How to migrate a WordPress site to DMCA-ignored hosting (2026)

TL;DR

Move a WordPress site to a DMCA-ignored host in 90 minutes:

Pick target: 1984 Hosting (Iceland, managed-friendly), OrangeWebsite (Iceland, shared), AbeloHost (NL), or HostSailor (RO, value).
Use All-in-One WP Migration plugin — exports site as a single .wpress archive, imports on the new host.
Update WordPress site URL.
Switch DNS, wait for propagation.
Reissue SSL via Let’s Encrypt.

For large sites (>2 GB or with custom plugins), use manual migration instead — more reliable than the plugin at scale.

Why migrate

WordPress on a US shared host (BlueHost, HostGator, GoDaddy, etc.) is the most-DMCA-spammed configuration on the internet. Automated bots target WordPress sites at high volume. US shared hosts auto-act on DMCA notices to preserve safe harbor — often suspending the account first and asking questions later.

DMCA-ignored hosts evaluate complaints under their local jurisdiction’s law. The same WordPress site moved to Iceland or Romania won’t see the same auto-suspension behavior.

Pre-migration

Back up everything: full export of database (wp-config.php + wp-content/) and a .sql dump of the database. Test the restore locally before depending on the new host.
Note plugin list: deactivated plugins after migration is the #1 cause of broken sites.
Check PHP version compatibility: confirm the target host supports your WordPress + plugin versions.
Identify caching / CDN: if you use Cloudflare, decide whether to keep it or move to BunnyCDN/self-hosted (see Cloudflare migration guide).

Step-by-step (using All-in-One WP Migration)

1. Provision the target

1984 Hosting — shared hosting from ~€4/mo; Iceland; cPanel-style management.
OrangeWebsite — shared hosting from ~$5/mo; Iceland; explicit free-speech AUP.
AbeloHost — Dutch DMCA-ignored shared from ~$4/mo.
HostSailor — Romania value tier from ~$3/mo.

Install fresh WordPress on the new host (most offer one-click installers).

2. Export from the source

On the source WordPress:

Install All-in-One WP Migration plugin.
Tools → All-in-One WP Migration → Export → File. Wait for the .wpress file.
Download the file locally.

For sites > 2 GB, you’ll need the paid extension or use the manual method (below).

3. Import on the target

On the new WordPress:

Install All-in-One WP Migration on the new install.
Tools → All-in-One WP Migration → Import → File. Upload the .wpress.
Follow the wizard. The plugin replaces the new install entirely with your old site (database, files, settings, plugins).
Re-save permalinks: Settings → Permalinks → Save. (Required to regenerate .htaccess.)

4. Update the site URL

If your domain hasn’t moved yet, the new install will have the wrong URL. Edit wp-config.php:

define('WP_HOME', 'https://yourdomain.com');
define('WP_SITEURL', 'https://yourdomain.com');

Or use the Better Search Replace plugin to update URLs in the database after the move.

5. DNS cutover

Lower TTL to 60s 24h before cutover.
Update A record to point to the new host’s IP.
Wait ~5 min for propagation.
Verify the live site loads from the new host (curl -v or browser).

6. SSL

The new host should auto-issue Let’s Encrypt for the domain once DNS resolves.
If using Cloudflare in front, your existing Cloudflare-issued cert continues to work; the origin cert needs re-issuance.

Manual migration (for sites > 2 GB)

For large sites, the plugin times out or fails. Manual:

Database: mysqldump -u user -p dbname > backup.sql on source.
Files: tar czf wp-content.tar.gz wp-content/ on source.
Transfer both to the new host (scp, rsync).
On new host: install fresh WordPress, then:
- Replace wp-content/ with the extracted archive.
- Replace database with the imported dump.
Update wp-config.php with the new database credentials.
Verify the site loads.

Common breaks

White screen after migration: PHP version mismatch. Check error logs.
Images not loading: file permissions wrong (chmod 755 for dirs, 644 for files; chown to the web user).
Permalinks broken: re-save permalinks; ensure mod_rewrite or equivalent is enabled.
Plugin compatibility: deactivate all plugins, reactivate one by one to identify the broken one.
Email-from-WordPress not sending: install WP Mail SMTP, configure with the new host’s mail relay.
Cloudflare cache showing old version: purge the Cloudflare cache after migration.

Hardening on the new host

WordPress sites benefit from:

Update everything to the latest version after migration.
Disable file editing in admin: define('DISALLOW_FILE_EDIT', true); in wp-config.php.
Install Wordfence or Sucuri for security scanning.
HTTPS-only: redirect HTTP to HTTPS via .htaccess or web server config.
Limit login attempts: install Limit Login Attempts Reloaded.
Backup: schedule automatic backups via UpdraftPlus → cloud storage you control.