Moving a WordPress website from Cloudways to Neurax Hosting isn’t as difficult as it might seem. If you’ve already got your hosting account ready and your website is running on Cloudways, you’re halfway there. The rest is simply moving your website files, importing your database, updating a few settings, and pointing your domain to the new server.

The process isn’t complicated, but it does require attention to detail. Missing a single step—like entering the wrong database credentials or forgetting to update your DNS—can prevent your website from loading properly. That’s why it’s worth taking your time and checking everything as you go.

What You’ll Be Doing

Here’s a quick overview of the migration process:

Create a complete backup of your WordPress files and database on Cloudways.
Prepare your Neurax hosting account in cPanel.
Upload your website files and import the database.
Update your WordPress configuration.
Point your domain to Neurax Hosting.
Enable SSL and test that everything works correctly.

If you follow these steps in order, the migration should go smoothly.

Before You Start

It’s a good idea to have everything ready before making any changes.

You’ll need:

An active Neurax Hosting account with cPanel access.
Administrator access to your Cloudways account.
Access to your domain’s DNS settings through your registrar or DNS provider.
A computer with enough storage to download your website backup.
An FTP or SFTP client such as FileZilla or WinSCP if you prefer transferring files that way.

If your website receives regular traffic, consider enabling WordPress maintenance mode before creating the backup. This helps prevent new comments, orders, or content changes while you’re moving the site.

If you’d rather skip the manual work, Neurax also offers free website migration with every hosting plan.

Step 1: Open Your WordPress Application in Cloudways

Start by logging in to your Cloudways account.

Open the Servers section, select the server where your WordPress website is hosted, and then click Applications. Choose the website you want to migrate.

Take a moment to confirm you’re working with the correct application. Double-check the domain name and review the access details, including your SFTP or SSH credentials. You’ll need these later when downloading your backup.

This quick check helps avoid migrating the wrong website, especially if you manage several applications inside the same Cloudways account.

Step 2: Download a Full Backup

Before moving anything, create a fresh backup of your website. Even if Cloudways already performs automatic backups, generating a new one ensures you’re working with the latest version of your site.

Go to Server > Backup, enable Local Backups if it isn’t already enabled, and click Take Backup Now.

Once the backup finishes, connect to your server using an SFTP client with your Master Credentials. Navigate to:

/applications/your_app_name/local_backups

Download the latest backup archive to your computer. Depending on your website, the backup may include your WordPress files along with an SQL database export.

If your database is particularly large and exporting it through the browser becomes unreliable, you can export it separately using phpMyAdmin, Cloudways Database Manager, or the mysqldump command through SSH.

Before moving on, make sure you have both:

Your website files
Your SQL database backup

Having both saves a lot of frustration later.

Step 3: Log In to Your Neurax cPanel

Now switch over to your Neurax Hosting account.

Open your cPanel login page using the credentials provided in your welcome email. Once you’re logged in, you’ll see the standard cPanel dashboard.

You’ll mainly be working with three tools during the migration:

File Manager
MySQL Databases
phpMyAdmin

These are the only sections you’ll need for most of the migration, so it’s worth familiarizing yourself with where they’re located before you begin.

Step 4: Add Your Domain (If Necessary)

If your domain isn’t already added to your Neurax account, you’ll need to do that first.

Inside cPanel, open Domains or Addon Domains, depending on your hosting package, and select Create a New Domain.

Enter your domain name and choose the document root. In most cases, public_html is the correct location unless you’re intentionally using a separate folder.

After saving the changes, your domain should appear in the domain list inside cPanel.

Don’t worry about changing your DNS yet. Keep it pointing to Cloudways until your files and database have been fully migrated. Once everything is working correctly on Neurax, you’ll update your nameservers or A record as the final step.

Add Your Domain in cPanel

Start by following the on-screen instructions in cPanel to add your new domain. If you want this domain to have its own folder, make sure you uncheck “Share document root.”

Once the domain is added, you’ll see it in the List Domains section. From there, you’ll also have access to options like Force HTTPS Redirect after your website is live.

For example, the screenshot below shows the domain nexusbusinessesadvisors.com pointing to the /public_html directory.

Important: If your domain’s DNS is still managed by Cloudways, don’t change anything yet. You’ll update the nameservers or A record to Neurax after the migration is complete.

Step 5: Upload Your Website Files to Neurax

Now it’s time to move your website files to your new hosting account.

a. Open File Manager

In cPanel, click File Manager.

You’ll automatically land in your hosting account’s home directory, which usually begins with /home/username. Here you’ll see folders such as public_html, mail, etc, and others.

Open the public_html folder. This is where your website files should be stored.

Expected result: You can see the standard folder structure, including public_html, confirming you’re in the correct location.

b. Upload Your Website Backup

Open the public_html folder (or your domain’s document root if it’s different).

Next, click Upload from the toolbar.

The upload page will display the maximum file size allowed. Neurax supports large uploads, so even multi-gigabyte backup files can usually be uploaded without issues.

Click Select File, choose your backup archive (.zip or .tgz), and wait until the upload reaches 100%.

Expected result: Your backup file (for example, public_html.zip) appears inside the public_html folder.

c. Extract the Backup

Once the upload finishes, select the archive and click Extract.

Leave the extraction path set to /public_html/ and confirm.

cPanel will unpack all of your website files into the folder. After extraction, you’ll either see your WordPress files directly inside public_html or inside a wordpress folder, depending on how the backup was created.

Take a quick look to make sure important WordPress files such as wp-config.php, index.php, wp-admin, wp-content, and wp-includes are present.

Tip: If everything extracts into public_html/wordpress, move those files up one level so they’re directly inside public_html. Another option is to set your domain’s document root to the wordpress folder. The goal is simple: your website’s main files should be in the folder your domain loads from.

d. Verify the File Structure

Return to File Manager and review your folders one last time.

Whether your WordPress files sit directly inside public_html or inside a correctly configured document root, make sure the structure matches your original website.

Expected result: Your complete WordPress installation is now in place and ready to connect to the database.

Step 6: Create and Import the Database

Your website files are only half of the migration. WordPress also needs its database.

In cPanel, open MySQL® Databases.

Create:

A new database (for example, wp_db)
A new database user (for example, wp_user)
Assign the user to the database with ALL PRIVILEGES

Next, open phpMyAdmin.

Select the new database, click the Import tab, choose the SQL backup you downloaded from Cloudways, and start the import.

This database contains everything that makes your website work, including posts, pages, settings, users, and plugin data.

Expected result: When the import finishes, phpMyAdmin displays all of your WordPress tables without any errors.

If your SQL backup is extremely large, consider splitting the file or importing it through SSH using the MySQL command line.

Finally, confirm that important tables like wp_options contain data.

Step 7: Update WordPress Configuration

Now connect WordPress to its new database.

Open public_html/wp-config.php in File Manager.

Update the following values:

DB_NAME
DB_USER
DB_PASSWORD

On most Neurax cPanel servers, DB_HOST remains localhost, so you usually won’t need to change it.

Save the file when you’re finished.

Expected result: WordPress now points to the database you imported.

To verify everything works, preview the site using your temporary URL or edit your local hosts file so your domain points to the Neurax server.

If you see a database connection error, double-check the database credentials and confirm the database user has the correct permissions.

Step 8: Point Your Domain to Neurax

After both the files and database are ready, it’s time to direct your domain to the new server.

You have two options.

Option 1: Update your nameservers

Replace your current nameservers with the ones provided by Neurax. This gives Neurax full control over your DNS.

Option 2: Update the A record

If you manage DNS somewhere else, such as Cloudflare, simply change your domain’s A record so it points to your Neurax server’s IP address.

Before making either change, it’s a good idea to lower your DNS TTL to around 5–15 minutes at least a day in advance. That helps the DNS update spread much faster. Once everything is working correctly, you can increase the TTL again.

Expected result: After DNS propagation finishes, your domain loads the website from your Neurax hosting account.

You can confirm the update with tools like dig, nslookup, or by checking the website from different internet connections.

Step 9: Enable SSL and Test Everything

The final step is securing your website with HTTPS.

Neurax includes free Let’s Encrypt SSL certificates.

In cPanel, open SSL/TLS, SSL/TLS Status, or the WordPress Toolkit, then install or enable AutoSSL for your domain.

After SSL is active, return to the Domains page and turn on Force HTTPS Redirect.

This automatically sends every visitor from the HTTP version of your site to the secure HTTPS version.

Finally, visit your website and test everything carefully.

Check that:

Every page loads correctly.
Images appear properly.
Forms work as expected.
Links point to the right pages.
HTTPS is active without browser security warnings.

Once these checks pass, your migration to Neurax is complete, and your WordPress website is ready to go live.

Confirm Your SSL Is Working

At this point, your website should load securely over HTTPS with a valid SSL certificate.

Open https://yourdomain.com in your browser and look for the padlock icon next to the website address. That confirms the SSL certificate is working correctly.

While you’re there, browse a few pages to make sure everything loads normally. If your browser reports mixed-content warnings, some resources are probably still loading over http:// instead of https://. You can update those URLs manually or use a WordPress plugin to replace them throughout your site.

Expected result: Your website loads securely over HTTPS without any SSL or mixed-content warnings.

Post-Migration Checklist

Before considering the migration complete, spend a few minutes testing the website from top to bottom.

Browse Your Website

Visit several pages and make sure your content, images, menus, links, and styling all appear exactly as expected.

Log In to WordPress

Then go to Settings → Permalinks and simply click Save Changes without changing anything. This refreshes WordPress rewrite rules and often fixes broken links after a migration.

Test Key Features

Now test the features your visitors use most.

Make sure:

Contact forms submit successfully.
Search works properly.
Navigation menus open the correct pages.
Images and media load correctly.
Any important plugins function as expected.

Check Your Website Address

Go to Settings → General and confirm that both the WordPress Address and Site Address use the correct HTTPS version of your domain.

Test Email Delivery

If your website sends contact form messages, order confirmations, or notification emails, send a few test messages.

Since your hosting environment has changed, you may need to configure SMTP settings again to ensure reliable email delivery.

Turn Off Maintenance Mode

If you enabled maintenance mode before starting the migration, disable it now so visitors can access the live website.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Even when everything is done correctly, a few common issues can appear after migration. Fortunately, most are easy to fix.

Database Connection Error

If you see the message “Error establishing database connection,” WordPress can’t connect to the database.

Open wp-config.php and verify:

Database name
Database username
Database password
Database host

Also confirm that the database user has been assigned to the database with ALL PRIVILEGES inside cPanel.

White Screen or 500 Error

A blank page or Internal Server Error usually points to a PHP issue.

Temporarily enable WP_DEBUG in wp-config.php to display the actual error message.

It’s also worth checking that:

Every website file was uploaded successfully.
Your PHP version on Neurax is compatible with your WordPress installation and plugins.

Missing Images or Themes

If images don’t appear or parts of the site are missing, the backup may not have extracted completely.

Try uploading or extracting the files again.

Also verify standard file permissions:

Folders: 755
Files: 644

Mixed Content Warnings

If the browser reports that your site isn’t fully secure, some resources are still using http:// links.

You can fix this by updating URLs manually or using a plugin such as Better Search Replace to replace old HTTP links throughout the database.

Slow Website Performance

If the website feels slower than expected, clear any WordPress caching plugins and rebuild the cache.

Also check whether server-side caching, such as LiteSpeed Cache (if available on your hosting plan), is enabled.

Tip: Don’t delete your original backup until you’re completely satisfied that the migration was successful. If necessary, you can temporarily point your DNS back to the old hosting provider while troubleshooting.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will my website experience downtime?

Usually, downtime is minimal.

If you lower your DNS TTL before the migration and perform the move during low-traffic hours, visitors may experience only a brief transition while DNS updates across the internet. During that time, some users may still reach the old server until propagation is complete.

Can Neurax migrate my website for me?

Yes. Neurax offers free managed migrations for eligible customers.

If you don’t want to migrate the website yourself, simply contact the support team and request a migration. Otherwise, you can follow this guide to complete the process on your own.

What happens to my email?

Website hosting and email hosting are managed separately.

If your email accounts were hosted with Cloudways or another provider, you’ll need to recreate the mailboxes in cPanel or configure your preferred email service. If your DNS changes, don’t forget to update your MX records as well.

Should I update PHP or WordPress?

Before launching the migrated website, make sure your selected PHP version is compatible with your WordPress installation and installed plugins.

Using a modern PHP version, such as 7.4 or later, generally provides better security and performance. Once the migration is complete, it’s also a good idea to update WordPress, themes, and plugins to their latest stable versions.

What if I use a CDN or caching service?

If your website uses services like Cloudflare or another CDN, update the origin server to your new Neurax IP address.

Afterward, clear both your CDN cache and any WordPress caching plugins so visitors receive the latest version of your website.

Best Practices for a Smooth Migration

A few extra precautions can save a lot of time if something unexpected happens.

Keep complete backups of both your website files and database until you’ve fully verified the migration.
Test the migrated website using a temporary URL or by editing your local hosts file before changing DNS.
Disable Cloudways-specific plugins and temporarily turn off caching or optimization plugins before creating the backup.
Enable maintenance mode while the migration is in progress, then disable it once everything is working.
Monitor DNS propagation using online tools like whatsmydns.net so you know when the new server is live worldwide.
Keep a record of important information, including database credentials, server IP addresses, and DNS settings, in case you need to troubleshoot later.

Once you’ve completed each step and verified that everything is working correctly, your WordPress website is successfully running on Neurax Host.

Take a final walk through your website, test the important features one more time, and confirm that HTTPS, email delivery, forms, and performance all work as expected.

If you run into any server-related issues that aren’t covered in this guide, the Neurax support team can help you resolve them quickly.

How to Migrate a WordPress Site from Cloudways to Neurax Hosting