# Moving a Magento 2 Store to a New Server: Full Guide

> Moving a Magento 2 online store to a new server: files, database, env.php and catalog reindexing steps.

Magento 2 is the most resource-demanding platform among popular e-commerce engines. Three things complicate a move: strict version requirements for PHP and Elasticsearch, the `app/etc/env.php` file with server path bindings, and the mandatory catalog reindex after the move.

## Magento 2 requirements for the new server

Before the move, check the component versions — a mismatch in even one breaks the installation:

| Component | Magento 2.4.6 | Magento 2.4.7 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| PHP | 8.1-8.2 | 8.2-8.3 |
| MySQL | 8.0 | 8.0 |
| Elasticsearch / OpenSearch | 7.17 | 7.17 / 2.12 |
| Redis | 6-7 | 6-7 |

If the PHP version on the new server is higher than supported, composer install fails with a dependency error before the site even starts.

## Moving files and the media library

The `pub/media` directory with product images is often heavier than the Magento code itself, so transfer it with a separate rsync run using the resume flag so an interrupted transfer does not start over:

```
rsync -avz --partial --progress /var/www/magento/pub/media/ user@newserver:/var/www/magento/pub/media/
```

General techniques for rsync, SCP and FTP are covered in the article [moving site files](https://www.zevshost.net/en/kb/migratsia-failov-rsync-scp/). There is no need to move the `var/cache`, `var/page_cache` and `generated` directories — Magento rebuilds them.

## Exporting and importing the database

The Magento database is usually large because of log tables and cart quotes, so before exporting clean up old logs with `bin/magento setup:cleanup:logs`, then take a dump:

```
mysqldump -u magento_user -p --single-transaction magento_db | gzip > magento_backup.sql.gz
```

On the new server, unpack and import the dump:

```
gunzip magento_backup.sql.gz
mysql -u magento_user -p magento_db < magento_backup.sql
```

The general algorithm for moving MySQL, including large databases, is in the article [moving a MySQL database](https://www.zevshost.net/en/kb/perenesti-bazu-dannykh/).

## Configuring env.php and cron

The `app/etc/env.php` file stores not only database connection settings but also absolute paths for the cache, sessions and queues. After the move, update the `db` block and check the `cache` section — if the disk paths differ, Magento cannot find the file cache and returns a 500 error on the very first page.

```
bin/magento setup:upgrade
bin/magento cache:flush
```

Magento relies on cron jobs for message queues and scheduled price updates, so add a job to the web server user's crontab:

```
* * * * * /usr/bin/php /var/www/magento/bin/magento cron:run 2>&1 | grep -v "Ran jobs by schedule"
```

## Reindexing the catalog after the move

After importing the database, Magento's indexes are considered stale even when the data has not changed. Switch indexing to schedule mode and run a full reindex manually:

```
bin/magento indexer:set-mode schedule
bin/magento indexer:reindex
```

Skip this step and the catalog shows wrong prices, stock levels and search results. Reindexing a catalog of 50,000 products takes 10 to 30 minutes depending on server power.

## Testing before the DNS switch

Open the store on the new server by IP, overriding the host in the local `/etc/hosts` file, and test checkout, applying a coupon and loading images from `pub/media`. Lower the domain's A record TTL to 300 seconds a day before the switch — this lets changes propagate faster across DNS providers. A detailed scheme for a switch without downtime is in the article [switching hosting without downtime](https://www.zevshost.net/en/kb/migratsia-dns-bez-prostoya/).

## Magento 2 migration checklist

- PHP, MySQL and Elasticsearch versions match the release requirements.
- The pub/media directory is moved in full, var and generated are rebuilt.
- The env.php file is updated: database connection and cache paths are correct.
- The cron:run job is added to the crontab on the new server.
- The full catalog reindex ran without errors.
- Checkout was tested on the new server by IP.

After switching the domain, go through the general checklist in the article [post-migration site checklist](https://www.zevshost.net/en/kb/migratsia-proverka-posle/).

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Source: https://www.zevshost.net/en/kb/migratsia-magento/