Transferring an Existing WordPress Site to cPanel

Knowledge base documentation for transferring a client’s existing site from their hosting provider to one of our cPanel servers.

Step 1: Acquire public_html.zip file and MySQL database file

Either the client sends these to us, or we ask them to provide us access to their hosting provider so we can download these files ourselves. The user interface varies for each hosting provider.

Step 2: Create a new account for the site on a cPanel server

  1. Log into the cPanel server you will be setting up the new site on.
  2. Search for Create a New Account and select this from the options in the left-hand column.
  3. Configure the new account
  4. Click Save to create the account.

Step 3: Import public_html.zip file into File Manager

  1. From the client-side cPanel, select File Manager.
  2. Double-click public_html.
  3. Click Upload in the dashboard.
  4. Drag and drop the public_html.zip file or click Select File.
  5. Once it finishes uploading, click the Go Back to “/home/clientusername/public_html” link.
  6. Select the public_html.zip file and click Extract in the dashboard.
  7. Select the extracted files and click Move in the dashboard.
  8. Move the files up one level so they reside in /public_html.

Step 4: Create new MySQL database in cPanel

 Create new MySQL database

  1. From the client-side cPanel select MySQL Databases to create a new database.
  2. In the new database field the enter [redacted] so the database name will be username_[redacted].
  3. Click Create Database.
  4. Create a new user account for the SQL Database.

Step 5: Import existing MySQL database file from Step 1 into new database

  1. From the client-side cPanel, select phpMyAdmin.
  2. Select the database you created in the left-hand navigation.
  3. Select the Import tab from the options in the right-hand panel.
  4. Click Choose file and choose the MySQL database you acquired from the client’s hosting provider.
  5. Click Go.

Step 6: Point the A record to our cPanel server

If the client’s DNS records are with us, log into our nameserver and change the relevant A record(s) to point to the cPanel server where you’ve created the account.

If the client’s DNS records are with another hosting provider and you have access to them, do the same thing. Suggest that the client move the DNS records and domain registration over to us.