Most shared hosting runs on cPanel — Bluehost, HostGator, SiteGround, Namecheap, InMotion, and dozens of others all use it as their control panel. If you are moving any of these hosts to WP Engine, the migration process is the same regardless of which cPanel host you are leaving. WP Engine’s automated migration plugin handles the transfer, and the steps are straightforward enough that most site owners can complete the move without help.
This guide covers the complete process from starting the migration through to your domain pointing correctly to WP Engine.
Before You Start: What to Check
Take a full backup of your current site before starting the migration. In cPanel, use the Backup Wizard under the Files section to generate a full cPanel backup. This gives you a complete recovery option independent of anything else. Store the backup file somewhere other than your hosting account.
Check your current WordPress version. WP Engine requires WordPress 5.0 or higher. Most sites running current plugins will already be well above this, but verify before starting if you are unsure.
Note any plugins that may need reconfiguration after migration: caching plugins will need to be deactivated (WP Engine’s EverCache replaces them), and any security plugins that write firewall rules to .htaccess will need review since WP Engine does not use Apache .htaccess for server configuration in the same way.
Step 1: Create a WP Engine Environment
Log in to your WP Engine dashboard at my.wpengine.com. From the Sites overview, click Add Site and choose to create a new WordPress site. Give the environment a name and select your preferred data centre region. WP Engine provisions the environment and installs a fresh WordPress in about 60 seconds.
Do not worry about this fresh WordPress install — the migration plugin will overwrite it with your site’s content. You just need the environment to exist before starting the migration.
Step 2: Install the WP Engine Migration Plugin on Your Current Site
Log in to WordPress admin on your current cPanel-hosted site. Go to Plugins, Add New, and search for Automated Migration, Backup, Spam Protection. Install and activate the plugin by BlogVault (this is WP Engine’s official migration partner plugin).
After activation, the plugin adds a WP Engine Migration item to your WordPress admin menu. Click it to start the migration setup.
Step 3: Connect to Your WP Engine Environment
In the migration plugin, you will be asked for your WP Engine credentials. The plugin needs your WP Engine account email, password, and the name of the destination environment you created in Step 1.
Alternatively, the plugin can connect using a migration token generated from the WP Engine dashboard. Go to your WP Engine environment overview, find the Automated Migration section, and generate a token. Enter that token in the migration plugin to connect the two environments.
Step 4: Run the Migration
Once connected, the plugin gives you options for what to migrate: files, database, or both. For a full site migration, select both. Click Start Migration.
The migration runs in the background. For most sites under 5GB, it completes in 15 to 45 minutes. Larger sites with extensive media libraries take longer. You will receive an email when the migration is complete.
During the migration, your current cPanel site continues running normally. The migration copies your content — it does not delete anything from the source.
Step 5: Test Your Site on the WP Engine Temporary URL
After migration completes, access your site on the WP Engine temporary URL (yourenvname.wpengine.com). Log in to WordPress admin and verify that content, images, menus, and functionality are working correctly.
Check these specifically: homepage layout, a representative post or page, any forms, WooCommerce cart and checkout if applicable, and any plugin functionality that relies on the site URL being correct. If anything appears broken, the most common cause is URLs in the database still pointing to your old domain. The WP Engine migration plugin handles URL replacement automatically, but verify by checking Settings, General in WordPress admin and confirming both the WordPress Address and Site Address show the WP Engine temporary URL.
Once you are satisfied the site is working correctly on the temporary URL, it is safe to update DNS.
Step 6: Update DNS and Go Live
Add your domain in the WP Engine dashboard under your environment’s Domains section. WP Engine will show you the DNS records to set at your domain registrar: either a CNAME pointing to your WP Engine environment URL, or an A record for the IP address.
Log in to your domain registrar (wherever you registered your domain — GoDaddy, Namecheap, Cloudflare, Google Domains, etc.) and update the DNS records. Propagation takes 1 to 48 hours, most commonly under 4 hours.
Once propagation completes, enable SSL from the WP Engine Domains section to activate your free SSL certificate. Update the WordPress Address and Site Address URLs in Settings to your live domain with https://. Your site is now live on WP Engine.
For a view of what awaits you once the migration is done, see Why WP Engine: The Case for Managed WordPress Hosting and the WP Engine setup guide for first steps after going live.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will my site go down during the migration?
No. The migration copies your site to WP Engine while your cPanel site continues running. Your site only switches to WP Engine when you update your DNS records at your domain registrar. Until that point, visitors continue seeing your cPanel-hosted site. The changeover happens at DNS propagation, which is near-instantaneous for most visitors once the TTL expires.
What happens to my email if I move from cPanel to WP Engine?
WP Engine does not provide email hosting. If your email is currently handled by cPanel (using your hosting provider’s mail server), you need to migrate email separately before or alongside the site migration. Options include Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, Zoho Mail, or keeping your email at your current host while pointing only the website DNS to WP Engine using separate A/CNAME records for the domain and MX records for email.
Can I migrate a WordPress multisite to WP Engine?
WP Engine supports WordPress Multisite. The migration plugin handles Multisite installations, though large or complex Multisite networks may require manual assistance. WP Engine’s support team can assist with complex Multisite migrations if the automated plugin runs into issues.
Do I need to cancel my cPanel hosting immediately after migrating?
No. Keep your cPanel hosting active for at least two to four weeks after migration. This gives you a fallback if any issue emerges post-migration, and ensures your old host’s backups remain accessible during the transition period. Cancel only after you have confirmed the WP Engine site is running correctly for a sustained period.
