How to Migrate a WordPress Site to Kinsta (Free Migration Request)

How Kinsta's free migrations work, what to prepare before you request one in MyKinsta, how long it takes, and how to go live with DNS afterward.

Published October 20, 2026By Derek Henderson2 min read

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Kinsta's migrations team moves WordPress sites for free. You submit a request in MyKinsta with your current host's access details, Kinsta copies the site, and you switch DNS once you have tested it.

Before you request a migration

Role: Only a Company Owner or Company Administrator can request a migration.
Site slot: Kinsta creates a new site for the migration, so your plan needs a free slot.
Credentials: Have your current host's SFTP/SSH details, username, and password ready. If that host uses two-factor authentication (Cloudways, GoDaddy, SiteGround, or WP Engine), add [email protected] to your account there first.
Backups: Migrating from a backup instead? It must contain both the files and the database, uploaded or shared by link.
Stores and membership sites: Plan to put the site in maintenance mode during the migration to avoid losing orders or signups.
Special setups: Note Bedrock, reverse proxies, custom server rules, or multisite in the Special Instructions field.

New to Kinsta? See how to sign up for Kinsta first.

Step 1: Submit the request

In MyKinsta, start a migration request from your sites (Sites → Add site, then request a migration), choose whether to migrate from another host or from a backup, and fill in the details. Track it afterwards under Sites → Migrations.

Step 2: Wait for the migrations team

Kinsta migrates Monday to Friday, not on weekends. Most migrations take 1 to 3 hours, plus 1 to 3 hours for review. Watch for follow-up questions from the team. A paid expedited migration is also available.

Your original site stays live, but do not change it once the migration starts; later edits will not carry over.

Step 3: Test, then go live

Kinsta sends testing instructions when it is done. Once the site checks out, update your domain's DNS (A records or nameservers) to Kinsta. DNS, email, and third-party services such as a CDN are not part of the migration service, so set those up yourself using Kinsta's Go Live Checklist.

Special cases

Multisite: Must move as a whole network.
WordPress.com: Only content can be exported and imported; themes and plugins do not transfer.

See what Kinsta costs over five years on the Kinsta renewal price page.

Source: Kinsta Migration (Kinsta Docs, updated April 2026).