1. Helpcenter - Cloud86
  2. Migrations
  3. Migration service

Migration service: Guide

Migration service: Information

The migration service makes switching hosting providers a lot easier, especially if you don't have enough technical knowledge to do it yourself.

To take away these concerns about the migration, we offer a free relocation service (worth €75) with all our hosting plans, with the exception of the Web Hosting Start package. This means that we can move the following for you from another hosting provider to us:

  • Website 1
  • Database(s)
  • Email addresses and email 2
  • Domains 3

After the migration, we first check that your website is still working properly. Only if this is the case will we actually move the domain (by submitting the EPP or authorization code to your current hosting provider). Until then, both your website and email will continue to work with your current hosting provider. This way we can keep the downtime of your website to a minimum and there are several moments during the process where the move can be cancelled, for example if afterwards it turns out that certain parts of your website do not work properly (anymore).

1 Excludes websites created with a website builder and websites hosted on wordpress.com.
2 Excluding Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace, only includes IMAP hosting.
3 Domain name transfer fees may apply. See our domain name page (link) for more information on domain transfer fees.

Migration service: Preparations

The most important tip! Make sure your website is up-to-date (minimum PHP version 7.4). We regularly come across websites that are still using very outdated versions of WordPress or Joomla, or plugins that are severely outdated. The result is that your website is susceptible to hacks and attacks from outside, but at the same time there is a chance that your website is no longer suitable for new versions of, for example, PHP.

When your website and any plugins are properly updated, a migration is usually hassle-free.

Migration service: How to request

Requesting the migration service can be done in the following steps:

Note: it is important that only at the last step the EPP/authorization code is filled in, because with some hosting providers from that moment the hosting is terminated immediately, so we can no longer access the data that has to be moved.

  1. Already have a web or email hosting you want to move to? Then you can go directly to the migration form in My Cloud86: https://my.cloud86.io/migration.php. No web or email hosting yet? Then you can follow the steps below.
  2. Start by ordering your web hosting package via cloud86.io All hosting packages except Web Hosting Start are eligible for the free transfer service.
  3. In step 2, specify which domain you want to use. Here, choose option 2: “Use my own domain”. We will move the domain as the very last step, when we are sure your website is working properly with us. Enter your own domain name and click on Use.
  4. In the next step Configure under Additional services select the Migration service and complete the order.
  5. After your order, you will receive an email from Cloud86 requesting additional information to initiate the website transfer (link). We will ask for the following information:
    • Control panel login information from your current hosting provider, such as access to Plesk, DirectAdmin or cPanel. We need access to your files, databases and email in order to transfer them.
    • Authorization code/EPP key of your domain.
  6. We will then let you know by email when we can move your website and email.
  7. When everything is transferred and you no longer need your current hosting provider, you can cancel your subscription there.

Migration service: Which garanties can I expect?

  • After receiving the login details and access to the website at your current hosting provider, we will first check whether we can actually migrate the website. If this is not possible for any reason, for example because your current provider's systems are outdated, we will communicate this with you in advance and discuss the options.
  • After we have moved the website, we check that it is still working properly. We do not have intrinsic knowledge of all the widgets/plugins of your website, but we can generally assess well whether all (basic) functionality still works.
  • We reduce downtime as much as possible by transferring the domain only as the very last step. Until then, your website remains online at your current hosting provider.
  • We accept no liability for the failure of a move. In the unlikely event that something has gone wrong or you are not satisfied, we can reset the nameservers of your domain to your previous hosting provider. As long as everything is still available there, it's only a matter of an hour to get your website and email working through your previous hosting provider again as if nothing has changed.

Migration service: Troubleshooting

My email password is no longer correct
We reset the password of your email address to move your email. Read how to reset your own password here.

Can I temporarily access my email after migration without re-configuring my email client?
All our web hosting packages have access to webmail where you can access your email as well. You can access the webmail online using the browser and the url webmail.<domain>. If we are using our test domain then you will get the link webmail.cloud86example.com.

Note: Replace cloud86example.com with the domain in question. The domain is what is behind the @ sign in the mail address (@cloud86example.com) or entered in the url bar in the browser (after https://www. or https://).

My website is not working properly yet
Log into your website's backend (WordPress Dashboard, for example) and empty your website's cache via the caching plugin you're using. This generally fixes most problems. Still having problems? Then contact us by responding to our delivery email and we'll get right on it!

My website contact form no longer works
Due to the migration, the mail server has changed. This means you have to re-configure the SMTP settings to our mail servers. For the SMTP settings see IMAP, SMTP and POP settings. If you are using PHP Mailer, we recommend using an SMTP Plugin such as FluentSMTP instead.

Don't have an email address or web hosting yet? Then order web hosting of email hosting by Cloud86.