How to Migrate a WordPress Website Without a Plugin

Backup Website Files from Old Hosting

1. Log in to your old hosting cPanel/File Manager or connect via FTP (FileZilla).
2. Go to the folder where WordPress is installed (public_html or a subfolder).
3. Select all files and compress them into a ZIP file.
4. Download the ZIP file to your local system.

Export the WordPress Database

1. Go to phpMyAdmin in your old hosting panel.
2. Select the WordPress database from the left sidebar.
3. Click on the Export tab.
4. Choose Quick and format as SQL.
5. Click Go to download the .sql file.

Upload Files to New Hosting

1. Log in to the new hosting panel (cPanel/File Manager or FTP).
2. Navigate to the public_html or desired directory.
3. Upload the ZIP file you downloaded earlier.
4. Extract the ZIP to get all the files.

Create a New Database in New Hosting

1. Go to MySQL Databases in cPanel.
2. Create a new database and a new database user.
3. Add the user to the database and grant All Privileges.
4. Note down:
   • Database Name
   • Database User
   • Password

Import the Database

1. Open phpMyAdmin in the new hosting.
2. Select the new database.
3. Go to the Import tab.
4. Upload the .sql file exported from the old hosting

Update wp-config.php

1. Open the wp-config.php file in your new server’s file manager.
2. Update the following lines with the new database details:

Update Site URL (if domain is changed)

If you’re moving to a new domain, update the site URLs:

1. Open phpMyAdmin → your database → wp_options table.
2. Change the values of:
   • siteurl
   • home
3. Update them with your new domain (e.g., https://newdomain.com).

Clean Up & Test

• Clear your browser cache or use incognito mode.
• Visit the new website URL.
• Check:
  • Pages & posts
  • Images
  • Links
  • Contact forms, etc.