How to Migrate WordPress from Bluehost to Cloudways

Migrating WordPress from Bluehost to Cloudways is one of the most common hosting moves we see Filipino site owners make in 2026. The reason is straightforward: Bluehost is US-only hardware, and Cloudways offers a Singapore data center that cuts page load times for a Philippine audience by roughly 4-6x. The migration itself is simpler than most people expect. Cloudways provides a free WordPress migrator plugin that handles the heavy lifting.

This guide walks through the full migration in 5 clear steps. Total time from start to finish is usually 30 to 90 minutes for a standard WordPress site. Real client sites migrated using this exact procedure show zero data loss and 60 to 80 percent faster page loads within the first day on Cloudways.

Before you start (prerequisites)

• A Cloudways account. Sign up with a 3-day free trial, no credit card required to start. Pick DigitalOcean Singapore during server setup for the best Filipino audience speed.
• Your Bluehost login credentials. You need admin access to the WordPress dashboard, plus access to your domain DNS settings (Bluehost hosts your domain by default).
• An email address you can access. The Cloudways migrator plugin emails you the migration status.
• Between 30 and 90 minutes of uninterrupted time. Migration itself takes 15 to 45 minutes. DNS propagation adds 15 to 60 minutes.

One clarification before we start: this migration does NOT delete your Bluehost site. It creates a copy on Cloudways. Your Bluehost site keeps running until you point your domain DNS to Cloudways in the final step. This means you can roll back at any point during the process if something goes wrong.

Step 1: Set up a Cloudways server and WordPress app

Log in to your Cloudways account and click “Add Server” in the top navigation.

1. Application: Select WordPress from the app dropdown. Cloudways installs a clean WordPress instance to receive your migrated content.
2. Server details: Give it a name like “itsourcecode-migration-target”. Pick a project name if you use projects.
3. Server cloud: DigitalOcean is the most cost-effective and widely used. Vultr and Linode are alternatives with similar pricing.
4. Server size: Start with the 1 GB RAM plan (USD 14 per month). You can scale up later without downtime.
5. Server location: Singapore for Filipino audiences. This is the single most important choice in the whole migration. Do not pick a US location.

Click “Launch Now”. Cloudways provisions the server in 5 to 8 minutes. You will get an email when it is ready.

Step 2: Install the Cloudways WordPress Migrator on your Bluehost site

Log in to your Bluehost WordPress admin dashboard (wp-admin). Then:

1. Go to Plugins → Add New.
2. In the search box, type “Cloudways WordPress Migrator”.
3. Install and activate the plugin (Author: Cloudways).
4. After activation, look for the new “Cloudways” menu item in the left sidebar.

The plugin is officially maintained by Cloudways and is free. It handles the entire file and database transfer without you needing to touch FTP, phpMyAdmin, or the command line.

Step 3: Configure and run the migration

Click the “Cloudways” menu item in your Bluehost wp-admin sidebar. You will see a form asking for your destination Cloudways server details.

Fill in these fields from your Cloudways account (you can find these under “Servers” → your server → “Master Credentials”):

1. Your Cloudways email address
2. Destination site URL (Cloudways gives you a temporary URL like `wordpress-abc123.cloudwaysapps.com`)
3. SFTP host, username, password (from Master Credentials)
4. Server public IP (also in Master Credentials)
5. Application folder (usually just “public_html”)

Click “Migrate”. The plugin now packages your site’s files and database, transfers them to Cloudways over SFTP, and imports them into your new WordPress installation. This takes 10 to 45 minutes depending on site size.

You can watch progress in the plugin’s status window. Do not close the browser tab during migration. You will get an email when it completes successfully.

Step 4: Verify the migrated site on the Cloudways temporary URL

Once migration completes, visit your Cloudways temporary URL in an incognito window: `https://wordpress-abc123.cloudwaysapps.com`

Check these before switching DNS:

• Homepage loads correctly. Images, fonts, layout all match Bluehost version.
• 3 to 5 sample posts open normally. Pick posts with images, embeds, and comments.
• WordPress admin login works. Log in at `https://wordpress-abc123.cloudwaysapps.com/wp-admin` with your existing credentials.
• Plugin list matches Bluehost site. All active plugins are present.
• User accounts are intact. Check Users → All Users.
• Media library shows all images. Check Media → Library.

If any of these checks fail, do NOT proceed to the DNS switch. Contact Cloudways support with the migration ID (in your email confirmation) and they will investigate. In our experience, migration issues are rare (under 5 percent of moves) and Cloudways support resolves them within 24 hours.

Step 5: Point your domain DNS to Cloudways

This is the final step that makes visitors see the Cloudways version of your site instead of the Bluehost version.

Get your Cloudways server IP: In Cloudways dashboard, go to Servers → your server → Master Credentials. Copy the Public IP address.

Update DNS at Bluehost (or wherever your domain is registered):

1. Log in to your Bluehost account.
2. Go to Domains → your domain → DNS.
3. Find the A record for the root domain (@).
4. Change the “Points To” IP address to your Cloudways server IP.
5. Also update the A record for “www” if it exists.
6. Save changes.

DNS propagation takes 15 minutes to 4 hours globally. Most Filipino ISPs (PLDT, Globe, Converge) refresh within 30 minutes. You can check propagation status at dnschecker.org by entering your domain.

Once DNS is propagated, install a free SSL certificate on Cloudways: Applications → your WP app → SSL Certificate → Let’s Encrypt → enter your email → click Install. Takes 1 to 2 minutes.

After migration: what to check in the first 24 hours

• Google PageSpeed Insights: Test your homepage and 2-3 top articles. Expect LCP to drop from around 3 seconds (Bluehost) to under 2 seconds (Cloudways Singapore).
• Google Search Console: No action needed; Google will re-crawl automatically. Just verify no crawl errors show up in the next 3 days.
• WooCommerce or contact forms: Submit a test order or contact form to make sure email sending works. Cloudways uses SendGrid Free by default, which handles up to 100 emails per day free.
• Backup: Cloudways offers automated backups. Enable daily backups under Applications → your WP app → Backups.
• Bluehost cancellation: Wait 7 to 14 days after migration before canceling Bluehost, in case you need to fall back. Then cancel and request a prorated refund.

Common issues and fixes

Migration timed out: Your site is too large for a single migrator run. Split the migration: exclude the wp-content/uploads folder in the plugin, run migration, then upload the uploads folder separately via SFTP.

SFTP connection failed: Double-check the Cloudways Public IP and SFTP credentials. Cloudways credentials use the Server-level username and password, not the Application-level ones.

Site loads but images are broken: Cloudways migrator did not transfer wp-content/uploads. Run the migration again with “Include uploads” checked, or upload the folder manually via SFTP.

Cannot log in to WordPress admin after DNS switch: Clear your browser cookies and try again. Also clear WP object cache: Cloudways dashboard → Applications → your app → Application Settings → click “Purge Varnish Cache”.

Site works on temporary URL but 404 on real domain: The DNS A record change did not propagate yet, or you also need to change the site URL in WordPress admin: Settings → General → change WordPress Address and Site Address to `https://yourdomain.com`.

Bottom line

Migrating from Bluehost to Cloudways is a 30 to 90 minute investment that typically delivers 60 to 80 percent faster page loads for Filipino audiences and better Core Web Vitals scores that Google’s ranking algorithm rewards. The Cloudways WordPress Migrator plugin handles the technical heavy lifting for free, so you never touch FTP or phpMyAdmin directly.

The single most important choice in the whole migration is picking Singapore as your Cloudways server location. Do not pick a US location “just because” or “because it looks cheaper”. The speed difference for PH visitors is the entire reason to migrate.

If you get stuck at any step, Cloudways support is genuinely helpful and typically responds within 15 to 30 minutes via live chat. We hope this guide helps you make the move smoothly.