BlueHost Site Migration Service – Free Transfer

Here’s good news for you – the giant website hosting company – now offers free migrations for all qualifying WordPress websites within 30 days of their signup.

Feeling excited about Bluehost site migration? This article covers everything you need to know about this free service and make the most out of it.

WordPress migration has become pretty common today and there can be numerous reasons behind this. To put it simply, WordPress migration is a process of transferring your full WordPress site install from one server to another without compromising its functionality.

There are several reasons why you would want to migrate your WordPress website from one server to another:

• Switching to a better hosting provider for faster loading times, more bandwidth, or better prices
• Transferring a website from a subdomain to its main directory
• Moving a local WordPress website to a live server

And if you think migrating your site is a complex process that will burn a hole in your pocket, then trust us; it does not have to be that way. Migrate your site to Bluehost, one of the leading website hosting providers in the market today, using their new free WordPress migration service.

What Is Bluehost Site Migration Service?

If you are struggling with your current web hosting provider, then you can consider migrating your site to Bluehost. The web hosting company provides a consistent and impressive server uptime up to 99.99%. Additionally, you can expect a fast-speed server as well, excellent customer support, and full compatibility with all WordPress plugins and features.

Most importantly, Bluehost now provides a free migration service for qualifying WordPress sites. You can use this feature within 30 days of signing up for a Bluehost web hosting plan. The limited period offer allows you to transfer “one” WordPress website for free and the option to review it before going live.

It is important to note here that Bluehost also offers “paid” WordPress migration at $149.99. Using this service, you can migrate up to “five” websites and twenty email accounts. Once you sign up for a Bluehost web hosting plan and buy this feature, their expert professionals will migrate your emails and sites and also ensure these are working efficiently on the new server.

So, if you have more than one site to migrate to, you need to purchase Bluehost Site Transfer. Otherwise, for beginners and single websites, the free WordPress migration service is the ideal option to get started.

What Does The Offer Include?

Bluehost free WordPress migration service can be used to transfer ONE WordPress website, any additional website needs to be covered under their paid site transfer feature. The additional WordPress sites that are nested in sub-directories will not be counted in this quota. The free service also cannot be used to transfer emails.

After you sign up for a suitable Bluehost web hosting plan and your prior hosting credentials are received, it will take an estimated 2-3 days to complete the transfer.

Eligibility For Free WordPress Migration Service

Many users sign up for Bluehost web hosting and they aren’t aware of the fact that a free WordPress migration service is available at their disposal. However, the service can be accessed only by websites that meet the following eligibility criteria. Check whether you qualify for Bluehost WordPress migration service for free:

Even if you do not qualify for the Bluehost free migration offer, you can still claim for a professional migration.

Here is an insight into the migration services that you receive:
Why Do You Need Free WordPress Migration?
Tired of your present Hosting but not sure whether you should switch? Wondering if Bluehost free WordPress migration is worth it? Discussed here are the benefits of a free migration service:

• Migrate Effortlessly: The free migration plugin is available for WordPress users and can be directly downloaded to your WordPress admin dashboard or Bluehost cPanel at no additional cost. You do not need professional or paid assistance to install and use the free plug-in.
• Built-in Automation: Ready to transfer your website to Bluehost, but not sure how to go about it? The Bluehost free WordPress migration plugin features built-in automation that makes the entire process smooth and hassle-free for you. When the plugin is installed on your WordPress website, it will automatically scan the site and notify you about its migration compatibility.

  If the website is compatible with the migration, the files will be automatically uploaded to a secure location as you complete the process of setting up the Bluehost account. Once you create an account, upload the website files and update the domain nameservers via Bluehost dashboard. To troubleshoot any problem, you can also seek assistance from a professional.

• All-in-one WordPress Experience: Through expert guidance and a broad range of tools, Bluehost offers one of the best WordPress website experiences. This helps you get your site up and running quickly. At the same time, migrating your site to Bluehost enables you to enjoy up to 99.99% uptime, fast server speeds, daily backups, flexible web hosting, reliable customer support, and integrations.
• It’s Free: Why should you pay for WordPress migration when you can get it for free! If you want to transfer one website to Bluehost, the free migration service could be a good option for you.

Transferring Domain Name To Bluehost

It is important to note that domain name transfer is not included in the free migration service. The feature allows you to transfer only your website files.

But in case if you want to transfer your domain name to Bluehost, here is a simple and hassle-free process for you:

• Prepare Your Domain: To prepare for domain transfer, you have to update the domain settings with your current registrar.
• Review Your Contact Information: When you choose to transfer your domain name to Bluehost, the gaining registrar will gather your contact information from the WHOIS database and validate its correctness with you.
• Disable Domain Privacy: In the next step, you need to disable your domain privacy settings. This will allow your registrar to know where the transfer authorization codes can be sent.
• Update Name Servers: Name servers help direct the traffic for your domain to your host server. In case you have already transferred your website to Bluehost, you will still have to update name servers to reduce downtime during transfer. If you don’t update the nameservers in this step, you will have to wait until the entire transfer process is complete.

  Bluehost name servers include: ns1.Bluehost.com and ns2.Bluehost.com. As soon as the changes are saved, the new DNS settings will start to propagate. It usually takes around 24 – 72 hours for the ISP to get updated. During this process, web traffic will be automatically directed to your old or new host based on the visitor’s ISP.

• Unlock The Domain: In the next stage, you need to unlock the domain and make it available for transfer.
• Get The EPP Code: Lastly, you will need the EPP code or the Authorization code. This code is required to authorize the transfer process. Contact your current domain registrar to know how to get the EPP code.
• Initiate The Transfer Process: Assign the domain for Bluehost Rock and Bluehost Legacy following the steps mentioned here. This will help initiate the transfer.
• Check The Progress: It may take around 5 days for your domain transfer to complete. You can check its progress by logging into Bluehost Domain Manager >> in the submenu at the top of the page, click Transfer >> check Details to view the domain transfer progress.

How To Sign Up For Bluehost Free WordPress Migration Service?

If you want to use Bluehost’s free WordPress migration offer, claim it when you sign up for a web hosting plan or within the first 30 days of signing up. Discussed here are the steps to sign up for free WordPress migration:

Step 1: Log in to your destination account, i.e., the account you want to migrate to

Step 2: Once you log in to your account, go to Marketplace

Step 3: Next, from the side navigation menu on the left, click the tab Pro Services

Step 4: As you click Pro Services, four tiles will show up on the page, mentioning additional services that Bluehost offers with its shared hosting plans – SSL Certificates, Domain Privacy + Protection, Bluehost CodeGuard, and Site Migration.
Click on this option – Site Migration. This section will show Bluehost’s paid site migration service; however, you will get the option to choose free service later.

Step 5: When you click Site Migration, you will be directed to the below page where you can choose between two options – Migrate one WordPress website Free and Migrate multiple websites at $149.99. To access the free offer, check the box against “I agree to the Terms of Service” and click on “Get Started Now.”

Step 6: On the next page mentioning Website transfer and hosting, you will need to provide your website address into the entry field to allow Bluehost to check its compatibility. Bluehost will check whether your website is a WordPress site. You may experience some interference while using a CDN, in this case, you have to login to your dashboard and then proceed with the transfer.

Step 7: When Bluehost validates migration compatibility of your WordPress site, you need to login to the WordPress admin dashboard. Install the Bluehost Site Migrator plugin next.

Step 8: Once you install and activate the plugin, a menu named Site Migrator will appear on the left-hand side of the page

Step 9: Click the option Site Migrator. If you find the screen to be blank, scroll down the page and the content should appear there.

Step 10: Click on Check Compatibility. In case the compatibility check fails here, the website may be too large for getting transferred. In that case, you need to buy Bluehost paid site migration.

Step 11: After the compatibility check, follow the steps as prompted. It is likely that the process will fail occasionally at this point. This may be because you are running out of disk space or because the server where your WordPress site is hosted is slow in terms of connection.

Step 12: Finally, you will get the link that allows you to log in to your Bluehost account. Here, the ProServe team will receive all backups and your site will be added to the queue

Step 13: Once the migration is complete, you will get an email notifying the same. The estimated time to complete Bluehost WordPress migration is 1 – 3 business days.

The Final Words

Bluehost free WordPress migration is an interesting feature that gives website owners the option to seamlessly migrate their site to Bluehost. However, this is a limited period offer and you can migrate only one website to Bluehost. If the website files are too large or you have multiple websites, you cannot access the free offer and need to purchase their paid service which will allow you to transfer your email accounts through the paid service.

However, once you migrate to Bluehost using their free WordPress migration plugin, you can enjoy various tools, plugins, and features that will enhance your overall web hosting experience. Installing the plugin is simple and following the above steps will guide you through the transfer process.

Most importantly, Bluehost professionals are here to assist you with their expertise in troubleshooting any issues that may arise during the migration process.

We would love to know if you have any suggestions or comments about this article. If you have anything to add or if you want to if you need help with anything, we’d be glad to assist you.