moving a website to another host from Wealthy Affiliate. I was a bit worried about having to do this at some time in the future, now I’ve bookmarked this post for later reference and I’ll certainly be back to read it again when I need to.
Thanks again for another great how to, Marion.
Yeah, I tried that link in the instructions. You have to login to WA. I canceled my premium membership on Sunday before it renewed today. I thought I might be able to sign up as a free member and watch the video but it doesn’t work. It wants me to upgrade to premium. Never mind. I have the clone and database backups so I think that will be enough because my site is small – 148MB. Thanks anyway.
Got as far as installing Filezilla. Filled out the form with the FTP username and password and got a critical error.
This video should help with FTP connection errors.
Hi Marion. There is no WP-DP Backup under Tools in my dashboard. Under Tools I have Import, Export, Forums, SEO Data Import, Export Personal Data, Erase Personal Data. That’s it. I’m the one that asked you recently in a WA forum how to backup my WA site. Thanks for your help.
It’s really important to follow all the steps in order, Peter.
Under “Prepare” section C. “Install and activate WP Database Backup plugin by Prashant Walke to backup the database. WP Clone includes a database backup but, as mentioned before, the plugin may fail.”
I hope this helps.
I haven’t actually started following these steps yet. I followed the video on WA which only mentioned backing up with WP Clone. Then I found this and read the part about backing up the database and thought I was missing something. My plan was to go through all the steps tomorrow since I canceled my membership today. Now, I see I’m not missing anything, so I won’t have trouble doing this tomorrow. Thanks.
Hi, what if I just want to sell my domain? Do I still need to go through the process of moving my website from wealthy affiliate first?
Are you trying to sell the website or just the domain name?
Hi! I’ve only been with WA for about a month now and I am on the free plan. I’m wanting to buy myself a domain at http://www.namesilo.com since they only charge $8.99 for a year’s service with the (com) extension. How can I transfer my free site over there. It’s a brand new site and I can’t afford $50 a month for premium service. How would that work?
Hi Christal, I am not familiar with namesilo.com. Do they provide a hosting service? I can’t see that on their website. I would be very wary of using a domain name service that I’ve never heard of before. I’ve been creating websites for 16 years and I’ve never heard of namesilo.com. Do they provide proper whois protection with the domain name in your name, not theirs? They’re most probably legit, but please do some research before you buy from them.
Please see my recommendations for hosting services at https://marionblackonline.com/hosting/ some of the hosting services I recommend give you a free domain name for the first year. Starter members at wealthy affiliate need external hosting if they have their own domain name.
Hi Marion,
Thank you very much for your work. I am preparing to migrate from WA, but I have more than a month before my premium membership expires.
May I ask your advise where I should host my blog? It used to be a free blog at WordPress, then I moved to WA and purchased a domain through them. Now I want to stop my premium WA membership, but don’t know if I should go back to WordPress or elsewhere. Please advise. Thank you again.
Hi Dmitriy,
The free blogs at wordpress.com are just for amateur bloggers who don’t have their own domain name. I’m sure you’ll want better hosting than that.
I use and recommend DreamHost if you have (or are planning) more than one website.
If you only want one website then you may find SiteGround or BlueHost suit your needs.
Remember to take into consideration the renewal prices as well as the initial discount when you’re making your choice. And a free SSL certificate is a must.
Thank you Marion,
I am not a marketer, it did not work for me. That is why I am leaving WA. I just have a Bible study blog, but I like having my own domain, and all those nice plugins. So I understand that it won’t be free. But WordPress offers various paid plans, so I don’t know how to make a choice. Are SiteGround and BlueHost better? If so, which one of them?
Thank you again.
Hi Marion. Please quote me for a transfer service. Thank you
Thanks for reaching out to me, Blessing. I’ve sent you the details via email.
Hi, I don’t know if you kind of answered this already to Pauline but I am really a beginner and I didn’t understand. My problem is kind of the same, I cancelled my premium account at wealthy affiliate and I didn’t back up anything. My domain name is still paid (I still own it) but I can´t obviously have access to it through wealthy affiliate and I was wondering if the problem will be solved changing the web servers as you said. But I don’t know what should I change it to (as I said a complete beginner), also the namecheap thing, I already have my website name paid. Do you thing I will need to pay for another premium month in order to move to a web hosting platform? and would wealthy affiliate still have all of the content I wrote saved? Sorry if I haven’t expressed myself correctly and would appreciate any help.
Hi Lala,
It depends on how long it’s been since you left Wealthy Affiliate. According to Kyle, your website can be restored if it’s been less than 6 months. Please check out this post.
Thank you very much 😉 I will write again in case I find any more problems along the way.
what is the difference between the files that were backed up from the plugin and the files that were backed up with Filezilla? Do they have the exact same data?
Yes, the data is the same except that FileZilla (FTP) does not back up the database. The plugin fails in approximately 10% of cases so I would never rely on it completely. That’s why I recommend using both methods to back up. If the restoration process fails using one method then you have the other to fall back on.
Hi Marion,
I canceled my WA membership without backing anything up (I was ill-informed/not informed prior to). I have transferred my hosting back to namecheap, of course now I cannot log into my WP ADMIN! Any suggestions on what to do here? I’m not too concerned about the 3 articles I had created, it’s that I can’t get into my wp dashboard.
Many thanks.
Pauline
If you bought your domain name at Wealthy Affiliate you have complete control over where your website is hosted. You can change the nameservers by going to Wealthy Affiliate Site Domains
When the change of nameservers has had time to propagate throughout the internet you’ll be able to install WordPress on your website through Namecheap.
Hi Marion, sent
Thanks so much for your reply.
My issue was that I had moved my hosting back to namecheap before backing it up in WA. So, I essentially lost all what I did to my website, and then also I can’t log into my dashboard.
Pauline
The only way to retrieve your content is to go back to Wealthy Affiliate and back it up. This will, of course, involve paying for another month’s subscription. And it’s possible that the content has already been deleted from the servers. In which case you won’t be able to get it back.
All you can do is move on from here and start again with a new installation using Namecheap.
Hi Marion,
If I bought my domain name at Wealthy Affiliate do I need to change its nameservers after canceling WA membership and transferring my website to another host or I can use its old nameservers as long as I want?
Thanks,
Bob
As far as I’m aware, Bob, you can continue to have your domain name registered through WA for as long as you like. But you could double-check with their Site Support https://my.wealthyaffiliate.com/training/submit-a-support-ticket-to-siterubix-hosting-technical-support/a_aid/100b117d or https://www.wealthyaffiliate.com/contact
Hi Marion
Thanks to this post I managed to backup my website and restore it with the new host, DreamHost.
It was quite a battle and a little bit technical but in the end I followed each step carefully and managed to do it! 🙂
Cannot thank you enough for your assistance and patience.
THANK YOU KINDLY!
Best regards,
Kamil
Hi Marion I’ve been following this guide as I want to move to a new hosting platform but came across a different plugin for site migration, just wondering if you know of it and if it works well.
it is called All-in-One WP Migration.
Few details for you.
This plugin exports your WordPress website including the database, media files, plugins and themes with no technical knowledge required.
Upload your site to a different location with a drag and drop in to WordPress.
There is an option to apply an unlimited number of find and replace operations on your database during the export process. The plugin will also fix any
serialisation problems that occur during the find/replace operation.
Mobile device compatible: All in One WP Plugin is the first plugin to offer true mobile experience on WordPress versions 3.3 and up.
regards
Peter
Yes, Peter, I have come across that plugin and I was very disappointed to discover that the free version can only restore a very tiny website. Lots of peeps are using it to backup their sites only to discover that they have to pay to restore the site after changing hosting companies. I wrote about it here: https://my.wealthyaffiliate.com/marionblack/blog/website-backup-and-migration-caution-its-a-bit-of-a-rant
ooh no wonder it failed when I tried to back up my site. Shame really as it appears to offer the full package.Better strike that one from the plugins then. Popping over to read the post you quoted.
Thanks again Marion
Hi Marion,
I remember that post. One of the commmenters mentioned that although All-in-One-WP Migration limits its FREE migration service to a website no larger than 512 MB (small). it will still work for larger websites, as it migrates only 2 MB packets at a time. He mentioned he migrated 12 large websites from WA to a new host without any difficulty.
But how do you reconcile that All in One WP Migration only will move .wpress files?
Do we need to convert our files (SQL) to .wpress files?
Can the plugin do this for us?
All in one WP migration is not free. When it comes to restoring the website you have to upgrade to the premium version. If anyone tells you that they have used this plugin to migrate large websites then they must have been using the premium version.
The.wpress files can only be opened and used by the plugin which has created them. So they are totally useless in any other situation.
If you’re having difficulties then please avail yourself of my professional services.
Marion, you are amazing. I appreciate this comprehensive article. I have been trying to figure it out on my own and found some instructions that just went over my head. But yours are much easier to understand. Thank you for sharing, you have helped me so much!