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GETTING STARTED

Requesting your Free Transfer, step by step

IN SHORT

Flashcloud's Free Transfer moves your site from your current host without downtime: submit your destination domain and old host's login in the portal, a migration specialist copies everything over while your old site stays live, and you get a preview link to check before DNS switches over.

Go to Free Transfer in the portal sidebar, fill in your destination domain and current host details, and submit. A migration specialist picks it up from there, your old site stays live the whole time, and you get a preview link to check before anything points to us.

Filling out the form

Sign in to portal.flashcloud.com and click Free Transfer in the sidebar under Goodies. The form asks for:

  • Destination domain: pick which domain or hosting service on your account this site should move into.
  • Current provider: the host you're moving away from (GoDaddy, Bluehost, SiteGround, whatever it is).
  • Panel URL, username, and password for your current host's control panel, or wherever your site and database actually live. This goes straight to the engineer assigned to your migration through the support ticket it creates, not to a general inbox.
  • Notes: anything the specialist should know going in, like a custom database name, a staging subdomain to ignore, or a plugin that's touchy about moving servers.

Click Request transfer and you're done on your end for now.

Handing over credentials safely

Since the panel login goes into a support ticket, it's held to the same handling as any other sensitive info we get through Support. Once the migration is confirmed complete, rotate that password at your old host. Don't reuse it anywhere else in the meantime. If you'd rather not put a password in a form field at all, submit the request with the rest of the details and mention in the notes that you'll send credentials separately. Read more on how we handle secrets in support tickets in how to get help and contact support.

What happens after you submit

A migration specialist gets assigned to your request and starts pulling your site's files, database, and (where applicable) email over to your Flashcloud service. Your old host keeps serving the live site during this whole process, so there's no visitor-facing downtime while the copy happens.

Once the copy is done, you get a way to preview the migrated site on Flashcloud before any DNS changes happen, so you can click through it and confirm everything looks right before your domain actually points here. Only after you're satisfied does the DNS cutover happen.

Typical turnaround is 2 to 5 business days, depending on site size and how quickly your old host responds to access requests if there's a snag.

One more thing worth knowing before you cancel anything: if you've prepaid hosting time at your old host, you may not have to eat that cost. See migration credit for unused hosting time for how that works.

Where to check status

You'll see updates on the transfer ticket in Support, and the same ticket is where you can ask questions or flag anything that looks off in the preview. If a migration is taking longer than expected or you need to change the destination domain partway through, reply on that ticket rather than opening a new one, it keeps everything in one place for the specialist working on it.

Common questions

Will my site go down during the transfer?

No. Your old host keeps serving the live site the whole time your files and database are being copied. The domain only points to Flashcloud after you've approved the preview.

How long does a free transfer take?

Typically 2 to 5 business days, depending on site size and how fast your old host responds if the specialist needs extra access.

Is it safe to put my hosting login in the transfer form?

Yes. The panel URL, username, and password go straight into a support ticket handled by the engineer assigned to your migration, not a general inbox. Once the migration is confirmed complete, rotate that password at your old host.

What if I don't want to enter my password in the form?

Submit the rest of the details and note in the form that you'll send credentials separately. The specialist will follow up on the ticket.

Do I lose money I already paid my old host?

Not necessarily. If you'd prepaid hosting time there, you may be able to get credit for the unused portion. Check migration credit for unused hosting time for how that works.

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