This guide is a continuation of Webhosting – Basic Data Migration Tool and assumes knowledge of the basic procedures described therein.

In this article, you will learn:

• What are the use caces for the expert data migration tool
• How to migrate data in expert mode
• Common issues
• Frequently asked questions

You will most often use the expert mode of automatic migration for the following reasons:

• You are migrating your own website solution with PHP and MySQL/MariaDB databases, or a different content management system than WordPress.
• You want to run the website from a certain folder, such as a subdomain, or alias.
• The original web hosting is located in a specific directory.
• Basic mode data is insufficient to complete the migration correctly.

Detailed instructions on migrating a website as a Webhosting alias can be found in the article Webhosting – Separate Alias Websites (mlutihosting).

Switch to Expert mode using the switch in the Webhosting migration tool interface.

Expert mode gives you access to the following detailed settings:

• Migration type
• Expanded FTP and MySQL options
• Target domain folder

In expert mode, you can choose whether you want to migrate to the Webhosting’s root directory (www folder) or domain subfolders (www/domains/domain.tld, where domain.tld is the domain name of the migrated website).

If you want to migrate the website as a Webhosting alias, select the second option.

Always specify FTP access credentials. In addition to the data required by even the basic migration tool, you can also specify the port (if you are using SFTP) and enter an alternative path to the files you want to migrate.

If your website uses a database, also enter the access data for the MySQL/MariaDB you want to migrate. You can find this data according to your current provider’s instructions, or in your website’s configuration files.

For websites using the WordPress content management system, you do not need to specify database access. The script will load it automatically from the configuration file.

You can set the target domain folder when you choose Migrate to domains folder. Here you can set a specific subdomain, domain (alias) and any folder on the domain or subdomain to migrate the website to.

The following issues may occur during expert migration:

• Database is not connected
• The migration ends with an error

Issue: Database is not connected after data migration.

Cause: The migration script does not alter the configuration files of content management systems or other applications, with the exception of WordPress.

Solution: Locate the content management system or app configuration file and update the database credentials. You can get these from the creation email notification, or you can change them according to the article Webhosting – Databases. For instructions on how to configure the database for your app, check that app’s manual or ask their support.

Issue: Migration in both normal and expert mode ends with an error.

Solution: Send a description of your problem via the form. Include the name of the website and ideally attach screenshots with the error messages or the broken website.

Do not submit credentials unless requested by customer support.

Question: Can I migrate a website with an MS-SQL database?
Answer: No, Webhosting only supports MariaDB and MySQL database solutions. In case you encounter a compatibility problem with these database systems (high/low version of MySQL/MariaDB), contact customer support. Include the Webhosting name and request the specific version of the database that your website requires for a successful migration.