What You May Need to Change After Moving to Hostmate

1

Start With the Migration Type

What needs changing depends on how the service was moved.

A full cPanel-to-cPanel transfer can preserve website files, databases, email accounts, mail data and many cPanel settings. A WordPress-only migration normally moves only the WordPress website, while a manual migration may require individual services to be recreated.

cPanel Migration Check the items that depend on the server itself, such as DNS, IP addresses, external connections and two-factor authentication.

WordPress Migration Email, DNS and other hosting services are separate from a WordPress-only migration and may still need to be moved or configured.

2

DNS + Nameservers

Make sure the domain points to the new service.

The website can be fully migrated while the domain still points to the old provider. The final DNS change is what sends visitors and mail to the correct destination.

If Hostmate cPanel will manage DNS, use ns1.hostmate-cloud.com, ns2.hostmate-cloud.com and ns3.hostmate-cloud.com.
If you are keeping Cloudflare, your registrar or another DNS provider, update only the required website and service records there.
Check the root domain, www, mail and any other hostnames that previously pointed to the old server.
Check for an old AAAA record if IPv6 is configured.
Keep required MX, SPF, DKIM, DMARC and verification records when email remains with another provider.

Changing nameservers replaces the active DNS zone.

Before changing nameservers, make sure the new DNS zone contains every record you still need. Website, email and third-party services can stop working if a required record is left behind.

See DNS Cutover, DNS Records and DNS Propagation.

3

Email

Check mail server settings and email DNS.

If email moved with the hosting account, the mailbox names may stay the same, but devices or applications can still contain an old provider hostname or old server IP.

Check the incoming and outgoing mail server saved in Outlook, Apple Mail, Android or other mail apps.
If the app uses the old provider's server hostname, update it to the current Hostmate mail settings.
If the app uses your own domain name and the DNS has been updated correctly, the existing account may continue working without changes.
Check SMTP authentication, ports and encryption if sending works differently after the move.
Confirm MX, SPF, DKIM and DMARC match the email service you are actually using.
If Microsoft 365, Google Workspace or another external service is staying in place, preserve that provider's email DNS records.

Do not remove the old mail service too early.

During DNS propagation, some senders can still reach the old server. Keep the previous service available until the cutover has been checked and any remaining messages have been collected.

See Email Migration for the full migration process.

4

FTP + Server Connections

Replace old server hostnames and IP addresses.

Saved connections are one of the most common places where the old server remains configured after a migration.

Update FTP or FTPS profiles that connect directly to the old server IP or old provider hostname.
Update deployment tools, backup tools or website editors that upload files to the old server.
Check any remote database connection or application that uses a server IP directly.
Update scripts, monitoring services or integrations that connect to a fixed IP address.
Remove old saved server profiles only after the new connection has been tested.

Using the domain name is often easier to maintain than a hard-coded IP.

Where appropriate, using a hostname that follows DNS can reduce the number of places that need to be updated during a future server move. Some services still require a specific hostname or IP, so follow the configuration required by that service.

5

WordPress + Applications

Check settings that can contain paths, URLs or server-specific values.

Confirm the WordPress Address and Site Address use the live domain and not a temporary migration URL.
If the domain changed, perform a WordPress-aware search and replace rather than a plain database text replacement.
Check application configuration files for hard-coded server IPs, absolute paths or old hostnames.
Check database connection details if the site was migrated manually rather than through a full cPanel transfer.
Check PHP version and required PHP extensions if the application depends on specific versions or modules.
Clear application, LiteSpeed, CDN and browser caches after the new site is live if old content is still being shown.

Do not assume an old-looking page is still on the old server.

After DNS is correct, cached website content can still make the migrated site look unchanged. Check the server being reached before making additional DNS changes.

6

Cron Jobs + Automated Tasks

Check anything that runs automatically.

Automated jobs can continue to reference old file paths, URLs or remote systems even when the website itself appears to work normally.

Review cPanel cron jobs and confirm commands point to valid paths on the Hostmate account.
Check scheduled imports, exports, backups, feeds and synchronisation tasks.
Check WordPress plugins that call external cron URLs or rely on server-side scheduled tasks.
Check scripts that send email, connect to a database or call another service using the old server IP.
Run an important scheduled task manually where practical so you know it still works.

7

External Services

Update third parties that know the old server IP.

A website can work normally in a browser while an external service continues trying to communicate with the previous server.

Cloudflare or another CDN: check the origin server address.
Payment gateways or APIs: check IP allowlists, callback URLs and webhook destinations.
Security services: check trusted IPs, firewall rules and allowlists.
Remote databases or business systems: check permitted source IPs and connection destinations.
Monitoring and uptime services: check any server-specific endpoint or IP address.
Software licences tied to a hostname, path or server IP may need to be revalidated with the software vendor.

IP allowlists are easy to miss.

If an external service accepted connections only from the old server IP, the migrated site may appear to work until it tries to use that service. Add the new permitted IP before removing the old one where the provider allows an overlap.

8

SSL + Security

Confirm HTTPS and account security after cutover.

Check the website loads over HTTPS without certificate warnings after DNS points to Hostmate.
Allow AutoSSL to issue the appropriate certificate once the domain resolves to the Hostmate server.
Check redirects from HTTP to HTTPS.
Reconfigure cPanel two-factor authentication if you used it on the previous server.
Review application security plugins or services that contain the old server IP.

See SSL Certificate Help and cPanel Two-Factor Authentication.

9

Final Check

Test the new service before cancelling the old one.

Open the website and several important pages.
Test forms, logins, checkout and other important application functions.
Send and receive email.
Test FTP or deployment connections you still use.
Check scheduled jobs and important external integrations.
Confirm DNS is resolving to the intended service.
Confirm SSL is valid.
Only then cancel the old hosting or email service.

Keep the old service available until the migration is verified.

Once the previous account has been terminated, it may be much harder to recover a missed file, mailbox, DNS record or configuration setting. Complete the checks first.

DNS Cutover Check the final website and email DNS changes used to make the new service live.

DNS Propagation Understand why some networks can temporarily keep using an older DNS answer.

What you may need to change after moving to Hostmate.