Migration Cutover Order: Files, Email, DNS

Most migration downtime isn't caused by Hoststack or your old host — it's caused by cutting over things in the wrong order. Follow this sequence and your site, email and DNS stay in sync throughout the move, with little to no visible downtime.

Step 1: Move files and databases first — before touching DNS

• Upload your website files to the new Hoststack account via FTP or File Manager
• Export your database from the old host and import it into the new one
• Update the site's config file (e.g. wp-config.php) with the new database credentials
• Test the site using its temporary Hoststack URL or by editing your local hosts file — do not point DNS yet

Step 2: Set up email on the new server before cutover

Recreate every mailbox on Hoststack with the same addresses before you touch DNS. If you cut DNS over first and set up mailboxes afterward, incoming mail sent during that gap can bounce or land on the wrong server and be lost. Once mailboxes exist on both old and new servers, new mail will land wherever MX records currently point — nothing is missed during the switch.

Step 3: Lower TTL, then cut over DNS

• A day or two before cutover, lower your DNS TTL (e.g. to 300 seconds) so changes propagate faster
• Once files, database and email are confirmed working on Hoststack, update your nameservers or A/MX records
• Keep the old hosting account active for 48-72 hours while DNS propagates globally
• Check mail delivery and site loading from a few different networks/devices before cancelling the old plan

Why this order matters

DNS propagation is never instant or uniform — different ISPs and devices pick up changes at different times. If files or mailboxes aren't ready on Hoststack the moment DNS starts propagating, some visitors will see a broken or empty site, and some emails may bounce. Moving files and email first, then cutting DNS over last, means every visitor lands on a fully working destination no matter when their resolver catches up.