WordPress Migration to Cloudways: Step-by-Step Guide

Introduction

Cloudways has emerged as one of the best hosting solutions for WordPress sites, offering managed cloud hosting on top providers like DigitalOcean, AWS, and Google Cloud. When you acquire a WordPress domain, migrating to Cloudways can significantly improve performance, security, and manageability. This step-by-step guide walks you through the complete migration process.

Why Choose Cloudways for WordPress

Performance Benefits

Cloud Infrastructure:

• DigitalOcean, AWS, Vultr, Linode, Google Cloud
• SSD storage standard
• Built-in CDN (Cloudways CDN)
• Advanced caching (Breeze plugin)

Speed Features:

• HTTP/2 enabled
• PHP 8.x support
• Redis and Memcached available
• Auto-healing servers

Management Features

WordPress-Optimized:

• One-click WordPress installation
• Staging environments
• Easy cloning
• Git integration

Security:

• Free SSL certificates
• Dedicated firewalls
• Regular security patching
• Automated backups

Pricing

Pre-Migration Preparation

Step 1: Create Cloudways Account

1. Go to cloudways.com
2. Click "Start Free" (3-day trial available)
3. Enter email and create password
4. Verify email address
5. Complete account setup

Step 2: Launch Your Server

1. Click "Launch" or "Add Server"
2. Select application: WordPress
3. Name your application and project
4. Select cloud provider (DigitalOcean recommended for starting)
5. Choose server size (1GB for small sites, 2GB+ for larger)
6. Select server location (closest to your audience)
7. Click "Launch Now"
8. Wait 5-10 minutes for server deployment

Step 3: Note Your Credentials

After server launches, save these credentials:

Application Access:

• Admin URL
• Admin Username
• Admin Password

SFTP Access:

• Host (server IP)
• Username
• Password
• Port (usually 22)

Database Access:

• DB Name
• DB Username
• DB Password
• DB Host

Step 4: Backup Source Site

Create Full Backup:

1. Use existing backup plugin (UpdraftPlus, etc.)
2. Or create manual backup:
   • Export database via phpMyAdmin
   • Download all files via FTP
3. Store backup safely

Migration Method 1: Cloudways Migrator (Recommended)

Using the Official Plugin

Cloudways provides a free migration plugin that handles everything automatically.

Step 1: Install Migrator on Source Site

1. Go to source WordPress admin
2. Navigate to Plugins > Add New
3. Search "Cloudways WordPress Migrator"
4. Install and activate

Step 2: Get Migration Token

1. In Cloudways dashboard, go to your application
2. Click "Migration" in the menu
3. Generate migration token
4. Copy the token

Step 3: Start Migration

1. In source WordPress, go to Cloudways Migrate
2. Enter your email
3. Paste the migration token
4. Enter destination URL (temporary Cloudways URL)
5. Click "Migrate"

Step 4: Monitor Progress

• Plugin shows migration progress
• Wait for completion (varies by site size)
• Don't close browser during migration

Step 5: Verify Migration

1. Access temporary Cloudways URL
2. Test all functionality
3. Check media files
4. Verify plugins working

Migration Method 2: All-in-One WP Migration

For Manual Migration Control

Step 1: Export from Source

1. Install All-in-One WP Migration on source
2. Go to All-in-One WP Migration > Export
3. Click "Export To" > File
4. Wait for export to complete
5. Download the .wpress file

Step 2: Prepare Destination

1. Access Cloudways WordPress installation
2. Install All-in-One WP Migration
3. Install Basic Extension (if file > 512MB)

Step 3: Import

1. Go to All-in-One WP Migration > Import
2. Upload .wpress file
3. Click "Proceed" when prompted
4. Wait for import completion
5. Re-save permalinks
6. Log in with original credentials

Migration Method 3: Duplicator

For Advanced Users

Step 1: Create Package on Source

1. Install Duplicator plugin
2. Go to Duplicator > Packages
3. Click "Create New"
4. Click "Next" (scan complete)
5. Click "Build"
6. Download Installer and Archive

Step 2: Upload to Cloudways

1. Connect via SFTP to Cloudways
2. Navigate to: applications/[app-name]/public_html
3. Delete existing WordPress files (or move to subfolder)
4. Upload installer.php and archive.zip

Step 3: Run Installer

1. Navigate to: your-temp-url.cloudways.com/installer.php
2. Accept terms
3. Enter Cloudways database credentials
4. Update site URL if needed
5. Complete installation
6. Delete installer files

Post-Migration Configuration

Step 1: Update Site URLs

If you migrated to temporary URL:

Option A: Via WordPress Admin

1. Go to Settings > General
2. Update WordPress Address (URL)
3. Update Site Address (URL)
4. Save changes

Option B: Via Cloudways

1. Go to Application Management
2. Click "Domain Management"
3. Add your domain
4. Set as primary domain

Step 2: Configure SSL

1. In Cloudways, go to Application > SSL Certificate
2. Select "Let's Encrypt"
3. Enter your domain
4. Enter email address
5. Click "Install Certificate"
6. Enable "Auto Renewal"

Force HTTPS:

1. Go to Application > SSL Certificate
2. Toggle "HTTPS Redirection" to ON

Step 3: Enable Caching

Install Breeze (Cloudways Cache Plugin):

1. In WordPress admin, go to Plugins
2. Breeze should be pre-installed
3. Activate if not active
4. Go to Settings > Breeze

Configure Breeze:

• Basic Options: Enable all
• File Optimization: Enable CSS/JS minification
• Preload: Enable preload fonts
• CDN: Configure if using
• Varnish: Auto-purge enabled

Step 4: Configure Cloudways CDN (Optional)

1. Go to Application > Cloudways CDN
2. Click "Enable"
3. Choose subscription (25GB free tier)
4. Update DNS with provided CNAME
5. Wait for activation

Step 5: Set Up Backups

Automated Backups:

1. Go to Server > Backup And Restore
2. Enable "Scheduled Backups"
3. Set frequency (daily recommended)
4. Set retention (7-14 days)

On-Demand Backups:

1. Go to Application > Backup And Restore
2. Click "Take Backup Now"
3. Add label for identification

DNS Configuration

Pointing Domain to Cloudways

Step 1: Get Server IP

1. Go to Cloudways Server
2. Copy Public IP address

Step 2: Update DNS at Registrar

At your domain registrar, update DNS records:

Step 3: Wait for Propagation

• Usually 1-4 hours
• Can take up to 48 hours
• Check with: whatsmydns.net

Using Cloudflare (Optional)

For additional performance and security:

1. Create Cloudflare account
2. Add your domain
3. Update nameservers at registrar
4. Configure DNS in Cloudflare
5. Enable proxy for CDN/security

Verification Checklist

Functionality Testing

• Homepage loads correctly
• All pages accessible
• Blog posts display
• Images load (check media library)
• Contact forms work
• E-commerce functions (if applicable)
• User login works
• Admin dashboard accessible

Performance Testing

• SSL certificate active (green padlock)
• No mixed content warnings
• Page speed improved
• Caching working (check headers)
• CDN serving assets (if enabled)

SEO Verification

• Robots.txt accessible
• Sitemap.xml working
• No noindex on pages
• Canonical URLs correct
• Google Search Console connected

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Issue: 500 Internal Server Error

Solutions:

1. Check PHP version compatibility
2. Increase PHP memory limit
3. Check .htaccess file
4. Review error logs in Cloudways

Issue: Database Connection Error

Solutions:

1. Verify wp-config.php credentials
2. Check database exists in Cloudways
3. Confirm database user permissions

Issue: Missing Images

Solutions:

1. Check uploads folder transferred
2. Run search-replace on URLs
3. Verify file permissions (755 folders, 644 files)

Issue: SSL Not Working

Solutions:

1. Wait for DNS propagation
2. Reinstall SSL certificate
3. Clear browser cache
4. Check for mixed content

Issue: Slow After Migration

Solutions:

1. Enable Breeze caching
2. Enable Varnish cache
3. Check PHP version (use 8.x)
4. Enable Redis if available
5. Optimize images

Performance Optimization on Cloudways

Server-Level Optimization

1. PHP Version: Use PHP 8.1 or 8.2
2. MySQL Version: Use MariaDB 10.x
3. Redis: Enable for object caching
4. Varnish: Enable full page caching

Application-Level Optimization

1. Breeze Plugin:

   • Enable all cache options
   • Minify CSS and JS
   • Enable lazy loading
   • Configure heartbeat

2. Image Optimization:

   • Install ShortPixel or similar
   • Enable WebP conversion
   • Lazy load images

Advanced Settings

Server Settings > SETTINGS & PACKAGES:

• PHP-FPM Settings: Optimize for your traffic
• MySQL Settings: Adjust based on database size
• PHP Settings: Increase memory if needed

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does migration take?

Small sites: 15-30 minutes Medium sites: 30-60 minutes Large sites: 1-3 hours

Will I have downtime?

Minimal if done correctly:

1. Migrate to temporary URL first
2. Test thoroughly
3. Update DNS
4. Short propagation period only

Do I need the paid migration plugin?

The Cloudways Migrator is free. All-in-One WP Migration's basic version handles most sites. Only pay if you exceed size limits.

Can I migrate multiple sites?

Yes. Cloudways allows multiple applications per server. Each site is isolated. You can also have multiple servers.

What if migration fails?

• Try a different migration method
• Contact Cloudways support
• Use manual migration as backup
• Keep source site until confirmed successful

Is Cloudways worth the cost?

For sites earning revenue or needing performance, yes. The managed features, security, and support justify the cost versus basic shared hosting.

Key Takeaways

• Cloudways offers excellent WordPress hosting with cloud infrastructure
• The Cloudways Migrator plugin makes migration straightforward
• Always test on temporary URL before updating DNS
• Configure SSL, caching, and backups after migration
• Performance optimizations can significantly improve speed
• Keep source site until migration is fully verified

Next Steps

Ready to migrate your newly acquired WordPress site? Browse our marketplace for established domains that come with migration support and Cloudways recommendations for optimal performance.

Meta Description: Complete step-by-step guide to migrating WordPress sites to Cloudways. Learn three migration methods, post-migration setup, and optimization tips.

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