This Knowledgebase article to migrate a website to us explains everything that you need to be aware of before proceeding. Our professional Support Team is always available to assist you to migrating your website and/or emails from any other platform to Domains.co.za. Please take note of the below points and steps to help you understand how our Migration Process works.

Beginning the Migration Process 

We will initially move your data to Domains.co.za, and only point or transfer your domain/s once the Migration Process has been completed. In this manner, your website and emails will always remain accessible until the completion of the process, as this may require a few days.  

Your website files, databases and all current emails will be moved during this procedure. Please note however, that Cron jobs, DNS records, custom SSL configurations, and FTP accounts are not included.  

Step 1: What you need to know

You are eligible for a free Data Migration if:   

– You are currently hosted with another hosting provider other than Domains.co.za.   

– You are using a website built with an open-source CMS, such as WordPress, Joomla, etc.   

Please Note:

• Websites created with custom builders like Blogger, Canva, Google Sites, Shopify, Squarespace, Wix, and others, cannot be migrated. If this is your current situation, you will need to re-create your website – Domains.co.za Website Builder is an excellent tool for this task. Please contact our Support Team should you have any queries regarding the above and they will be able to advise you accordingly. 
• Emails that are hosted with Microsoft 365, Google Workspace (G-Suite), Telkom and Mimecast cannot be migrated. 
• There also needs to be adequate disk space available for the move. This is usually double the space of the actual hosted data, to accommodate the migrated .zip files and then the actual data extraction from those .zip files. 

During the Migration Process it is also advised to:   

• Turn off all anti-bot verifications and two-factor authentications that may be on your current hosting account and website admin page.  
• Please ensure that your current hosting has adequate free disk space to allow for backups to be generated during the Data Migration Process. 

Step 2: Preparing for the Migration

Once you have verified that your website meets the above necessary requirements, please confirm that you have an active Hosting plan with Domains.co.za, or sign up for a new plan with a minimum of one additional domain, then you are ready to migrate a website.

Please contact our Support Team for assistance with activating a suitable package for you, or of you are doing Bulk Domain Transfers, or for assistance in what is required for a domain to be transferred. With an active Hosting package in place, you will be able to then request a Migration.

Step 3: Initiating the Migration

To access the Migration Form, use one of the following methods:  

• Access the “Websites” section on your Domains.co.za Control Panel, and click on “Add Website”.
• If you have various Hosting plans, you can add, or migrate, a website by clicking the button. After that, a Hosting plan selection screen will appear for your moved website. 
• You can choose between any of our plans: Web Hosting, cPanel Hosting or WordPress Hosting.
• Alternatively, you can select “Migrate Website” by clicking the profile icon, and then click “Add Request”.  

Step 4: Complete the Migration Request

To finalise the Migration Request:  

• Type in the domain or subdomain name of the website you wish to migrate.  
• Do the same for a WordPress-based website (this will automatically be detected). If not, you are free to choose the platform, you can also opt for WordPress Hosting for a WordPress site, Web Hosting, or cPanel Web Hosting plan as mentioned above.
• Once you’ve submitted it, you will be asked to verify the Status of the Website Migration Request.   

Step 5: Pointing to Domains.co.za  

An Email Notification will be sent to you upon completion of the Migration. To ensure that everything is in order, you can use the IP address of your Hosting plan and the DNS Tool.  

PLEASE NOTE: To avoid lengthy disruptions, don’t forget to point your domain to Domains.co.za servers after a successful move.