Before a move, agree on what is changing, how the destination will be tested, what happens to new data during the switch and how problems will be handled. The final DNS change should be one step in a prepared plan.
List what depends on the current environment.
The website may rely on a database, scheduled tasks, email delivery, payment tools and other integrations. The same domain can also be used by services that are not moving with the website.
Ask for a clear list of what is included and what stays where it is. Confirm access to the domain, DNS, hosting and backups before the migration window, rather than discovering a missing account during the switch.
Test the destination before relying on it.
A copied website that displays its homepage is not the same as a checked migration. Decide which business actions must work before the destination is accepted.
- Open the important public pages and check images and links.
- Check login, forms and relevant membership or shopping journeys.
- Review HTTPS and environment-specific settings.
- Check scheduled work and external service connections safely.
- Keep track of backup and recovery arrangements for the new environment.
Plan for information created during the move.
Orders, membership changes and new content can arrive after an initial copy is made. Agree on how that information will reach the new environment. Some sites need a maintenance window or a carefully managed final update.
Also discuss whether the domain or page URLs will change. A hosting move on the same URLs has different requirements from a new domain or a redesigned page structure. Redirects and search settings need attention when addresses change.
Agree on verification and the fallback limits.
After the switch, check the agreed actions and watch for environment-related problems. Keep the old setup available for the agreed period where practical, with a clear understanding of how a rollback would handle newer data.
In the Knowness project, preparing a new AWS environment and moving the WordPress site were parts of the same plan. For your move, ask who checks the result, who responds to a problem and what documentation you receive afterward.