PanelAlpha Documentation
Back Home
Live Demo Get Started

WP Cloud Migration

Documentation
    Introduction
Getting Started
    Installation Guide Update Guide SSL Configuration Translations
System Configuration
    General Configuration Plans Large WordPress Sites Hosting Servers DNS Servers Email Servers Remote Backups Notifications Automatic SSL Plugins & Themes Reseller Area Background Billing Diagnostic Mode Automatic Tester Snapshot Tool Server Migration
Migrations
    Overview Migration Types Import Process Managing Migrations Migration Details Troubleshooting Best Practices
WP Cloud Migration
    Overview
Admin Area
    Dashboard Instances Services Users Logs
Onboarding Methods
    Quick Onboarding Super Quick Onboarding Standard Onboarding
Hosting Servers
    Hosting Scenarios PanelAlpha Engine cPanel Plesk DirectAdmin WP Cloud
DNS Servers
    Cloudflare Bunny.net cPanel DNS Only PowerDNS
Email Servers
    Mailcow cPanel
Billing Systems Integrations
    PanelAlpha WordPress Hosting For WHMCS
Billing Scenarios
    Introduction Free Trial Period
Integrations
    Atarim AWStats Matomo Google Analytics Let's Encrypt Google PageSpeed Insights DB-IP Extendify WithoutDNS
Client Area - Instances
    List of Instances Creating New Instance Importing Existing Instance Instance Details Changing Domain Sharing Instances Monitoring Backups Plugins Advanced Settings
Client Area - Hosting
    Summary Domains FTP Accounts SFTP Accounts MySQL Databases Cron Jobs File Manager DNS Zone Editor Email Addresses Email Forwarders

# WP Cloud Migration

  • What you need to start
  • Migration flow at a glance
  • Step 1: Enable WP Cloud API access
  • Step 2: Prepare PanelAlpha
  • Step 3: Connect WP Cloud as a hosting server
  • Step 4: Configure a plan for WP Cloud provisioning
  • Step 5: Prepare the source WordPress site
  • Step 6: Start migration from Client Area
  • Step 7: Monitor and manage migration in Admin Area
  • Step 8: Validate the migrated WP Cloud site
  • Step 9: Cut over production traffic
  • When to use manual migration instead
  • Related documentation

This guide is designed for external teams that want to migrate existing WordPress websites to WP Cloud using PanelAlpha.

PanelAlpha handles the migration workflow end-to-end: provisioning the destination instance on WP Cloud, pulling data from the source site, and exposing full progress/logs in the Admin Area.

# What you need to start

Before running your first migration, make sure you have:

  • A working WP Cloud account with API access enabled.
  • WP Cloud Client Identifier and API Key (provided by WP Cloud).
  • A deployed PanelAlpha environment (or a planned installation).
  • A configured plan/service in PanelAlpha that uses WP Cloud as the hosting server.
  • Access to the source WordPress site:
    • WordPress admin login (recommended method), or
    • FTP/SFTP access and path to the WordPress root.
  • Domain/DNS access for final cutover.

# Migration flow at a glance

  1. Connect WP Cloud in PanelAlpha.
  2. Configure a plan/service that provisions instances on WP Cloud.
  3. Start import from Client Area (plugin or FTP/SFTP method).
  4. Monitor and manage progress in Admin Area -> Migrations.
  5. Validate the migrated site and switch production traffic.

# Step 1: Enable WP Cloud API access

Request API access from WP Cloud (opens new window) and collect:

  • Client Identifier
  • API Key
  • Approved source IP (the public IP of your PanelAlpha environment)

Without these values, PanelAlpha cannot create destination instances on WP Cloud.

# Step 2: Prepare PanelAlpha

If you do not have PanelAlpha yet, complete installation first:

  • Installation Guide

Then verify:

  • You can log in to Admin Area.
  • Your target customer has an active service/plan for migration destination.

# Step 3: Connect WP Cloud as a hosting server

In Admin Area, go to Configuration -> Servers -> Hosting Servers -> Add Server and add WP Cloud using your Client Identifier and API Key.

Use Test Connection before saving.

# Step 4: Configure a plan for WP Cloud provisioning

Open the plan used by the destination service and set WP Cloud in the hosting configuration. Confirm key options such as disk quota, workers, and location policy.

Reference:

  • WP Cloud server and plan options
  • Plans configuration

# Step 5: Prepare the source WordPress site

Before import:

  1. Create a backup on the source environment.
  2. Confirm WordPress and plugins are healthy (no critical errors).
  3. Decide import method:
    • Simple/Plugin method (recommended)
    • Advanced FTP/SFTP method
  4. Collect credentials and validate access before starting.

# Step 6: Start migration from Client Area

Open My Instances -> Add New -> Import Existing WordPress Instance.

Then:

  1. Select destination service (the one mapped to WP Cloud).
  2. Enter source WordPress URL.
  3. Choose import method.
  4. Provide required credentials.
  5. Start migration and wait for processing.

Detailed method guide:

  • Importing Existing Instance
  • Migration Types

# Step 7: Monitor and manage migration in Admin Area

Open Admin Area -> Migrations and track progress in real time.

If migration fails:

  1. Open migration details and check logs.
  2. Retry if root cause is resolved.
  3. Switch to manual migration for edge cases (large sites, blocked source access, repeated failures).

# Step 8: Validate the migrated WP Cloud site

Before go-live, verify:

  • Frontend pages and media load correctly before DNS cutover.
  • Use WithoutDNS to preview and test the migrated website on the new server without changing live DNS records.
  • WordPress admin login works.
  • Plugins/themes and custom integrations behave as expected.
  • Forms and transactional email work.
  • SSL status and DNS records are correct.

# Step 9: Cut over production traffic

After validation:

  1. Update DNS to point production domain to the WP Cloud destination.
  2. Wait for propagation (based on your TTL).
  3. Re-run quick smoke tests on frontend and admin.
  4. Keep source site in maintenance/read-only mode until final confirmation.

# When to use manual migration instead

Move to manual migration when:

  • Plugin/FTP import repeatedly fails.
  • Source host blocks required operations.
  • Site size requires controlled upload and verification.

Manual procedure:

  • Manual migration flow

# Related documentation

  • WP Cloud
  • Migrations Overview
  • Managing Migrations
  • Migration Troubleshooting