Short answer: Upload your site to the temporary URL we give you when you sign up and test it there. Set up your email on our mail server. Then point your domain at dns1.yournameservers.net and dns2.yournameservers.net. Upload by FTP, through the Advanced File Manager, or straight from your development tool. Most sites we can move at no additional cost — just ask.
Applies to: New Infosaic hosting customers moving an existing website
The whole trick to moving a site without downtime is doing it in the right order: get everything working here first, on a temporary address, and only switch the domain over when you are satisfied.
Done that way there is no gap. Visitors carry on reaching the old host until the moment the domain changes, and then reach a site you have already tested.
And you do not have to do it yourself. Most sites we can move at no additional cost.
Step one — upload and test
When you sign up we give you a temporary URL. Upload the existing site to that, and test it there while the live site carries on running where it is. For a brand new site, use your own domain from the start.
There are three ways to get the files across, and they are equally good:
- FTP. We support all the mainstream FTP programs — FileZilla, Core FTP, CuteFTP, SmartFTP and ShareFile among them.
- The Advanced File Manager in your control panel. Upload your site as a zip file, unzip it in place, and the files appear in the File Manager interface. This is usually the quickest route for a whole site.
- Your development tool. Connect to the project directly from whichever web development or design tool you use.
Test properly at this stage — every page, forms, anything that touches a database. It is far easier to fix now than after the domain has moved.
Step two — set up your email
If your email is moving to us as well, create the mailboxes before you point the domain. Sign in with your admin email address at mail.infosaic.com and set up the addresses you need.
The mailboxes have to exist before mail starts arriving. If the domain is pointed first, messages arrive for addresses that do not exist yet, and they bounce.
You can configure the computers and phones afterwards — that part can wait until after the domain has been pointed.
This is the step that causes lost mail during a move. Point the domain before the mailboxes exist and every message sent in that window bounces back to the sender. Ten minutes of setup in the right order avoids it entirely.
Step three — point the domain
Once the site is tested and the mailboxes exist, point your domain at our name servers:
- dns1.yournameservers.net
- dns2.yournameservers.net
There is an alternative worth knowing about. If you are only moving the website and your email is hosted elsewhere — with another provider, or on an internal server — you can leave the domain on your registrar’s name servers and just modify the A record to point at us. That moves the site without touching anything to do with mail, so there is no risk to your email at all.
IP pointing is also possible if that suits your situation better. Ask and we will give you what you need.
Let us do it for you
We can assist with your site migration, and most sites we can move at no additional cost. If the site is highly complex, we can discuss the options.
It is worth asking before you start rather than after something has gone wrong. Tell us what the site is built with, where it is now, and whether email is moving too — that is enough for us to say what is involved.
To recap the order: upload and test, set up email, then point the domain.
Questions and answers
How do I move my existing website to Infosaic?
Upload it to the temporary URL we provide, test it, set up your email, and then point your domain at our name servers.
How do I upload the files?
By FTP with any mainstream FTP program, through the Advanced File Manager in your control panel, or directly from your web development tool.
What is the quickest way to upload a whole site?
Zip it and upload it through the Advanced File Manager, then unzip it in place.
Which FTP programs are supported?
All the mainstream ones, including FileZilla, Core FTP, CuteFTP, SmartFTP and ShareFile.
When should I set up my email?
Before pointing the domain. If mail arrives for mailboxes that do not exist yet, it bounces.
Where do I create the mailboxes?
Sign in with your admin email address at mail.infosaic.com.
Can I move my website without touching my email?
Yes. Leave the domain on your registrar’s name servers and change only the A record to point at us.
Will Infosaic move the site for me?
Most sites we can move at no additional cost. Ask us before you start, and we will tell you what is involved.
Related articles
- How do I manage or point my domain name to Infosaic?
- What are Infosaic’s name servers?
- How do I set up an email address?
- How do I transfer my domain to Infosaic?
- How long does DNS take to propagate?
- How do I contact tech support?
Still stuck?
Open a support ticket from your hosting control panel at controlpanel.infosaic.com — that is the fastest route, because it reaches the team who can already see your account. You can also email [email protected].