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Safe website replacement

How to replace the existing Reef View WordPress website without losing the old site.

Back up first, test on staging, preserve old URLs, protect business email and keep a rollback route.

1. Obtain the required access

Collect the hosting/cPanel login, WordPress administrator login, domain/DNS login, email-provider information, analytics access and form destination email.

2. Back up WordPress files and database

Files

  1. Open cPanel File Manager.
  2. Open the document root, commonly public_html.
  3. Select the WordPress files and folders.
  4. Create and download a ZIP backup.

The backup should contain wp-admin, wp-content, wp-includes, wp-config.php, index.php and the old .htaccess.

Database

  1. Open phpMyAdmin.
  2. Select the database named in wp-config.php.
  3. Choose Export → Quick → SQL.
  4. Download the SQL file.
A file backup without the database is not a complete WordPress backup.

3. Publish to staging first

Use a temporary Netlify, Vercel or Cloudflare Pages address, or a subdomain such as new.reefviewconstruction.co.nz. Review every page before changing the main domain.

4. Test the enquiry form

On Netlify, submit a test, confirm it appears under Forms and configure an email notification. On another host, connect a secure form provider or server-side processor.

5. Preserve old URLs

The project includes .htaccess for Apache/cPanel and _redirects for Netlify. Both map the existing About, Services, Portfolio, Gallery, Blog, Contact, FAQ and service URLs to the new pages.

6. Replace WordPress on the same cPanel hosting

  1. Schedule a short maintenance window.
  2. Confirm the file and database backups.
  3. Move the current WordPress files to a private backup folder where possible.
  4. Upload and extract the V2 ZIP in public_html.
  5. Move the contents of the extracted folder into public_html.
  6. Confirm public_html/index.html, public_html/assets/ and public_html/.htaccess exist.
  7. Clear caches and test in an incognito browser.
Common mistake: leaving the website inside a nested project folder. index.html must be directly inside the domain's document root.

7. Move to a new static host

  1. Approve the temporary deployment.
  2. Add the root domain and www.
  3. Record current DNS values.
  4. Use the exact website records shown by the host.
  5. Wait for verification and HTTPS.

8. Protect business email

Do not delete or change MX records while moving only the website. Keep the email provider's MX, SPF, DKIM and DMARC records and test incoming and outgoing mail.

9. Keep a rollback route

On the same host, restore the WordPress files, database and old .htaccess. On a new host, restore the previous website DNS records while the old hosting remains active.

WordPress alternative

To keep dashboard editing, recreate the approved design on a WordPress staging site using a custom theme, Gutenberg, Bricks or Elementor, then migrate staging to production.