Transferring WordPress to a new host is a controlled handoff: export, recreate PHP + MySQL, verify on preview HTTPS, then switch DNS and WordPress URLs. WPHost expects you to perform that handoff yourself. There is no one-click installer, plugins do not auto-update, deploy history is file-oriented, and email/CDN are not bundled.
Worked example below: a bakery one-pager with opening hours. Also see best host for a WordPress website, how to migrate WordPress website hosting, and how to move WordPress to new hosting.
1. Label the source of truth
Decide which environment is canonical today. Take a full backup from that environment only. Note the exact public URL, whether it forces HTTPS, and any host-specific paths.
If editors might publish during transfer, either lock edits or plan a final delta dump.
2. Package files the way the web server expects
Zip from inside the WordPress root so index.php is at the top of the archive — not buried under an extra folder name. Include wp-content/uploads. Exclude junk you do not serve.
Transfer is not a Node project publish. If a theme build exists, include built assets. Storage on Starter is modest (2 GB); do not ship irrelevant caches.
3. Export MySQL completely
Dump all tables for the site’s prefix. Confirm row counts roughly match wp-admin’s post counts. Store the dump with the file archive.
Without this step you are transferring a theme demo, not the bakery’s real hours and pages.
4. Recreate the stack on WPHost
Create a PHP 8.4 site and MySQL on an appropriate plan ($9 / $30 / $65 / $130). Upload the zip to the document root. Import the dump. Fix wp-config.php credentials.
Boot on the preview HTTPS hostname. Use serialization-aware search-replace to teach WordPress the preview URL for testing.
5. Worked example: bakery one-pager
Validation script:
- Home shows today’s opening hours (not a cached stale widget from the old host).
- “Order cake” form still emails the bakery (re-save SMTP).
- Allergen PDF in Media still downloads.
- Phone
tel:links work on mobile. - Embedded map loads over HTTPS.
- wp-admin login works with existing users from the dump (not a brand-new install user you forgot you created).
Take a new UpdraftPlus full backup on WPHost. Schedule plugin updates manually — nothing auto-updates here.
If you redesign after transfer, Pro staging helps; copy the database so staging hours are real.
6. Cut over the domain without orphaning mail
Add the domain, wait for the custom certificate, set WordPress Address and Site Address to the HTTPS apex (or www — pick one). Test.
Do not point MX at WPHost; there is no email hosting. Do not expect a CDN switch — there is none built in. If WooCommerce sells gift boxes, re-test payments; no PCI/checkout SLA is provided.
What to skip
Skip transferring every inactive plugin “in case.” Skip Softaculous myths. Skip DNS before preview passes the bakery checklist. Skip deleting the old host the same afternoon. Skip treating file deploy history as proof the database arrived.
What “done” looks like
Done: customers hit https://bakery.example, hours are correct, forms deliver, backups exist on the new host, and you have a calendar owner for WordPress updates. Forever-free is not part of done.
Failure: zipping the parent folder so index.html is nested
(Or index.php, for WordPress.) People often select the folder named bakery-site in their file manager and zip it, producing bakery-site/index.php inside the archive. After upload, the document root shows a directory listing or a generic placeholder because WordPress is one level too deep.
Symptoms: preview URL does not run the installer or the transferred site; /wp-admin 404s; you “fix” by uploading again without fixing structure. Solution: zip the contents of the WordPress root, or adjust the deploy so the application root matches the host’s document root. Confirm index.php is visible at / on preview before you touch DNS. Nested zips waste hours that the bakery does not have before the weekend rush.
FAQ
Is transfer the same as a fresh install?
No. Fresh install creates empty tables. Transfer restores your dump and files so content and users persist.
Can I rely on deploy history instead of UpdraftPlus after transfer?
No. Deploy history rolls back files. Use UpdraftPlus (or similar) for database-inclusive backups.
Will WPHost keep my plugins patched automatically after transfer?
No. You update in wp-admin.
Do I get free hosting during the transfer window?
No forever-free plan. Pay for the destination plan from day one of the transfer work; use preview HTTPS to verify before DNS.