How To Export Website From Old Hosting To Hawkhost

Moving a website from one hosting provider to another doesn’t have to be complicated. Whether you’re switching because of pricing, performance, or support, the key is planning the move so nothing breaks—especially if you rely on databases, email, or custom domains.

In this guide, I’ll walk you through a practical, step-by-step way to export your website from your old host and deploy it on HawkHost. The approach is the same whether your site is a simple static site, a WordPress site, or a custom application with files and a database.

Before You Start: What You Need to Prepare

Before touching anything, take a few minutes to confirm what your website uses. Most sites depend on some combination of:

• Website files (HTML, CSS, theme files, plugins, images, etc.)
• A database (commonly MySQL for WordPress and many CMS platforms)
• Email accounts (optional, but often forgotten)
• DNS settings (domain points to your new server)

Gather these details

1. Your domain name (example: yourdomain.com)
2. Old hosting access
   • cPanel / Plesk login (or FTP/SFTP credentials)
   • database access details (if applicable)
3. Your HawkHost account access
   • cPanel (or control panel)
   • FTP/SFTP credentials
   • database creation details (usually handled inside cPanel)

Backup everything first

Even if you’re confident, create backups of:

• Your website files
• Your database(s)
• Any important configuration files

Step 1: Export Your Website Files From Old Hosting

Most hosting control panels let you download a full backup of your public website directory. If you don’t have a backup feature, you can still export files using File Manager or FTP.

Option A: Use File Manager / “Backup” features

1. Log in to your old hosting control panel (like cPanel).
2. Go to File Manager (or look for Backups).
3. Identify the folder that contains your website—commonly:
   • public_html
   • www
4. Compress the folder:
   • Right-click the folder → Compress
   • Choose a format like .zip
5. Download the zip file to your computer.

Option B: Use FTP/SFTP

If your control panel doesn’t let you easily download large folders:

1. Install an FTP client (or use your browser-based FTP if available).
2. Connect to your old server using FTP/SFTP credentials.
3. Navigate to the folder containing your website (often public_html).
4. Download the contents to your computer (make sure you keep the same folder structure).
5. Create a zip archive if you want a simpler upload process later.

Step 2: Export Your Database (If Your Site Uses One)

If your site is WordPress, Joomla, Drupal, or most dynamic applications, you’ll need a database export.

Using phpMyAdmin (common on shared hosting)

1. Log in to your old hosting control panel.
2. Open phpMyAdmin.
3. Select the database your site uses.
4. Click Export.
5. Choose:
   • Quick export or Custom
   • Format: SQL
6. Download the .sql file to your computer.

If you have multiple databases, export the one linked to your website (and any additional ones if your app uses them).

Step 3: Upload Your Website Files to HawkHost

Now you’ll move your site files into HawkHost.

Upload using File Manager

1. Log in to HawkHost’s control panel.
2. Open File Manager.
3. Navigate to the target directory (commonly public_html).
4. Upload your zip file (or upload extracted files).
5. If you uploaded a zip file:
   • Right-click → Extract
6. Confirm that key files exist, such as:
   • index.html / index.php
   • your theme directories (for WordPress)
   • wp-content (for WordPress)

Upload using FTP/SFTP

1. Connect your FTP client to HawkHost.
2. Upload your website folder contents into public_html.
3. If you have a lot of files, double-check that the upload completes successfully.

Tip: If your site has a subdomain or sits in a subfolder (like public_html/blog), upload to the matching location. Otherwise, your domain might load the wrong directory.

Step 4: Import Your Database Into HawkHost

Once files are in place, you need to import the database so the site can load content properly.

Import using phpMyAdmin on HawkHost

1. Log in to HawkHost control panel.
2. Open phpMyAdmin.
3. Click Databases (or create a new database via the panel first, depending on your setup).
4. Create a database and note:
   • database name
   • username
5. Select the new database in phpMyAdmin.
6. Click Import.
7. Choose your exported .sql file.
8. Start the import and wait for it to finish.

If the import is large, it may take time. Keep the browser tab open to avoid interruptions.

Step 5: Update Configuration Files (Important)

After uploading files and importing the database, your site still won’t work until it points to the correct database details on the new host.

For WordPress

Edit the wp-config.php file:

1. In HawkHost File Manager (or via FTP), open:
   • public_html/wp-config.php
2. Update these settings:
   • DB_NAME
   • DB_USER
   • DB_PASSWORD
   • DB_HOST (often localhost)
3. Save the file.

For other CMS/applications

Look for a configuration file that stores database credentials. Common examples:

• Joomla: database settings in configuration file
• Custom apps: .env or config.php

Use your old site’s configuration as a reference, but replace credentials with the ones HawkHost provides.

Step 6: Adjust Paths and URL Settings (Common Gotchas)

Even after the database import, WordPress (and some other apps) might still reference the old domain or old directory paths.

WordPress examples

If your site moved from one domain or folder to another, you may need to update:

• siteurl
• home in the database.

Tools differ by setup, but you can typically update these values in the database tables (for example wp_options) or using a plugin designed for migrations.

If your site used different folder paths

For example:

• Old site lived in /public_html
• New site might be in /public_html/newfolder

Make sure the file structure matches what your application expects.

Step 7: Update DNS to Point Your Domain to HawkHost

Once your site is working on HawkHost (at least in preview/testing), you’ll need to move the domain.

Typical DNS changes

You’ll update DNS records at your domain registrar (where you manage the domain). Usually that means updating:

• A record (points domain to new IP)
• CNAME (for www or subdomains)
• Sometimes nameservers (switch to HawkHost nameservers)

HawkHost will provide the correct information for your account. Use exactly what they specify.

Propagation time

DNS changes can take anywhere from minutes to 24–48 hours (sometimes longer). During this window:

• Some visitors may see the old site
• Others may see the new one

Step 8: Test Everything Before Declaring Success

Before you fully move on, thoroughly test the site:

• Homepage and navigation
• Blog posts / pages
• Media (images load correctly?)
• Forms (contact forms, signups)
• Login areas (admin/dashboard)
• SSL/HTTPS (if applicable)

If you use HTTPS, ensure the certificate is installed or enabled on HawkHost. Many hosts handle this automatically, but it’s worth checking.

Guide: A Simple Checklist You Can Follow

File migration checklist

• Download site files from old hosting (zip or FTP download)
• Upload to public_html on HawkHost (or correct folder)
• Confirm extraction and folder structure

Database migration checklist

• Export database from old host (.sql)
• Create database/user on HawkHost
• Import .sql into HawkHost
• Update config file with HawkHost database credentials

Final switch checklist

• Update DNS to point your domain to HawkHost
• Test after DNS propagation
• Verify SSL/HTTPS
• Check emails only if you’re migrating mailboxes

Pros / Cons of Migrating Like This

Pros

• Full control: You decide exactly what gets moved.
• Works for most sites: Static, WordPress, and many custom apps.
• Easy rollback: If something goes wrong, you still have the old backups.

Cons

• DNS propagation delay: Visitors may see mixed versions for a while.
• Database URL/path issues: Especially if domains or folders change.
• Email isn’t automatic: If you use hosted email, you may need separate migration

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