Knowledgebase

Migrating from a Non-cPanel Host (Firstserv Guide)

Moving your website to Firstserv from a non‑cPanel host is straightforward, and we provide several tools to make the process as smooth as possible.

Quick Migration Options

✅ Use Softaculous or Installatron (Recommended)

If your website uses a popular CMS such as:

• WordPress
• Joomla
• Drupal

You can use:

• Softaculous, or
• Installatron

These tools allow you to:

• Connect to your existing website
• Import a full copy directly into your Firstserv account

✅ This is the easiest and fastest migration method where supported.

Email Migration

If your email is hosted with your current provider:

• Use the Firstserv mailbox sync tool (available in your Client Area)
• This allows you to copy and sync email accounts to your new hosting

Manual Migration (If Needed)

If your site isn’t supported by migration tools, you can move it manually.

Most websites consist of:

• ✅ Files (HTML, PHP, images, CSS, etc.)
• ✅ Databases (used by CMS platforms and apps)

The goal is to transfer both without losing data.

Step 1: Set Up Your Firstserv Account

When purchasing your hosting:

You can:

• ✅ Register a new domain
• ✅ Transfer your existing domain to Firstserv
• ✅ Keep your domain elsewhere and update DNS later

👉 Using your existing domain does not affect your current live site—it simply prepares your new hosting environment.

Step 2: Back Up Your Website Files

Option A: Use Your Current Host’s Backup Tools

• Download your site as a .zip, .tar, or .tar.gz file

Option B: Use FTP

If backups aren’t available:

1. Connect via FTP
2. Download your entire website directory (usually public_html or htdocs)
3. Ensure hidden files are included (e.g. .htaccess)
4. Compress files into an archive

⚠️ Missing files can cause your site to break after migration—double-check everything.

Step 3: Back Up Your Database

Most sites also require a database.

Using phpMyAdmin

1. Open phpMyAdmin on your current host
2. Select your database
3. Go to Export
4. Choose Quick Export → Go

✅ This downloads a .sql file ready for import

Step 4: Upload Files to Firstserv

Option A: File Manager (Under 250MB)

1. Log in to cPanel
2. Open File Manager
3. Enable Show Hidden Files
4. Upload your archive
5. Extract it

Option B: FTP (Over 250MB)

1. Connect via FTP
2. Upload your archive
3. Extract it via File Manager

Move Files into Place

• Move extracted files into:

  /public_html
  

  or the appropriate domain folder

Step 5: Import Your Database

• Create a new database in cPanel
• Use phpMyAdmin to import the .sql file

✅ Your database will now be restored

Step 6: Update Configuration Files

Most websites need updated database credentials.

Common file locations:

• WordPress → wp-config.php
• Joomla → configuration.php
• Drupal → sites/default/settings.php
• Magento → app/etc/local.xml

Update These Values

• Database name
• Username
• Password
• Host (usually localhost)

Step 7: Test Your Site

Before going live:

• Preview your site using a temporary URL or hosts file
• Check:
  • Pages and links
  • Images and styling
  • Forms and functionality

Step 8: Update DNS

Once everything is working:

• ✅ Update nameservers to Firstserv
  or
• ✅ Update your A record to your new server IP

⏱️ DNS changes can take up to 24 hours to fully propagate.

Summary

To migrate from a non-cPanel host:

1. ✅ Back up files and database
2. ✅ Upload and restore them on Firstserv
3. ✅ Update configuration files
4. ✅ Test your site
5. ✅ Update DNS to go live

Need Help?

If you’d prefer not to perform these steps yourself, the Firstserv support team can assist with migration—just raise a ticket and we’ll guide you through it.