After a hosting migration, you should check that your domain resolves to the new server, your site works end to end, and nothing broke in SSL, email, forms, caching, or search visibility.
We start with a “smoke test” from two networks (for Orlando businesses, that can be your office Wi-Fi and a mobile hotspot) because DNS and caching can show different versions depending on where you test. Open your homepage, top service pages, contact page, and any booking or checkout flow, then repeat in an incognito window so you’re not fooled by saved assets.
Post-migration checklist by timing
| When to check | What to check | What a problem looks like |
|---|---|---|
| Right after the switch | DNS resolution, SSL, homepage, login, admin access, media files | Old site still shows, certificate warnings, missing images, login loops |
| Same day | Forms, calls to action, email delivery, tracking tags, redirects, site search | Leads stop, confirmations never arrive, analytics goes quiet, 404 spikes |
| Next few days | Caching/CDN behavior, performance, error logs, cron jobs, backups, security rules | Stale pages, random layout breaks, scheduled posts fail, CPU spikes, new 5xx errors |
| Next week | Google Search Console crawl errors, indexing, sitemap fetch, canonical/HTTPS consistency | Coverage errors rise, pages drop from results, sitemap errors, duplicate HTTP/HTTPS URLs |
What we check on every hosting move
DNS and domain records: Confirm the A/AAAA records (and any CNAMEs) point where you expect, and that MX, SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records stayed intact if your email uses the same domain.
SSL and HTTPS behavior: Confirm the certificate is valid, the site loads on https:// without warnings, and there’s no mixed content (http images, scripts, or fonts on an https page).
Redirects and 404s: Scan for broken URLs, especially if you changed server paths, permalinks, or rules in .htaccess or Nginx. If you’re not sure when to use a permanent redirect versus a temporary one, our FAQ on 301 vs 302 redirects helps you avoid accidental ranking drops.
Lead capture and conversions: Submit every form, test click-to-call links on mobile, verify live chat, and confirm appointment requests reach the right inbox. For service businesses (dentists, attorneys, pest control), this is where “everything looks fine” still turns into lost revenue.
Analytics and pixels: Check GA4 and any ad pixels (Google Ads, Meta) by triggering a test conversion so you know events still fire after the move. Also confirm your tag manager container is loading.
Speed and caching: Clear server cache and plugin cache, then test pages again. If you use a CDN (like Cloudflare), confirm it’s caching what it should, and that it’s not serving an old version of critical pages.
WordPress specifics: Confirm permalinks, cron tasks (scheduled posts, backups), plugin licensing, file permissions, and PHP version compatibility. A hosting change can surface “silent” issues like timeouts on large uploads or image generation.
Backups and monitoring: Run a fresh backup on the new host, confirm you can restore it, and set uptime monitoring so you’re alerted fast if the new environment has stability issues.
If you want us to run migrations and the post-move checks as part of ongoing care, our WordPress hosting includes monitoring, backups, and the practical testing steps that protect lead flow after a move.
