Welcome to your new web hosting service with GreenGeeks!
We’re excited to have you on board, and our goal is to ensure no disruptions result from the website migration.
Once your website contents, including any databases, have been successfully copied over, follow the steps below to ensure everything is set up and running smoothly.
Point Your Website to GreenGeeks
The first step after moving your website is to point your domain to our servers.
There are two ways to point your domain to the GreenGeeks network, updating the nameservers(the most common method), and by using 3rd party DNS with an A record.
Updating the nameservers ensures visitors reach the site hosted on GreenGeeks, and gives you the ability to control all DNS records from within your GreenGeeks Dashboard.
Nameservers
To update the nameservers:
- Log in to your domain registrar’s account (where you bought your domain).
- Locate the DNS settings for your domain.
- Update the nameservers to the ones provided in your welcome email:
- ns1.greengeeks.net
- ns2.greengeeks.net
- Save the changes
- Allow up to 24 hours for the DNS changes to propagate globally.
The exact steps to update the nameservers for your domain will vary depending on the existing domain registrar; contact your existing domain registrar is you need assistance setting the GreenGeeks nameservers on your migrated domain.
A Record
Alternatively, to keep the existing nameservers, and point only the website to GreenGeeks it’s possible to adjust the A records only.
To adjust the A records, you’ll first need to obtain IP address assigned to your hosting service:
- Go to the Manage Hosting Service section of your GreenGeeks Dashboard.
- Locate the Server Information area.
- Copy the IP Address listed for your service.
- Update all existing A records using the new IP address. GreenGeeks cannot do this for you.
The exact process for this varies depending on the existing DNS provider, and you should contact the existing provider for assistance with the A record updates.
Domain Name Transfer
A Domain Name Transfer is a separate process from the Website Migration that moves the domain registration from the existing registrar to GreenGeeks’ partner registrar, allowing you to manage your domain name & hosting in the same Dashboard.
The Domain Name Transfer process is totally optional and you can fully utilize your GreenGeeks Hosting Service simply by updating the nameservers for your domain, a domain transfer is not required.
Refer to the GreenGeeks Domain Transfer Instructions for step-by-step instructions on transferring a domain name to GreenGeeks.
Access Your GreenGeeks Hosting Account
- Go to https://my.greengeeks.com/
- Log in with the email address and password from your GreenGeeks Welcome email.
- Click the Manage button next to your hosting service to access the Hosting Management functions within the GreenGeeks Dashboard, or click the cPanel button to access cPanel directly, without a password.
Review the Website
After the nameservers have been adjusted, and you’ve allowed some time for DNS propagation to take place, review the newly migrated website.
Note that if you have not yet updated the nameservers, you’ll need to configure a local DNS override to access the migrated site on GreenGeeks, until the nameservers are updated.
- Open your web browser in Incognito or Private Mode, and go to your domain.
- Navigate through your website to check that all pages are loading correctly.
- Verify the functionality of contact forms, links, and other interactive elements.
- Update any backend Email Settings to reflect the new server information.
Email Accounts
If using email services associated with your domain, you’ll also need to update your email client settings.
- Go to the Manage Hosting Service section of your GreenGeeks Dashboard.
- Click on the Email tab in the Management menu bar
- Select the Email Accounts option in the drop-down menu.
- Create email accounts as needed (if they weren’t migrated).
- Using the Actions menu next to each Email Account, select Mail Configuration to review the new mail server settings.
- Update your email clients (Outlook, Thunderbird, etc.) with the new server settings.
SSL
GreenGeeks provides automatic SSL for all domains; once the DNS is updated for your domain, our system will issue an SSL certificate.
To manually re-run the SSL DNS check for your domain:
- Go to the Manage Hosting Service section of your GreenGeeks Dashboard.
- Click on the Security tab in the Management menu bar
- Select the SSL Manager option.
- Click the “Run AutoSSL Check” button to re-check the DNS for your domains. Domains found to be pointed to the GreenGeeks server will be automatically issued an SSL certificate.
Optimization
While website optimization is important to ensure the smoothest experience possible for visitors, the exact optimization steps depend largely on the type of website, refer to the GreenGeeks Blog for WordPress optimization recommendations.
For WordPress sites, GreenGeeks will automatically enable the recommended Litespeed Cache plugin as part of the migration process, and any existing caching plugin will be deactivated to avoid a conflict.
If you notice any issues with your website after the migration, try to disable the Litespeed Cache plugin before attempting other debugging steps.
Website Updates
WordPress offers several methods of automatically keeping your website up-to-date. Themes & Plugins can be configured for auto-update directly within the WordPress Dashboard using the following instructions:
Enabling Automatic Updates for Plugins
- Log in to your WordPress Admin Dashboard.
- Navigate to the Plugins Page:
- Go to Plugins > Installed Plugins.
- Enable Automatic Updates:
- For each plugin you want to auto-update, click the Enable auto-updates link next to the plugin.
Enabling Automatic Updates for Themes
- Navigate to the Themes Page:
- Go to Appearance > Themes.
- Enable Automatic Updates:
- Click on the theme you want to auto-update to open its details.
- Click the Enable auto-updates link.
By default, WordPress Minor Releases are processed automatically, while Major Releases require manual action as these contain more significant changes. Refer to the GreenGeeks Blog to enable automatic WordPress Major Release updates.
Malware
GreenGeeks offers real-time malware scanning, and all newly migrated websites are scanned within a few hours of being transferred over.
If any Malware is found within your website, GreenGeeks’ Compliance Team will contact you listing the suspicious files identified and provide clean-up options.
If you have any reason to suspect that your website contains malicious files on your existing web hosting provider, you can request that a manual malware scan be performed on your website as part of the migration process in the Comments section of the Migration Request form, or by opening a new Support Ticket.
Further Assistance
GreenGeeks offers extensive Support Articles, Tutorials & guided Webinars and we encourage you to utilize these resources.
If you encounter any issues or need assistance, don’t hesitate to contact the GreenGeeks Support Team, or Open a Ticket from within your GreenGeeks Dashboard.
By following these steps, you’ll ensure a smooth transition and optimal performance for your website on the GreenGeeks hosting platform.
Once again, welcome aboard, and happy hosting!