August 2026

A practical checklist for moving to a new VPS

Moving a site to a new server is rarely hard, but it is easy to forget one small step. This is the list we run through on every migration.

Before the move

Lower DNS TTLs a day in advance, take a full backup, and write down every cron job and service that runs on the old machine.

On the new server

Create a non-root user, set up SSH keys, enable a firewall that only opens the ports you need, and turn on automatic security updates.

Cut-over

Copy data, test using a hosts-file override, then switch DNS. Keep the old server running for at least a week.