Moving to a new host is one of those jobs that looks simple until email stops arriving on a Sunday morning or the site shows a blank page to half your visitors. When you transfer a domain and website together, you are actually running three separate moves: the domain registration, the website files and database, and the DNS that tells the internet where everything lives. Treating them as one task is where most problems begin.
We handle hosting moves regularly as part of web design and rebuild projects for businesses in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. This guide sets out the order of operations we use, the checks that protect email and search rankings, and the details specific to .ae domains.
Understand the three pieces before you move anything
Your domain, hosting and DNS can sit with the same company or with three different ones. Before planning the move, write down where each currently lives.
| Component | What it is | Where it may sit |
|---|---|---|
| Domain registration | Your right to use the name, renewed yearly or for several years | A registrar, which may also be your old host |
| DNS hosting | The records that point the domain to your website, email and other services | The registrar, the host, or a DNS provider such as a CDN |
| Web hosting | The server that stores your files and database | Your current host |
This matters because the safest approach usually separates the moves. You can migrate the website to the new host first, switch DNS once it is tested, and transfer the domain registration later, or not at all. A domain does not have to be registered with the company that hosts your site.
Preparation: the audit that prevents surprises
Collect the following before you touch anything:
- Account access to the registrar, current host, DNS provider and any CDN. Confirm the registrant email address is one you still control, because authorization emails go there.
- A full export of the current DNS zone, including A, CNAME, MX, TXT (SPF, DKIM, DMARC, domain verification records), SRV and CAA records.
- Email arrangements. Establish whether mailboxes sit with the old host or with Google Workspace or Microsoft 365. If the old host provides mailboxes, email needs its own migration plan.
- Technical requirements of the site: PHP version, database version, cron jobs, server-level redirects, SSL setup and any IP whitelisting by payment gateways or APIs.
- Renewal and contract dates so the old hosting does not expire mid-move and you are not paying twice for longer than needed.
- Full backups of files and database, stored outside both hosts.
Moving the website to the new host
With the audit done, move the website before changing anything public.
- Set up the new hosting environment to match or improve on the old one: correct PHP and database versions, the same or better server location for your audience, and caching configured.
- Copy files and database. For WordPress, a migration plugin or a manual transfer of files plus a database export both work. Large sites, such as ecommerce stores with years of orders, are often faster to move over SSH.
- Test on the new server before DNS changes. Use a temporary URL or edit your local hosts file to view the site on the new server. Check forms, checkout, bilingual switching, search, logins and admin access.
- Install SSL on the new host. Some hosts can issue certificates only after DNS points to them, so plan for a short gap or use DNS-based validation.
- Replicate server-level settings, including redirects in .htaccess or Nginx rules, scheduled tasks and outgoing email (SMTP) configuration for form notifications.
Switching DNS without downtime
DNS changes are where visitors notice a move. The key is the TTL, which sets how long resolvers cache a record.
- Lower the TTL on the records you will change to around 300 seconds, 24 to 48 hours before the switch, so the old value expires quickly.
- Freeze content changes on the old site for the switch window. For stores, choose a quiet period and note the last order number so any orders placed on the old server during propagation can be checked.
- Update the A record (and AAAA if used) for the root domain, and the www record, to the new server.
- Leave MX and email-related records untouched unless email is moving too.
- Watch both servers for a day or two. Some visitors will still reach the old host until caches expire.
- Raise the TTL again once everything is stable.
If you are moving DNS hosting itself to a new provider, recreate every record there first, verify them, and only then change the nameservers at the registrar. Missing a single TXT or MX record at this stage is the most common cause of lost email after a move.
How to transfer a domain and website registration to a new registrar
Transferring the registration is a separate, optional step. For generic domains such as .com, the process usually runs like this:
- Confirm the domain is not within a transfer restriction period. Generic domains are commonly locked for 60 days after registration or a previous transfer.
- Remove the transfer lock at the current registrar and turn off privacy settings if they block the authorization email.
- Request the authorization code (often called the EPP or auth code).
- Start the transfer at the new registrar and enter the code.
- Approve any confirmation emails. The transfer can take several days to complete.
For generic domains, a transfer normally adds a year to the registration. Keep the DNS settings unchanged during the transfer so the website and email keep working throughout.
Notes for .ae domains
The .ae namespace is administered by the .ae Domain Administration (.aeDA) under the UAE’s Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority. Transfers between accredited .ae registrars also rely on an authorization code, but policies and timelines differ from generic domains. Confirm the current process with both registrars, and make sure the registrant details and supporting documents on record are up to date before you start, since mismatches can delay approval.
After the move: checks that protect rankings and inquiries
A successful move is one that nobody outside the business notices. Run these checks within the first week:
- Crawl the site for broken links, missing images and redirect errors.
- Test every conversion path: contact forms, WhatsApp buttons, booking tools, checkout and payment callbacks.
- Confirm email delivery in both directions, and check that form notifications are not landing in spam.
- Review Google Search Console for crawl errors and server response issues.
- Compare page speed before and after, especially time to first byte from the UAE.
- Verify backups are running on the new host.
- Cancel the old hosting only after a full billing cycle of stable operation, and download a final backup first.
Frequently asked questions
Will my website go offline when I change hosts?
It should not, if the site is fully set up and tested on the new server before DNS changes. Lowering the TTL beforehand keeps the switch window short. During propagation, some visitors may see the old server and some the new one, which is why content changes should pause and both servers should stay live for a day or two.
Do I have to move my domain to the same company as my hosting?
No. Registration and hosting are independent. Many businesses keep the domain with a dedicated registrar and point DNS to whichever host they use. Keeping them separate can make future moves easier and reduces the risk of losing control of the domain if a hosting relationship ends.
How long does a domain transfer take?
For most generic domains, a transfer completes within about five to seven days once it is requested, and faster if both registrars process approvals promptly. Country code domains, including .ae, follow their own registry rules and timings. The website and email continue to work during the transfer as long as DNS settings are left unchanged.
What happens to my email during a hosting move?
If your email runs on Google Workspace or Microsoft 365, it is unaffected as long as the MX, SPF, DKIM and DMARC records are preserved. If mailboxes live on the old host, they need migrating separately, usually by creating mailboxes on the new platform and copying messages across before switching the MX records.
A move your customers never notice
The safest way to transfer a domain and website is to separate the work: migrate and test the site, switch DNS carefully, and handle the registration transfer as its own step. Documenting every DNS record and protecting email are what keep inquiries flowing through the change.
If you are planning a hosting move, or want a second opinion on a migration plan, we would be happy to walk through it with you.
