Agency migrations need more structure than one-off personal site moves. You may be moving several client sites, preserving email, coordinating DNS, and avoiding client-visible downtime.
Inventory Everything
For each site, record the domain registrar, DNS provider, email provider, CMS, PHP version, database details, cron jobs, redirects, and third-party integrations.
Prioritise by Risk
Move simple brochure sites first and complex ecommerce or membership sites later. That lets you refine the process before touching the riskiest projects.
Keep Email Separate in the Plan
Do not assume website hosting and email move together. Preserve MX, SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records unless the email service is deliberately changing.
Test Before DNS
Use staging, hosts-file testing, or temporary URLs. Check forms, admin login, media, redirects, and error logs before switching traffic.
Schedule the Cutover
Tell the client when the DNS change will happen and what to expect. Keep the old hosting available long enough to catch missed files or cached visitors.
A good migration checklist is not bureaucracy. It is how you avoid repeating the same mistake across ten client sites.
Inventory Every Dependency
For each client, record domain ownership, DNS, files, database, PHP version, mail, cron, redirects, SSL, licences, analytics, forms and third-party callbacks. Confirm who can approve downtime and who receives launch communication. Do not infer one client's setup from another's.
Move in Controlled Batches
Pilot the process with a lower-risk site, refine the checklist, then schedule batches small enough to verify properly. Keep source hosting available, preview through a hosts-file entry or staging URL and perform a final data sync for active shops or membership sites.
Collect Acceptance Evidence
Test HTTPS, key pages, forms, email, login, scheduled work and commercial transactions. Record DNS values, launch time and client approval. Monitor after propagation and retain backups and rollback access until the agreed acceptance period ends.
