Overview
Website migrations to Levamo are fully managed by our team. Once you submit a request through the migration wizard, we handle the file transfer, database migration, functionality testing, and domain configuration. Your existing site is never touched in the process: we copy everything over and leave your source intact.
Before getting started, there are a few things worth knowing. The wizard lets you save your progress at any point, so you can come back to it if you need to gather credentials or other details. You will also be asked about your domain setup and transactional email configuration, so it is worth reviewing those ahead of time.
In this article, you will find everything you need to prepare before submitting a request, a step-by-step walkthrough of the migration wizard, and an overview of what to expect after you submit.
Prerequisites
Before you begin, make sure you have the following on hand.
Required:
WordPress admin credentials: Your login URL, username, and password for the site you are migrating
Server access details: SSH credentials (recommended), or an alternative such as FTP credentials or a backup download link
Domain information: Know where your domain is currently managed, such as your registrar or Cloudflare
Recommended:
These are not required but will make the process smoother:
Take a backup on your old host before making any major changes
Check plugin compatibility with your target PHP version
Plan for brief maintenance: we may enable maintenance mode during the final content sync
If your site receives consistent traffic, consider submitting your request during a low-traffic period
Starting a migration request
There are four ways to open the migration wizard in the Levamo dashboard:
Sites page (new account): If you have a paid plan and no sites yet, click Request free migration on the welcome page
Migrations page: Click Migrations in the top navigation, then click Request migration
Site overview page: Scroll to the bottom and click Request a migration
Site settings menu: Click the settings cog next to the WP Admin button and select Migrate an existing site
All four entry points open the same wizard. You can save your progress at any point by clicking Save draft and return to it later from the Migrations page.
The migration wizard
The wizard guides you through eight steps. Each step is described below.
Step 1: Destination
Choose where your migrated site will be set up.
Option A: Create a new site
Select this if you do not have a Levamo site set up yet. You will create a new WordPress site within an existing plan as part of the migration process.
After selecting Create a new site, choose the plan where the site will be created. The plan shows how many site slots are available.
Option B: Migrate to an Existing Site
Select this if you already have a site in Levamo that you want to replace with your migrated content.
After selecting Migrate to an existing site, choose the destination site from the dropdown.
Important:
All files and database content on the selected site will be overwritten during migration. This cannot be undone. Only select this option if you are certain you want to replace the existing site's content.
Click Continue to proceed.
Step 2: Environment
Configure or review the environment settings for your destination site.
If creating a new site
You will set up the environment if one has not been created yet. The following fields are required:
Environment name: A name to identify this environment in your account (can be changed later)
Data region: The server location closest to your audience. This cannot be changed after creation
PHP version: We recommend 8.4 for the best plugin compatibility
If migrating to an existing site
This step displays your existing environment details in read-only format: plan name, environment name, data region, and PHP version.
Review the information and click Continue.
Step 3: Site name & URL
Set up or review your site's name and temporary URL.
If creating a new site
Site name: Enter a name for your site (e.g., example.com or my-project)
Temporary URL: Automatically generated based on your site name. You will use this URL to preview your migrated site before connecting your custom domain
If migrating to an existing site
This step displays the existing site name and temporary URL in read-only format.
Click Continue to proceed.
Step 4: Source website
Provide access credentials for the WordPress site you want to migrate.
Provide access credentials for the WordPress site you want to migrate.
Enter the following:
Site URL: The public URL visitors use to access your website (e.g.,
https://example.com)WordPress login URL: Your WordPress admin login page (e.g.,
https://example.com/wp-admin)Username: Your WordPress admin username
Password: Your WordPress admin password
Your credentials are handled securely and used only for migration purposes.
Tip: If migrating from a local environment, include your local dev URL (e.g., http://localhost:8000). It will be replaced automatically during migration.
Click Continue to proceed.
Step 5: Source access
Tell us how to access your server to retrieve files and the database.
SSH access (recommended)
SSH is faster and more reliable. If SSH is available on your server, provide:
Server/hostname: The server IP address or hostname
Port: Usually 22, unless your host uses a custom port
SSH username: Your SSH login username
SSH password: Your SSH password
Key passphrase (optional): If your private key has a passphrase
Private key file (optional): Upload your
.pem,.key, or.ppkfile for key-based authenticationWordPress directory: The full server path to your WordPress installation (e.g.,
/var/www/html/or/public_html/). You can find this in WordPress under Tools → Site Health → Info → Directories and Sizes
Backup access
If SSH is not available, select Backup access and provide instructions for accessing your site files and database. Acceptable options include:
Backup download link
FTP credentials (host, username, and password)
Control panel access steps
Platform-specific backup tool instructions
Tip: If using FTP/SFTP, compress your site files and database into a single archive to speed up the transfer.
Click Continue to proceed.
Step 6: Transactional emails
Confirm whether you have a transactional email service configured.
Transactional emails include order confirmations, password resets, contact form submissions, and other system-generated messages.
⚠️ Heads up
Levamo does not provide transactional email services by default. If your current host handles email delivery, those emails may stop working after migration unless you have a third-party provider set up.
Select whether you currently use a transactional email service:
Yes: I have a third-party email provider set up (e.g., Postmark, Elastic Email, SMTP2GO)
No: I do not use one
If you select No, you will need to confirm that you understand email delivery will stop working without a third-party provider configured. If you are unsure, contact [email protected] before submitting.
Click Continue to proceed.
Step 7: Domain & launch
Tell us where your domain is currently managed and how you would like to handle the launch.
Your domain will need to be connected to Cloudflare before going live. Select the option that matches your current setup.
Managed by Levamo's Cloudflare account
Your domain is already connected to Levamo. You will also be asked whether you want our team to handle the launch:
Yes, Levamo launches it for me: Our team will handle the launch once your site is ready
No, I'll launch it myself: We will provide instructions so you can launch on your own schedule
Managed in your own Cloudflare account
Your domain is managed in your own Cloudflare account. You can optionally provide your Cloudflare API token now, or add it later when it is time to connect your domain.
Managed elsewhere (not on Cloudflare)
Your domain is with another provider, or you are not sure. No action is needed right now. Once your site is migrated and ready, we will send clear instructions for connecting your domain.
Click Continue to proceed.
Step 8: Review & submit
Review your migration request and add any final notes before submitting.
Additional notes: Use this field to share any special instructions or details with our migrations team, such as:
Specific plugins or functionality you want tested
Custom themes or multisite configurations
Caching or CDN considerations
Anything else that might help ensure a smooth migration
Confirmation: Check the box to confirm that the credentials provided are correct and that Levamo may access the systems listed for the purpose of completing the migration.
Click Submit migration request to send your request to our team.
After you submit
Once your migration request is submitted:
Response time: Our team will respond within 48 hours, often sooner
Queue order: Migrations are processed on a first-come, first-served basis
Migration time: Completion time depends on your site's size and complexity
Tracking: You can view the status of your request on the Migrations page
If you requested a review before launch: We will migrate your site and send you a temporary URL to review it. Once you approve, we will resync your content and push the site live.
Note:
If your current web host also manages your DNS, we recommend moving DNS to a separate provider (such as Cloudflare) before cancelling your old hosting service. This protects your DNS records and ensures a smooth launch.
Managing migration requests
The Migrations page shows all your migration requests, including both drafts and submitted requests.
Migration statuses
Once submitted, your migration request will move through the following statuses, visible on the Migrations page:
Status | What it means |
Draft | Your request has been saved but not yet submitted. |
In Progress | Our team has received your request and migration work has begun. |
Additional Information Needed | Our migrations team has emailed you from [email protected] with details on what is needed. Check your inbox and reply to unblock the migration |
Completed | Migration is complete. Your site is live or ready for your review, depending on your launch preference. |
FAQ
Can I save my progress and finish later?
Yes. Click Save draft at any point in the wizard. Your draft will appear on the Migrations page where you can continue or discard it.
What if I do not have SSH access?
Select Backup access in Step 5 and provide alternative instructions, such as FTP credentials, a backup download link, or control panel access steps.
Will my site have downtime during migration?
We may enable maintenance mode briefly during the final content sync. If you are using BuddyBoss Theme or App, maintenance mode will be enabled during syncing and disabled once the site is live.
Do I need to set up Cloudflare before requesting a migration?
No. You can indicate where your domain is currently managed in Step 7. If it is not on Cloudflare yet, we will provide instructions after the migration is complete.
What happens to my old site after migration?
Your old site remains untouched. We copy your content to Levamo: we do not modify or delete anything on your source server.
Conclusion
Submitting a migration request is the first step toward getting your site running on Levamo. Once you have submitted, our team takes it from there, keeping you informed at every stage and ensuring your source site is never affected in the process. If you have questions at any point before, during, or after your migration, our support team is available 24/7.