Website migrations to Rapyd Cloud are fully managed by our team. Once you submit a request through the migration wizard, we handle the file transfer, database migration, functionality testing, and domain configuration. Your existing site is never touched in the process — we copy everything over, leaving your source intact.
This guide walks you through the complete request process, what to prepare beforehand, and what to expect after you submit a migration request.
Before you begin
Required
WordPress admin credentials: Your login URL, username, and password for the site you're migrating.
Server access details: Either SSH credentials (recommended) or an alternative such as FTP credentials or a backup download link.
Domain information: Know where your domain is currently managed (your registrar, Cloudflare, etc.).
Recommended
These aren't required but will make the process smoother:
Take a backup on your old host before any major change.
Check plugin compatibility with your target PHP version.
Plan for brief maintenance. We may enable maintenance mode during the final content sync. If your site gets consistent traffic, consider submitting your request at a low-traffic time.
Starting a migration request
There are four ways to open the migration wizard in the Rapyd dashboard:
1) Sites page in a new account with a paid plan and no sites yet: Click Request free migration on the welcome page.
2) Migrations page: Click Migrations in the top navigation, then click Request migration.
3) Site overview page: Scroll to the bottom and click Request a migration.
4) Site settings menu: Click the settings cog next to the WP Admin button and select Migrate an existing site.
All four entry points open the same wizard. You can save your progress at any point by clicking Save draft and return to it later from the Migrations page.
The migration wizard
The wizard guides you through the required steps. You can save your progress at any point by clicking Save draft, then returning later from the Migrations page to continue the draft.
Step 1: Destination
Choose where your migrated site will be set up.
Option A: Create a new site
Select this if you don't have a Rapyd site set up yet. You'll create a new WordPress site within an existing plan as part of the migration process.
After selecting Create a new site, choose the plan where the site will be created (e.g., Business 5, Performance 1). The plan shows how many site slots are available.
Option B: Migrate to an Existing Site
Select this if you already have a site in Rapyd that you want to replace with your migrated content.
After selecting Migrate to an existing site, choose the destination site from the dropdown.
⚠️ Warning
All files and database content on the selected site will be overwritten during migration. This cannot be undone. Only select this option if you're sure you want to replace the existing site's content.
Click Continue to proceed.
Step 2: Environment
Configure or review the environment settings for your destination site.
If creating a new site
You'll set up the environment for your new site if it has not been created yet.
Environment name — A name to identify this environment in your account (can be changed later).
Data region — Select the server location closest to your audience for best performance. This cannot be changed after creation.
PHP version — Choose your PHP version. We recommend 8.4 for the best plugin compatibility.
If migrating to an existing site
This step displays your existing environment details (read-only):
Plan name
Environment name
Data region
PHP version
Review the information and click Continue.
Step 3: Site name & URL
Set up or review your site's name and temporary URL.
If creating a new site
Site name — Enter a name for your site (e.g., example.com or my-project).
Temporary URL — This is automatically generated based on your site name. You'll use this URL to preview your migrated site before connecting your custom domain.
If migrating to an existing site
This step displays the existing site name and temporary URL (read-only).
Click Continue to proceed.
Step 4: Source website
Provide access credentials for the WordPress site you want to migrate.
Enter the following:
Site URL — The public URL visitors use to access your website (e.g., https://example.com).
WordPress login URL — Your WordPress admin login page (e.g., https://example.com/wp-admin).
Username — Your WordPress admin username.
Password — Your WordPress admin password.
Your credentials are handled securely and used only for migration purposes.
Migrating from a local environment? Include your local dev URL (e.g., http://localhost:8000). It will be replaced automatically during migration.
Click Continue to proceed.
Step 5: Source access
Tell us how to access your server to retrieve files and the database.
Choose your access method:
SSH access (recommended)
SSH is faster and more reliable with direct server access.
If SSH is available, provide:
Server/hostname — The server IP address or hostname.
Port — Usually 22 unless your host uses a custom port.
SSH username — Your SSH login username.
SSH password — Your SSH password.
Key passphrase (optional) — If your private key has a passphrase.
Private key file (optional) — Upload your .pem, .key, or .ppk file for key-based authentication.
WordPress directory — The full server path to your WordPress installation (e.g., /var/www/html/ or /public_html/). You can find this in WordPress under Tools → Site Health → Info → Directories and Sizes.
Backup access
If SSH isn't available, select Backup access and provide instructions for accessing your site files and database.
Examples of what you can provide:
Backup download link
FTP credentials (host, user, password)
Control panel access steps
Platform-specific backup tool instructions
Tip: If using FTP/SFTP, compress your site files and database into a single archive to speed up the transfer.
Click Continue to proceed.
Step 6: Transactional emails
Confirm whether you have a transactional email service configured.
Transactional emails include order confirmations, password resets, contact form submissions, and other system-generated messages.
⚠️ Heads up
Rapyd does not provide transactional email services by default. If your current host handles email delivery, those emails may stop working after migration unless you have a third-party provider set up.
Select whether you currently use a transactional email service.
Yes — I have a third-party email provider set up (e.g., Postmark, Elastic Email, SMTP2GO)
No — I don't use one
If you select No, you'll need to confirm that you understand email delivery will stop working without a third-party provider. If you're unsure, contact [email protected] before submitting.
Click Continue to proceed.
Step 7: Domain & launch
Tell us where your domain is currently managed and how you'd like to handle the launch.
Where is your domain currently managed?
Your domain will need to be connected to Cloudflare before going live. Select the option that matches your current setup:
Managed by Rapyd's Cloudflare account
Your domain is already connected to Rapyd. If you select this option, you'll also be asked: Should our team launch the site for you?
Yes, Rapyd launches it for me — Our team will handle the launch once your site is ready.
No, I'll launch it myself — We'll provide instructions so you can launch on your own schedule.
Managed in your own Cloudflare account
Your domain is managed in your own Cloudflare account. You can optionally provide your Cloudflare API token now, or add it later when it's time to connect your domain.
Managed elsewhere (not on Cloudflare)
Your domain is with another provider, or you're not sure. No action is needed right now — once your site is migrated and ready, we'll send clear instructions to connect your domain.
Click Continue to proceed.
Step 8: Review & submit
Review your migration request and add any final notes before submitting.
Additional notes
Use this field to share any special instructions or details with our migrations team, such as:
Specific plugins or functionality you want tested
Custom themes or multisite configurations
Caching or CDN considerations
Anything else that might help ensure a smooth migration
Confirmation
Check the box to confirm that the credentials provided are correct and that Rapyd Cloud may access the systems listed for the purpose of completing the migration.
Click Submit migration request to send your request to our team.
After you submit
Once your migration request is submitted:
Response time: Our team will respond within 48 hours (often sooner).
Queue order: Migrations are processed on a first-come, first-served basis.
Migration time: Completion time depends on your site's size and complexity.
Tracking: You can view the status of your request on the Migrations page.
If you requested a review before launch
We'll migrate your site and send you a temporary URL to review it. Once you approve, we'll resync your content and push the site live.
DNS considerations
If your current web host also manages your DNS, we recommend moving DNS to a separate provider (like Cloudflare) before canceling your old hosting service. This protects your DNS records and ensures a smooth launch.
Managing migration requests
The Migrations page shows all your migration requests — both drafts and submitted requests.
Migration statuses
Once submitted, your migration request will move through the following statuses, visible on the Migrations page:
Status | What it means |
Draft | Your request has been saved but not yet submitted. |
In Progress | Our team has received your request and migration work has begun. |
Additional Information Needed | Our migrations team has emailed you from [email protected] with details on what's needed. Check your inbox and reply to unblock the migration. |
Completed | Migration is complete. Your site is live or ready for your review, depending on your launch preference. |
If your status shows Additional Information Needed, check your email from [email protected]. Responding promptly will keep your migration on track.
FAQs
Can I save my progress and finish later?
Yes. Click Save draft at any point in the wizard. Your draft will appear on the Migrations page where you can continue or discard it.
What if I don't have SSH access?
Select Backup access in Step 5 and provide alternative instructions (FTP credentials, backup download link, or control panel access steps).
Will my site have downtime during migration?
We may enable maintenance mode briefly during the final content sync. If you're using BuddyBoss Theme or App, maintenance mode will be enabled during syncing and disabled once the site is live.
Do I need to set up Cloudflare before requesting a migration?
No. You can indicate where your domain is currently managed in Step 7. If it's not on Cloudflare yet, we'll provide instructions after the migration is complete.
What happens to my old site after migration?
Your old site remains untouched. We copy your content to Rapyd — we don't modify or delete anything on your source server.