How to Migrate a WordPress Site: Direct Server-to-Server File Transfer (No Local Download)

Moving a large WordPress site (3–10 GB+) from one hosting provider to another can be painful if you download and re-upload everything through your home internet. The smart way is direct server-to-server transfer using SCP — zero files touch your computer.

Here’s the exact step-by-step method that works perfectly between any two Linux-based hosts (Hostinger → IONOS, SiteGround → Contabo, etc.).

What You Need

• SSH access enabled on both old and new hosting
• A Windows computer with PuTTY installed (free)
• The backup ZIP file already created on the old host

Step 1: Confirm SSH Details

Old host (source) example:
Host: 203.0.113.50 | Port: 65002 | User: u1234545876789

New host (destination) example:
Host: access-123456789.webspace-host.com | Port: 22 | User: a987654543

Step 2: Find the Exact Web Root Path on the New Host (Critical!)

Many hosts (especially IONOS/1&1) place public_html inside a long path like /homepages/19/d12345678/htdocs/

1. Open PuTTY → connect to the new host
2. Login with your SSH username/password
3. Run these two commands:

pwd
ls -la

Step 3: Transfer the File Directly (Server-to-Server)

On the old host, run this single command (replace paths with your own):

scp -v -P 65002 -o Port=22 /home/u123456789/domains/example.com/public_html/backup_2025.zip a9876543@access-123456789.webspace-host.com:wp_backup_2025.zip

Explanation:

• -P 65002 → source port (old host)
• -o Port=22 → destination port (new host)
• Last part without any folder → drops the file directly into your web root

You’ll see live progress:

wp_backup_2025.zip        47% 1728MB  8.2MB/s   00:38 ETA

A 3.7 GB file took only 69 seconds in real tests!

Step 4: Verify & Extract

Login to the new host via SSH or File Manager and extract:

unzip wp_backup_2025.zip -d /homepages/19/d12345678/htdocs/

Then import your database (separate tutorial coming soon).

Bonus Tips

• Use rsync instead of scp for resumable transfers: add --partial --progress
• Always change SSH passwords after testing
• Disable SSH access again if your host allows it for extra security

That’s it — no 8-hour uploads, no split archives, no local disk space needed.

You just migrated a full WordPress site in minutes instead of hours.

Happy migrating! 🚀

— K Dinesh Kumara