Migrate a WordPress site to GARMTECH

This guide explains how to migrate an existing WordPress website to GARMTECH. It applies to both GARMTECH WordPress Hosting and WordPress websites hosted on GARMTECH Web Hosting (Plesk).

Before you migrate

• Schedule a quiet time: ideally migrate when the site has low traffic.
• Lower DNS TTL (optional): if you control DNS, reduce TTL 24 hours before moving. This helps the domain switch faster.
• Make a full backup of files and database on the old host.
• Prepare logins: WordPress admin, old hosting control panel/FTP, and database access.

Step 1: Prepare your new hosting at GARMTECH

1. Log in to My.GARMTECH and open your hosting service.
2. Log in to Plesk (button Login to Plesk).
3. Add the domain in Plesk (if not added yet) and make sure it opens in Plesk under Websites & Domains.
4. (Recommended) Issue a free Let’s Encrypt SSL certificate in Plesk once the domain points to this server (or use a temporary URL for testing).

Migration method A: Plugin migration (recommended for most sites)

For most WordPress websites the easiest approach is to use a migration/backup plugin. Examples: Duplicator, All‑in‑One WP Migration, UpdraftPlus, etc.

A.1 Create a package/backup on the old host

1. Install a migration plugin on the old WordPress site.
2. Create a full package/backup (files + database).
3. Download the generated archive (and installer file if the plugin uses one).

A.2 Upload and restore on GARMTECH

1. In Plesk, open the domain → Files → httpdocs.
2. Upload the migration archive/installer into httpdocs. You can use:
   • Plesk File Manager, or
   • FTP-SSL (FTPS) (use your server hostname as the host for a valid SSL connection).
3. Create an empty database in Plesk (if your migration tool needs it): Databases → Add Database.
4. Run the plugin’s restore/installer process and follow its steps.

Migration method B: Manual migration (files + database)

Manual migration is reliable but requires more attention to detail. Use it if you prefer full control or your site is too large for some plugins.

B.1 Copy website files to GARMTECH

1. From the old host, download all WordPress files (the folder that contains wp-config.php, wp-content, etc.).
2. Upload the files to the new hosting:
   • Plesk → domain → Files → httpdocs, or
   • via FTP‑SSL (FTPS).

B.2 Export the database from the old host

• If the old host has phpMyAdmin: export the WordPress database as an SQL file.
• If you use another tool, export as SQL (UTF‑8) without compression if possible.

B.3 Create and import the database on GARMTECH (Plesk)

1. Plesk → Databases → Add Database.
2. Create a database user and set a strong password.
3. Open phpMyAdmin for the new database and import the SQL file.

B.4 Update wp-config.php

In httpdocs/wp-config.php update these values to match the database you created in Plesk:

define('DB_NAME', 'your_db_name');
define('DB_USER', 'your_db_user');
define('DB_PASSWORD', 'your_db_password');
define('DB_HOST', 'localhost');

Note: In Plesk the correct database host is shown in the database user settings. In many cases it is localhost, but always use the value shown in Plesk.

Step 2: Switch the domain to GARMTECH

After the site works on the new hosting, point the domain to GARMTECH:

• Option 1 (recommended): switch nameservers to ns1.garmtech.com, ns2.garmtech.com, ns3.garmtech.com.
• Option 2: keep external DNS and update A/CNAME records to the new server.

Step 3: Post-migration checklist

• Open the website homepage and a few inner pages.
• Log in to wp-admin and resave permalinks: Settings → Permalinks → Save Changes.
• Make sure HTTPS works and there are no redirect loops.
• Clear/purge cache (LSCache, Cloudflare, etc.).
• Check contact forms and transactional emails.
• Enable/verify LiteSpeed Cache (LSCache) plugin for best performance on GARMTECH hosting.