Moving from GoDaddy to WP Engine is one of the most common hosting migrations people make when they’re ready to take their WordPress site seriously. The good news: WP Engine includes a free automated migration plugin that handles the heavy lifting. Here’s exactly how it works.
Before You Start: What You’ll Need
- Your active GoDaddy account with WordPress installed
- A WP Engine account (any plan)
- Admin access to your WordPress dashboard on GoDaddy
- About 30-60 minutes depending on your site size
Step 1: Sign Up for WP Engine
Start by choosing your WP Engine plan through Screenwalker’s plans page to access exclusive pricing. Once your account is active, you’ll get access to the WP Engine User Portal where you’ll manage your new hosting environment.
Step 2: Create Your Environment in WP Engine
In the WP Engine User Portal, create a new site environment. This generates a temporary WP Engine URL (like yoursite.wpengine.com) where your migrated site will live before you point your domain over. Don’t point your domain yet — you want to verify everything works first.
Step 3: Install the WP Engine Automated Migration Plugin
Log into your WordPress dashboard on GoDaddy. Go to Plugins → Add New and search for “WP Engine Automated Migration.” Install and activate it. This free plugin is built specifically for migrating sites to WP Engine and handles files, database, and media in one process.
Step 4: Run the Migration
Open the WP Engine Automated Migration plugin in your GoDaddy WordPress dashboard. You’ll be prompted to enter your WP Engine destination details — your WP Engine install name and an API key from your User Portal. Enter these, then click migrate. The plugin copies all your files, database, and media to your new WP Engine environment automatically.
For most sites under 5GB, this process takes 15-30 minutes. Larger sites may take longer.
Step 5: Test Your Site on WP Engine
Once migration completes, visit your temporary WP Engine URL and check that everything looks correct — pages load properly, images display, forms work, and any eCommerce functionality is intact. This is your safety check before cutting over.
Step 6: Update Your DNS
When you’re satisfied everything works correctly on WP Engine, log into your domain registrar (wherever you registered your domain — GoDaddy or elsewhere) and update your DNS records to point to WP Engine. WP Engine provides the specific records to use in your User Portal.
DNS propagation typically takes 1-24 hours. During this window your site continues to work on GoDaddy and transitions to WP Engine as propagation completes.
Step 7: Add Your SSL Certificate
WP Engine includes free SSL certificates. Once your DNS is fully propagated, add your SSL certificate through the User Portal — it’s a one-click process. Your site will be live on HTTPS on WP Engine.
Common Questions
Will my site go down during migration? No. Your GoDaddy site continues to run until you update your DNS. There’s no forced downtime.
What if something goes wrong? Your original GoDaddy site is untouched throughout the migration process. If anything doesn’t look right on WP Engine, you simply don’t update your DNS and troubleshoot first.
Do I need technical knowledge? Basic WordPress admin familiarity is sufficient. You don’t need FTP access, database tools, or server knowledge.
Ready to Make the Move?
Sign up for WP Engine through Screenwalker to get exclusive first-year pricing and free automated migration. If you want to understand more about what you’re moving to first, read about what WP Engine managed hosting includes and why it’s worth switching.