Full WordPress site migration (files + DB + config) on Ubuntu

A full migration is more than a database dump. It’s files + DB + config + routing + DNS.

⚠️ Test in staging first whenever possible.

Step overview

Step	Action
1	Export database (--single-transaction if live-ish)
2	Sync files with rsync
3	Update wp-config.php
4	Update Apache vhost + docroot
5	Run WP-CLI search-replace
6	DNS cutover
7	Verify + monitor logs

Example DB export

mysqldump --single-transaction -u <db_user> -p <database> > backup.sql

File sync example

rsync -avz /var/www/<site-root>/ user@webhost1:/var/www/<site-root>/

Related

• Migrating a WordPress database between servers — DB-only migration
• Changing WordPress site URL or hosting folder safely — URL and docroot
• Fixing redirect loops after WordPress migration or URL change — when redirects break after move