Best Practices

• Common Migration Scenarios
  • Scenario-to-method map
• For Automatic Migrations
  • Client Education
  • Method Selection
  • Monitoring
• For Manual Migrations
  • Preparation
  • File Optimization
  • Upload Process
• For Large Sites
  • Definition of Large Sites
  • Planning
  • Technical Preparation
  • Monitoring
• Security Considerations
  • Credential Management
  • Access Control
  • Compliance
• Testing and Validation
  • Pre-Migration Checklist
  • DNS Cutover
• Documentation and Knowledge Sharing
  • Internal Documentation
  • Client Communication
• Performance Optimization
  • Before Migration
  • After Migration
• Related Documentation

Follow these best practices to ensure smooth and successful WordPress migrations with minimal issues.

Common Migration Scenarios

Scenario-to-method map

Scenario	Recommended method	Why
Move from any host to PanelAlpha	Automatic (Plugin)	Fastest, least friction, supports stop/retry
WP admin blocked / 2FA enforced	Automatic (FTP/SFTP)	Bypasses WP admin access requirements
Client auto-migration failed	Manual (admin)	Admin controls uploads, can verify before run
Very large site (10GB+ / 500MB+ DB)	Manual (admin, off-hours)	More control, avoids timeouts, can resume/retry steps
Cross-server move inside PanelAlpha	Automatic (Plugin) or FTP	Minimal downtime; keeps audit trail
Security-sensitive client	Automatic (FTP) or Manual	Avoids sharing WP admin credentials

Learn more:

• Plugin vs FTP: Migration Types
• Large sites: For Large Sites
• Failed client imports: Manual Migrations

For Automatic Migrations

Client Education

1. Provide clear instructions on both import methods (plugin vs FTP)

   • Create documentation or video tutorials
   • Explain when to use each method
   • Show step-by-step process

2. Set expectations:

   • Migration time depends on site size
   • Large sites may take several hours
   • Some downtime may be required

3. Prepare checklist for clients:

   • Backup source site before migration
   • Disable security plugins temporarily
   • Note any custom configurations
   • Document any .htaccess rules

Method Selection

1. Recommend plugin method as default:

   • More reliable and user-friendly
   • Better error handling
   • Automatic cleanup
   • Works for most cases

2. Use FTP method when:

   • WordPress admin access not available
   • Security plugins block auto-login
   • Two-factor authentication cannot be disabled
   • Client prefers not to share admin credentials

Monitoring

1. Check In Progress tab daily:

   • Identify stuck migrations
   • Take action on alerts
   • Contact clients if needed

2. Review failures regularly:

   • Identify common issues
   • Address systemic problems
   • Update documentation based on patterns

3. Track success rates:

   • Monitor which hosting providers have issues
   • Document problematic configurations
   • Share findings with team

For Manual Migrations

Preparation

1. Prepare files beforehand:

   • Have clients create files before starting migration
   • Test file integrity locally
   • Verify ZIP can be extracted
   • Check SQL file for syntax errors

2. Check file naming:

   • Exactly wordpress-files.zip
   • Exactly database.sql (or .sql.gz, .sql.zip, .sql.tar.gz)
   • Case-sensitive on Linux servers

3. Verify file contents:

   • ZIP must contain WordPress root files
   • No nested WordPress folder in ZIP
   • SQL must include all WordPress tables
   • Check for correct database prefix

File Optimization

1. Use compression for large files:

   • Gzip database dumps: database.sql.gz
   • Can reduce size by 80-90%
   • Faster upload times
   • Supported formats: .gz, .zip, .tar.gz

2. Optimize before packing:

   • Remove unused themes/plugins from source
   • Clean up media library
   • Delete cache files
   • Remove old backups from wp-content

3. Test extraction locally:

   • Verify ZIP extracts correctly
   • Check file permissions are preserved
   • Ensure no corruption

Upload Process

1. Use reliable FTP client:

   • FileZilla, Cyberduck, or similar
   • Enable resume support
   • Use binary transfer mode
   • Monitor upload progress

2. Verify immediately:

   • Don't wait to verify uploads
   • Do it right after upload completes
   • Check error messages carefully
   • Retry if verification fails

3. Monitor logs during import:

   • Keep Migration Details modal open
   • Watch for warnings
   • Take note of any issues
   • Be ready to assist if needed

For Large Sites

Definition of Large Sites

Consider a site "large" if:

• Total size over 5GB
• Database over 500MB
• More than 10,000 files
• Many large media files

Planning

1. Schedule during off-hours:

   • Migrate during low-traffic periods
   • Reduces impact on source server
   • Better network performance
   • Less chance of timeouts

2. Consider manual migration:

   • More control over process
   • Can pause and resume
   • Better for sites over 10GB
   • Easier to troubleshoot

3. Communicate with client:

   • Set realistic time expectations
   • Explain potential downtime
   • Provide progress updates
   • Have backup plan ready

Technical Preparation

1. Check server resources:

   • Verify adequate disk space (3x site size)
   • Ensure sufficient RAM for import
   • Check PHP memory_limit (512MB+)
   • Verify MySQL max_allowed_packet (256MB+)

2. Optimize source site:

   • Clean up database before export:
     • Delete spam comments
     • Remove post revisions: wp post delete $(wp post list --post_type='revision' --format=ids)
     • Clean transients: wp transient delete --all
   • Compress images
   • Remove unused plugins/themes

3. Split if necessary:

   • Consider migrating files and database separately
   • Use staging approach for critical sites
   • Test on subdomain first

Monitoring

1. Watch progress closely:

   • Keep Migration Details modal open
   • Monitor logs in real-time
   • Check server load on destination
   • Watch for timeout warnings

2. Have support ready:

   • System admin on standby
   • Client contact available
   • Rollback plan prepared

Security Considerations

Credential Management

1. Temporary FTP accounts:

   • Always removed automatically after migration
   • Limited access to temporary directory only
   • Secure password generation
   • Short-lived credentials

2. Source credentials:

   • Not stored after migration completes
   • Transmitted over secure connections
   • Access logs maintained
   • Client can change after migration

3. Database passwords:

   • Visible only to admins with appropriate privileges
   • Stored encrypted in PanelAlpha
   • Never logged in plain text
   • Rotated after migration if desired

Access Control

1. Role-based access:

   • Limit who can initiate manual migrations
   • Restrict access to migration logs
   • Audit trail for all actions
   • Review permissions regularly

2. Plugin cleanup:

   • Migration plugin removed from source if auto-installed
   • Temporary files deleted
   • Staging directories cleaned
   • No artifacts left behind

Compliance

1. Audit trail:

   • All migrations logged with timestamps
   • User actions recorded
   • Error details captured
   • Retention policy followed

2. Data protection:

   • Files transferred over secure protocols
   • Temporary storage encrypted
   • Backups before migration
   • GDPR compliance maintained

Testing and Validation

Pre-Migration Checklist

• ✅ Backup source site
• ✅ Verify source WordPress version
• ✅ Check PHP version compatibility
• ✅ Note custom configurations
• ✅ Document current DNS settings
• ✅ Record current SSL setup
• ✅ List active plugins
• ✅ Note theme customizations

DNS Cutover

1. Before switching DNS:

   • Test site on destination server (hosts file or temp domain)
   • Verify all functionality works
   • Ensure SSL is active
   • Check email delivery

2. During cutover:

   • Lower DNS TTL 24 hours in advance
   • Update DNS records
   • Monitor propagation
   • Keep source site running until confirmed

3. After cutover:

   • Verify site loads on new server
   • Check from multiple locations
   • Monitor for any issues
   • Keep backup of source site for 1-2 weeks

Documentation and Knowledge Sharing

Internal Documentation

1. Document patterns:

   • Which hosting providers work well
   • Common issues by provider
   • Workarounds for known problems
   • Server-specific configurations

2. Create runbooks:

   • Step-by-step procedures
   • Troubleshooting flowcharts
   • Emergency contacts
   • Escalation procedures

3. Share learnings:

   • Team meetings to discuss issues
   • Knowledge base articles
   • Update documentation regularly
   • Train new team members

Client Communication

1. Pre-migration:

   • Send preparation guide
   • Set expectations for timeline
   • Explain potential downtime
   • Provide support contacts

2. During migration:

   • Send progress updates
   • Notify of any delays
   • Be available for questions
   • Provide ETA for completion

3. Post-migration:

   • Send completion notification
   • Provide new credentials
   • Explain next steps (DNS change, etc.)
   • Offer testing checklist

Performance Optimization

Before Migration

1. Clean source database:

   wp db optimize
   wp transient delete --all
   wp cache flush
   

2. Remove unnecessary files:

   • Old backups in wp-content
   • Cache directories
   • Error logs
   • Temp files

After Migration

1. Set up caching:

   • Enable object caching if available
   • Configure page caching
   • Set appropriate cache TTLs
   • Test cache functionality

2. Optimize database:

   wp db optimize
   wp rewrite flush
   

3. Configure PHP settings:

   • Set appropriate memory_limit
   • Enable OPcache
   • Configure max_execution_time
   • Set upload_max_filesize

Related Documentation

• Migration Types - Choose the right method
• Import Process - Understand the steps
• Troubleshooting - Solve common issues
• Managing Migrations - Monitor migrations