How to Move WordPress to Godaddy Hosting
If you’re looking for a free, easy to use, high-quality, and completely reliable web host, then you should definitely check out Godaddy.
We’ll show you how to move your WordPress site to Godaddy with the click of a button.
And it’s 100% free!
The Best Free Web Host For Your Needs
This is a fantastic choice for those seeking a free hosting solution, especially if you run a WordPress site. (Note: We recommend keeping your current domain if you choose to move to Godaddy. You can transfer your domain to them if you wish, but you will need to register for a new one. If you choose to use their domain registration service, they will be able to automatically take care of redirecting your domain to the correct server. No additional steps are required on your part.)
From their privacy policy:
“We do not sell your personal information to third parties.”
“We only provide domain privacy as a free service to our customers.
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“We do not track users’ web browsing activity nor do we disclose user information to third parties except as required by law.”
Everything You Need To Know About Godaddy
Before we begin moving your WordPress site to Godaddy, it’s important to take a minute and learn a little bit about them. You’ll be using their services to store and host your website, so it’s important to know a little bit about what to expect. Here’s what you need to know.
How To Move A WordPress Site To Godaddy With The Click Of A Button
So you’ve decided it’s time to move your WordPress site to Godaddy. Excellent! Now it’s time to take care of the details. The first step is to log in to your hosting account on Godaddy‘s website (assuming you’ve set up automatic updates and security patches).
Once you’re logged in, look for the WordPress button (the big red button on the navigation bar). If you click on it, you’ll be taken to the installation page. Follow the simple prompts to install WordPress on your domain.
Once WordPress is installed, it’s time to log in to your blog’s dashboard. From this point on, you can configure and manage all aspects of your blog. You can learn more about the WordPress dashboard in this comprehensive How-to guide for beginners, which covers everything you need to know about creating a blog with WordPress.
Features Of Godaddy’s Web Hosting
Keep in mind that this is a free service, so there are a few features that you may not get. But you should still be able to enjoy a high degree of functionality even without all the features. Here are some of the features you can rely on:
- Free hosting for single sites with limited functionality. However, if you need a more robust and feature-rich hosting solution, you can upgrade to their more expensive, shared hosting plans. But even then, you’ll only need to pay for the hardware that you use.
- Robust security with daily backups and malware scanning. If your site gets hacked or infected with malware, they’ll clean it up and restore your site back to its original state — for free!
- Free domain registration for one year with every new account. This way, you don’t have to worry about renewing your domain registration with an outside company. You can simply set up automatic domain updates with the click of a button on Godaddy’s website.
- Free daily backups for up to 500MB of data. You can also have them run a virus scan on your site daily.
- Free SSL security certificate for your site’s encryption. They also provide a free, standard-equivalent license for the popular Let’s Encrypt plugin — a free, open source initiative to make SSL easy for anyone.
- Free support via email, live chat, or phone — 24/7. Finally, you get a lifetime free domain privacy with the purchase of a full license from Godaddy.
Moving Your Blog To A New Location
Now that you have WordPress installed and are making some adjustments to the dashboard, it’s time to take care of the nuts and bolts of moving your blog. The first step is to log in to your WordPress dashboard and add some content to your site. Once you’ve got some content on your site, it’s time to make some tweaks to the layout and design.
You have two options here: You can either choose to do this manually or you can use a third-party tool to help you migrate content quickly and easily.
Manual Option
If you’d rather do this manually, you can either use a regular FTP client or the WordPress own import function. The first step is to log in to your WordPress dashboard and click on the gear icon (upper right corner). From here, you can click on “Plugins” and then on “Add New.”
If you’re using FTP, navigate to your site’s root folder (the folder containing your blog’s files). Once there, you can either upload a local copy of your blog’s files or use the built-in import tool to upload them from your WordPress dashboard. (The import tool saves you the trouble of manually editing all the blog posts as they are imported. It also helps you move categories and tags from your old blog to your new blog. You can find more information about this in the WordPress documentation.)
Third-Party Option
If you’d rather not do this manually, you can use a third-party CMS Move to migrate your entire blog to a new location. There are a few different companies that provide this service, but we highly recommend ManageWP. Not only do they provide a free trial, but they also offer discounted plans for those seeking a long-term solution.
First, you’ll need to create an account with them. After you’ve registered, it’s time to install their software on your computer. Once they’ve installed the software and tested it out, it’s time to import your blog. (Be sure to follow their instructions carefully.) You can find their entire step-by-step guide for migrating a WordPress site here.
If you’d rather not use their service, you can also use the WordPress built-in import tool or download a 3rd-party plugin that can help you migrate your content. We recommend the WordPress Backup Plus plugin, which allows you to create full snapshots of your WordPress site on a regular basis. This way, you can easily restore your site to an earlier state if something were to happen. You can find more information about this plugin and how it works in conjunction with the free version of WordPress here.
Back Up Your Blog Regularly
Make sure you back up your blog on a regular basis. This is especially important if you’re using a third-party tool to migrate your content as the tool keeps a copy of your entire blog in an online database — including all your content, settings, and plugins. This means it’s possible for your blog to get corrupted or accidentally deleted if you lose your hard drive. (This also means you should back up your blog regularly regardless of which option you chose above.)
Make Sure You’re Up-to-date On Core Updates
Keeping your WordPress site up-to-date is critical for security and stability. You can easily learn more about keeping your WordPress site updated here. Basically, you’ll need to ensure you’re applying patches and security fixes as soon as they become available. You can also use WordPress’ built-in automatic update feature to ensure all your plugins and themes are always up-to-date.
Manage Your DNS Records
If you’ve decided to move your blog to Godaddy, you’ll need to create or update your DNS records. DNS stands for “Domain Name Service,” and it’s what gives your domain — such as blog.yourdomain.com — its name. (You can find more information about DNS records here.)