Moving a live website is scary. Sites can break. Pages can vanish. SEO can wobble. Users notice downtime. Technical details — databases, rewrites, SSLs, cron jobs — trip people up. Those are real risks. You shouldn’t have to become a server expert to move a site. Cloudways offers an expert-led option so you don’t.
This is the white-glove option. You open a support ticket or request migration from the Cloudways platform. Their engineers handle files, databases, DNS checks, SSL and functional testing. You get a staging preview before anything goes live. Cloudways states the first migration is free and handled by their team.
Why choose it? Because it removes risk. Complex sites, custom plugins, or ecommerce stores benefit the most. You don’t touch low-level server configs. Cloudways’ support does the heavy lifting. The company also states migrations are usually completed within 1–2 business days, depending on complexity.
How to submit the request:
- Log into the Cloudways platform.
- Open a support ticket or use the Application Migration/Add-ons flow.
- Share your current host details and any access credentials the team needs. Cloudways will outline next steps and schedule the move.
If you prefer DIY — or you run many WordPress sites — Cloudways has a free WordPress Migrator plugin. It automates the copy of files, database and settings. It’s fast and great for bulk moves, but it expects you to handle DNS switching and final checks. Use this if you’re comfortable troubleshooting plugins, SSL, and DNS propagation.
Remember: plugin migrations are excellent for standard WordPress builds. For bespoke sites, mixed stacks, or complex server rules, the expert migration is safer.
- Server provisioning — A new Cloudways server/app is spun up and configured.
- File cloning — Files, themes, plugins and the database are cloned into a staging environment for testing.
- Final review — You or your team checks the staging URL and confirms everything works.
- DNS Cutover — Cloudways or you update the domain A record. The site switches to the new server. Cloudways aims for zero downtime during this step.
- Final confirmation — Support verifies the migration, runs post-checks, and confirms the job is complete.
This flow is designed to keep the live site available until the moment you flip DNS. That’s how zero-downtime happens in practice.
Cloudways advertises the first expert-led migration is free for new users and supports moves from most hosts and stacks (not limited to WordPress). For WordPress, their Migrator plugin allows unlimited free migrations if you prefer self-service. Check specifics and edge cases in Cloudways’ migration page before you move, as some advanced app migrations may need custom handling.
Moving doesn’t need to be a headache. Cloudways offers a clear path: expert help, a staging review, zero-downtime cutover, and a free first migration for new users. If you want the no-risk route, use the expert migration. If you’re moving many standard WordPress sites and like control, use the Migrator plugin.
- Official migration details & policy: https://www.cloudways.com/en/free-website-migration-service.php
No risk, no fuss: let the experts move your site and keep you focused on growth. Start your free migration now.
