This is the complete walkthrough for moving a single cPanel account to iWebVault on your own. It takes a few minutes of setup, then runs in the background. All you need is your old cPanel login — no server admin access required.
Before you start
Have these ready: your old cPanel username, old cPanel password, and your old host’s hostname or IP. Make sure your iWebVault hosting plan is active so the destination account exists.
Step 1 — Open the migration tool
Log into your iWebVault Client Area and open the migration tool for your hosting service. You’ll see a short form asking for your old account details.
Step 2 — Enter your old account details
- Enter your old cPanel username
- Enter your old cPanel password
- Enter your old host’s hostname (for example
server.oldhost.com) or its IP - Submit the form
Step 3 — Let it run
Once submitted, the migration runs through its stages automatically — connecting, building a backup on your old host, pulling it to iWebVault, and restoring it into your account.
Step 4 — Watch the status
The migration shows a live status: pending → running → restoring → completed. You don’t need to keep the page open; it advances on its own and you’ll be notified when it’s done.
Step 5 — Verify, then switch DNS
When it shows completed, check your migrated site (see the post-migration checks article). Only once you’re satisfied do you point your domain to iWebVault.
What’s happening behind each stage
It helps to know what the system is doing while you wait. During running, iWebVault has connected to your old host and asked it to build a full backup of your account; it then waits for that backup to finish completely. During restoring, the backup has been pulled across and is being unpacked into your account — files placed, databases created with their original names, email restored. When it reaches completed, every piece is in place.
Common first-timer questions
Do I need to put my site in maintenance mode?
No. Your old site stays fully live and serving visitors throughout. The migration only reads from it to build a backup; it changes nothing on the old host.
Will I lose any data added during the migration?
The backup captures your account at the moment it’s built. If your site is highly active (a busy store), do a final quick sync or run the migration during a quiet period so last-minute changes aren’t missed. For most sites this is a non-issue.
Can I run it more than once?
Yes. If you migrate, then realise you want a fresher copy, you can re-run it. The latest migration restores the current state of your old account.
After completion — the short version
- Preview the migrated site on iWebVault
- Log into your app’s admin area to confirm content
- Check email accounts and cron jobs are present
- Point your domain to iWebVault
- Keep the old account a few days as a fallback
If you’d rather not do it yourself
There’s no obligation to self-serve. If you’d prefer we handle the whole thing, open a ticket with your old host details and we’ll run the migration and confirm when your site is ready to cut over.
Preparing for a smooth run
A little preparation makes the self-service migration effortless. Before you open the tool, have three things in front of you: your old cPanel username, your old cPanel password, and your old host’s server hostname (from your welcome email or the cPanel address bar). Confirm your iWebVault plan is active so the destination account exists, and that it’s large enough for your site. With those ready, the actual form takes under a minute to fill.
Reading validation feedback
When you submit, the tool checks your details against the old host immediately. If something’s off, you’ll get specific feedback — wrong credentials, an unreachable hostname — rather than a vague failure later. Treat that immediate feedback as a gift: it lets you correct a typo on the spot instead of waiting through a run that was doomed from the first step.
What to do during the wait
Once the migration is running, there’s nothing for you to do but let it work. You don’t need to keep the page open, refresh repeatedly, or babysit the progress bar. For a small site it’ll be done by the time you’ve made a coffee; for a larger one, check back later. The status advances on its own and you’ll know when it completes.
The handoff to cutover
Reaching ‘completed’ hands you to the next phase: verify, then cut over. Don’t treat completion as ‘done and live’ — your domain still points at the old host. Completion means the copy on iWebVault is ready for you to inspect. Once you’ve confirmed it through the post-migration checklist, you point your domain here and the move is real. That deliberate two-step — complete, then verify-and-switch — is what keeps the whole thing safe.
What’s next
- Finding Your Old cPanel Username and Password
- Understanding Migration Statuses
- What to Check After Your Migration Completes
Still stuck? Our team can run or finish the migration for you — open a support ticket and we’ll take it from there.
Was this helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
