Migrate WordPress from GoDaddy to AWS Lightsail with this handy guide by our in-house experts. 

At Bobcares, we offer solutions for every query, big and small, as a part of our AWS Support Services.

Let’s take a look at how our AWS Support Team is ready to help customers migrate WordPress from GoDaddy to AWS.

How to Migrate WordPress from GoDaddy to AWS

You’ve come to the right place if you’re seeking a way to shift WordPress from GoDaddy to AWS. Our AWS Support Team has put together this guide to help you get the job done.

1. First, log in to the WordPress dashboard as admin and install the “All-in-One WP Migration” plugin. This plugin is better than the default export feature as it exports everything including themes, plugin configuration, and so on. However, we have to install a version that supports importing large file sizes.

   Our WordPress Support Team suggests downloading v6.77 from this link.
2. Then, activate the plugin, and click Export. Select the FILE option in the Export to drop-down box.
3. After that, head to AWS and log in to the account or create a new account.
4. Then, click Create Instance and select the appropriate Instance location (region), Instance Image, and blueprint (which will be WordPress in this scenario).
5. Next, select the checkbox next to Enable Automatic Snapshots.
6. Now, we have to enter the Instance name and assign a key-only tag and key-value tag to make it easier to locate the instance.
7. Then, launch the instance.

Importing WordPress Website from GoDaddy to AWS Lightsail

1. Now, we will head back to the Lightsail console and select the Networking tab and create a static IP.
2. Then, assign the IP to the new instance we created in Step 6 and click Save.
3. Now, navigate to Connect tab on the Lightsail console.
4. Next, click on Connect using SSH and enter the command below to get the WordPress admin password:

   cat $HOME/bitnami_application_password
5. After that, go head to X.X.X.X/admin in the browser, where X.X.X.X is the static IP.
6. We have to enter the user and password details when prompted.
7. Now, if there is an available update for the WordPress or database version, our experts suggest going ahead with that.
8. After that, head to the All-In-One WP Migration plugin and choose FILE and choose our file and click Next/Agree.
9. Now, replace the admin user with the old one.
10. After the import is complete, we may need to re-login because the default admin user was replaced by the admin user from the old site.

Now, we can visit our site by heading to the static IP. We can easily remove the Bitnami banner at the bottom right side of the website.

Shifting DNS zone from GoDaddy to AWS Lightsail

1. Log in to GoDaddy and head to Domains and select the domain we want to move. Then select ”…” > DNS zone.
2. Then, scroll down and select Export Zone File (Unix) and export them to a file on our machine.
3. Next, log in to the AWS console and head to Route 53, and create a new zone with the same name as our domain. For instance: bobcares.com.
4. Before creating any records, open the file from step 2 and copy everything except the NS records. Be very careful not to copy anything that may already exist from the new zone in Route 53.
5. Next, click the Import button on Route 53 in the newly created zone and paste what we copied from the above step into the import flow.
6. Then, we have to modify the imported DNS records:
   • Update A records to make them point to the static IP in the AWS instance.
   • Update or add CNAM record for “www” to go to “bobcares.com”
   • Retain MX and “mail” pointing to the GoDaddy instance so that cPanel email still functions.
7. Now, we have to transfer the domain ownership to AWS by heading to DNS Zone on GoDaddy and clicking the Change button under Nameserver.
8. This takes us to a page where we can use the default nameserver or specif our own. After making the changes, click Save.

   According to our experts, the DNS propagation will occur within 24 hours.

When the SSL fails, we have to re-issue the SSL on an AWS lightsail instance.

With the above steps, we can easily migrate our WordPress website from GoDaddy to AWS Lightsail. If you run into any trouble, our experts are here to help you get back on track.

[Need assistance with another query? We are available 24/7.]

Conclusion 

In brief, our skilled WordPress Support Engineers at Bobcares demonstrated how to Migrate WordPress from GoDaddy to AWS.