Migrations
Moving your site should not be stressful.
Whether you are leaving a bad host, recovering from a broken environment, or just taking over a site you did not build — we handle the transition carefully and completely.
Common situations
Migrations and rescues we handle regularly.
Moving from an unreliable host
Your current host is slow, goes offline frequently, or is unresponsive when problems occur. We migrate you to a managed environment and set up monitoring so you are not caught off guard again.
Inheriting a site you did not build
You have taken over a business or a website that someone else set up. You do not know where the domain is registered, who manages email, or how the site is running. We audit and document it all.
Recovering from a hack or compromise
Your site was infected with malware or accessed without authorization. We clean the installation, review the environment for vulnerabilities, and move you to a more secure setup.
Consolidating a scattered setup
Your domain is at one registrar, DNS is somewhere else, email is through your ISP, and your host is unrelated to all of it. We untangle it and create a setup that makes sense.
Shutting down an old agency relationship
You are leaving an agency that hosted your site and managed your email. We coordinate the exit, migrate the assets, and make sure nothing is lost or broken in the transition.
Our process
A careful, documented migration from start to finish.
Initial review
We start by understanding your current setup — who hosts what, where your DNS lives, how email is configured, and what is not working. No judgment, just documentation.
Migration plan
Based on the review, we put together a clear plan. This includes what moves, what gets cleaned up, how DNS will be handled, and what the email cutover looks like.
Staging and preparation
For most sites, we set up a staging environment and migrate there first. This lets us verify everything before making any live changes.
DNS cutover
We coordinate the DNS update carefully, with attention to TTLs and timing. Most transitions happen with no downtime visible to visitors.
Email migration
Email transitions are handled separately and with care. We document your existing email setup, migrate mailboxes if needed, and verify deliverability before closing out the old environment.
Verification and handoff
Once everything is live and confirmed, we document the new environment and move into an ongoing care plan. You receive a clear summary of what was done.
Scope
What is covered in a migration.
Migrations include more than just copying files. We review the full technical picture before, during, and after the move.
- Full site and database migration
- Theme and plugin compatibility review
- DNS record audit and update
- SSL certificate provisioning on the new environment
- Email cutover planning and execution
- MX, SPF, DKIM, and DMARC configuration
- Staging environment before live cutover
- Post-migration testing and verification
- Documentation of the new environment
- Transition into an ongoing care plan
Pricing
Migration services and add-ons.
Essential and Concierge plans include one free migration per year — onto or within our infrastructure. Additional migrations and swap services are billed at the standard development rate of $150/hr, with a 2-hour minimum.
Standard Migration
1 included per year, per account (Essential and Concierge plans)
Full-service migration including staging, DNS cutover, SSL provisioning, email cutover, and post-migration verification. The allowance applies to migrations onto or within our infrastructure only — it never covers a move away.
- Full site and database migration
- Theme and plugin compatibility review
- DNS record audit and cutover coordination
- SSL certificate provisioning on the new environment
- Email cutover planning and execution (MX, SPF, DKIM, DMARC)
- Staging environment before live cutover
- Post-migration testing and verification
- Documentation of the new environment
One free migration per year per account, applied to migrations onto or within our infrastructure (new-client onboarding or a staging-to-production go-live). Additional migrations are billed at the standard rate. Not available on legacy hosting-only plans.
Additional Migration
2 hours · $150/hr
Any migration beyond the included annual allowance. Billed as 2 hours at the standard development rate; complex migrations may run up to ~4 hours.
- Same scope as the included standard migration
- Billed as 2 hours at $150/hr
Scoped up front and billed to your monthly invoice — no prepayment required.
Production-to-Staging Swap
2 hours · $150/hr
After a migration, restore your production environment to staging — giving your team time to review the new site before fully committing. Requires a full runbook pass (URL fixing, SEO disabling, backups) before work begins.
- Restore pre-migration production environment to a staging URL
- Full runbook pass: URL fix-up, SEO disable, backup verification
- Gives stakeholders time to review the migrated site side-by-side
- Useful when content or functionality needs verification before go-live
- Billed as 2 hours at $150/hr
Scoped up front and billed to your monthly invoice — no prepayment required.
All migration work is scoped before any charges apply, and billable time lands on your regular monthly invoice.
FAQ
Migration questions.
Tell us where you are starting from.
We will review your current setup and let you know what a migration would involve. No commitment required to get started.
Start a Migration Review