Want to migrate WordPress to Cloudways in 2025 without breaking your site or losing sleep? Whether you’re after better speed, security, or control, this guide walks you through every step of the process. You’ll go from shared hosting to cloud-powered WordPress in under 30 minutes.
Whether you’re looking for better performance, more control, or just want to escape the limitations of your current host, this step-by-step guide will walk you through everything you need to migrate your WordPress site to Cloudways without downtime.
Not sure if Cloudways is right for you? Check out our detailed Kinsta vs Cloudways comparison to see how it stacks up against another leading managed WordPress host.
🛠️ Why Migrate to Cloudways?
Cloudways offers a powerful, managed hosting platform that gives you the flexibility of cloud providers like DigitalOcean, AWS, and Google Cloud — without the complexity.
✅ Benefits of migrating to Cloudways:
- Blazing fast load times with built-in caching
- Dedicated resources and isolated environments
- Free SSL, daily backups, and staging environments
- Flexible scaling as your site grows
It’s ideal for website owners who want more speed and control than shared hosting offers.
📦 Pre-Migration Checklist
Before migrating your WordPress site to Cloudways, make sure you have the following:
- ✅ Your current WordPress site login credentials
- ✅ Admin access to Cloudways
- ✅ An active server + application set up on Cloudways (WordPress installed)
- ✅ Access to your current hosting provider’s file manager or cPanel
🚚 Step-by-Step: Migrate WordPress to Cloudways
Step 1: Install the Cloudways Migrator Plugin
- Log in to your current WordPress dashboard.
- Go to Plugins > Add New and search for Cloudways WordPress Migrator.
- Install and activate the plugin.
Step 2: Gather Required Info from Cloudways
Once the plugin is activated, it will ask you for the following details from your Cloudways account:
- Destination Server IP Address
- SFTP Username and Password
- Application URL
Find this information inside your Cloudways Application Management Panel under Access Details.
Step 3: Enter Migration Details
- Fill in your current site’s URL and Cloudways destination info
- Add your email to receive migration status updates
- Hit Migrate
The plugin will handle the transfer automatically — files, database, themes, plugins, and media included.
Step 4: Update DNS (Once You’re Happy)
After migration, check your site using the temporary Cloudways URL. Make sure everything looks good.
Then, go to your domain registrar and point your domain’s A record to your new Cloudways server IP.
DNS propagation can take a few hours, but once it’s done, your visitors will start landing on the new host.
🧪 Post-Migration Tips
- ✅ Reinstall SSL from the Cloudways control panel
- ✅ Update your permalinks from Settings > Permalinks in WordPress
- ✅ Test your forms, buttons, and checkout process if using eCommerce
- ✅ Set up backups and security plugins again