The information needed to migrate a website includes access to the current website, hosting account, domain/DNS settings, CMS admin area, database, files, email setup, analytics tools, and any third-party services connected to the site.
A clean website migration protects your traffic, calls, forms, bookings, and sales pipeline because even a small missed detail can break pages, slow the site, disconnect forms, remove tracking, or cause rankings to drop. For local businesses, this matters even more because many leads come from high-intent pages like dental implants, emergency pest control, family law, lawn care, or Orlando service area pages. Those pages need to keep their URLs, content, redirects, forms, tracking, and speed as stable as possible during the move.
At Rathly, we treat hosting migration as both a technical job and a marketing protection job. Moving files is only one part. We also look at SEO, conversion paths, security, backups, DNS, email risk, and post-launch testing. The goal is simple: move the site without losing leads or creating problems your team has to chase later.
| Information needed | Why it matters | What to provide |
|---|---|---|
| Website admin access | Lets the team export content, check plugins, and review settings | WordPress, Shopify, Webflow, Wix, or other CMS login |
| Hosting access | Allows file, database, backup, and server review | cPanel, Plesk, hosting dashboard, SFTP, SSH, or database login |
| Domain and DNS access | Controls where the website loads after migration | Registrar login, DNS manager, Cloudflare, or nameserver access |
| Email records | Prevents email from breaking when DNS changes | MX, SPF, DKIM, DMARC records, email provider details |
| Tracking access | Keeps lead reporting accurate after launch | GA4, Google Tag Manager, Google Search Console, call tracking, ad pixels |
| Form and CRM details | Protects contact forms and lead routing | Form plugin settings, CRM integrations, webhook details, notification emails |
The most common mistake is giving only a WordPress login and assuming that is enough. A WordPress login may let us see the site, but it may not let us copy server files, export the database, change DNS, check PHP versions, or fix email records. For a law firm, dental office, or home service company, that can mean the site moves but the contact form stops sending leads or the domain points to the wrong place.
Good example: You provide WordPress admin access, hosting access, domain registrar access, Cloudflare access, GA4 and Google Search Console access, a list of important forms, and the main phone number used for tracking.
Bad example: You send one login for the website builder, but no hosting, DNS, backup, email, or tracking details. The migration may still be possible, but it carries more risk and takes more troubleshooting.
Before migration, gather these items:
- Current website URL, CMS platform, and admin login.
- Hosting dashboard login, SFTP or SSH access, and database access when available.
- Domain registrar and DNS access, including Cloudflare if used.
- Current backups, staging site details, and any custom code notes.
- List of plugins, themes, licenses, and paid tools tied to the site.
- GA4, Google Tag Manager, Google Search Console, Google Ads, Meta Pixel, and call tracking access.
- Form destinations, CRM connections, booking tools, live chat, payment tools, and HIPAA or compliance needs when relevant.
- Email provider details and DNS email records so mail does not break during the switch.
After the migration, test the homepage, top service pages, location pages, forms, phone links, booking buttons, checkout if used, SSL, redirects, sitemap, robots.txt, indexing, and page speed. Check Google Search Console for crawl errors and GA4 for traffic and conversion tracking. For SEO-heavy sites, use Screaming Frog before and after the move to compare URLs, titles, status codes, canonicals, and redirects.
If your site is slow, outdated, or hard to manage, migration is also a good time to review hosting quality, theme bloat, plugins, and conversion layout. Our WordPress hosting work helps move sites with speed, security, backups, monitoring, and lead tracking in mind. If the move includes URL changes, redesign work, or lost rankings, our SEO services can protect the pages that bring calls, forms, and booked jobs.
