Move your WordPress site to FireStorm yourself

What this tool does

With WordPress Import you bring an existing WordPress site to your FireStorm hosting yourself. Database, files, themes, plugins and media are transferred, and the addresses in your content are adjusted automatically. You need neither FTP access nor database skills, an administrator account on your previous site is enough.

What you need

• A FireStorm web hosting with a domain set up
• An administrator account on your previous WordPress site
• Your previous site must be reachable over the internet

Step 1: Download the connector

Log in to your Plesk panel and open WordPress Import under Dev Tools on your domain. Download the connector plugin as a ZIP file there.

Step 2: Install the connector on your old site

Log in to your previous WordPress site as an administrator. Go to Plugins, then Add New and Upload Plugin. Select the downloaded ZIP file and click Install Now.

Then click Activate Plugin. The connector now appears in your plugin list.

Note: the screenshots show a German WordPress installation. The menu entries are in the same places in every language.

Step 3: Copy the migration code

A new entry called Site Migration now appears under Tools in your old site.

Open it. Your personal migration code is shown there. Click Copy.

The code already contains your site address, so there is nothing else to note down. It is valid for 24 hours and renews itself automatically afterwards.

Step 4: Start the migration

Switch back to the Plesk panel and paste the code into the Migration code field. One click on Start migration is all it takes.

Progress is shown live. Depending on the size of your site, the process takes a few minutes up to several hours. You can close the window in the meantime, the migration continues on the server.

Step 5: Check the site and clean up

Once the migration is complete, check your site with us. As long as the domain still points to the old server, you can reach it through an entry in your hosts file or after switching the name servers.

Then remove the connector plugin from your old site. A single click on Remove plugin now is enough. This matters, because as long as the plugin is active, anyone who knows the migration code can retrieve the contents of your old site.

Good to know

Existing data is replaced. If files already exist in the target directory, they are moved into a folder with a timestamp before the import and replaced by the transferred site. They are not lost, but they still take up disk space.

Your credentials are not transferred. The configuration file of the old site is deliberately left out. We create a new database with fresh credentials on our server and write a new configuration.

Automatic security scan. After the import we scan the transferred data for malware and show you the result. If suspicious files are found, please contact us before putting the site online.

If something goes wrong

“No connector responds at this address”
The plugin is not active on the old site. Check under Plugins whether it is installed and activated.

“The migration code was not accepted”
The code was copied incompletely, or the plugin on the old site was deactivated in the meantime. Open Tools, Site Migration there again and copy the code anew.

“The site cannot be reached”
Your old site is not reachable from outside, for example because of a password protection, a maintenance mode or a firewall. Lift the protection for the duration of the migration.

WordPress network (multisite)
Multisite installations cannot be transferred automatically. Get in touch with us, we will handle the migration for you.

Do you run your own root server?

On all FireStorm web hosting plans the tool comes preinstalled, there is nothing you need to do. If, however, you run your own root server with Plesk at FireStorm, you install the extension once yourself: you will find the installation script in the download area of your customer account in the Rootserver category, and the matching API key on your root server’s product page in the DNS Manager section. After that, this guide applies to your server unchanged, and the extension keeps itself up to date automatically.

Need help?

Our support team is happy to help. You can reach us at support@firestorm.ch or by phone on 0844 300 200.