TYPO3 migration
Moving your TYPO3 site to new hosting? Follow this professional migration guide for a safe move without downtime.
Providers with free migration service
These hosting providers migrate your TYPO3 site for free. Professionally executed by experienced technicians.
Checklist for TYPO3 migration
What you need to prepare before you start
Create complete backup
Database export, all files in fileadmin/, typo3conf/ and public/
Note current TYPO3 version
Check in Install Tool or via composer.json which version you're running
Check PHP and database versions
Ensure new hosting has same or newer versions
Export extension list
Via Extension Manager or composer.json dependency list
Lower DNS TTL
Lower to 300 seconds, 24 hours before migration
Create test plan
List of pages and functionality to test after migration
Migrate TYPO3 in 7 steps
Professional migration procedure for TYPO3 sites
Create complete backup
Essential: first make a complete backup before doing anything.
# Database backup
mysqldump -u username -p database_name > typo3_backup.sql
# Files backup
tar -czf typo3_files.tar.gz /path/to/typo3/
Important: Download backups to your local computer. Don't just leave them on the server!
Setup new hosting environment
Prepare the new server with correct configuration.
- Create new database (UTF-8 collation)
- Set PHP version (same or higher than old server)
- Configure PHP memory limit (minimum 256MB)
- Check ImageMagick/GraphicsMagick availability
Upload files to new server
Upload your TYPO3 installation via FTP/SFTP or rsync.
# Via rsync (fastest)
rsync -avz /local/typo3/ user@newserver:/path/to/typo3/
# Or extract tar.gz on server
tar -xzf typo3_files.tar.gz
Note: ensure your document root points to the correct directory (usually public/)
Import database
Import your database backup into the new database.
# Via command line
mysql -u username -p new_database < typo3_backup.sql
# Or via phpMyAdmin import
Tip: For large databases, use command line or ask hosting provider to import.
Update configuration
Adjust LocalConfiguration.php with new database credentials.
File: typo3conf/LocalConfiguration.php
Or with Composer: config/system/settings.php
'DB' => [
'Connections' => [
'Default' => [
'host' => 'localhost',
'dbname' => 'new_database',
'user' => 'new_user',
'password' => 'new_password',
],
],
],
Also update base URL if needed in site configuration.
Test the migration
Test everything thoroughly BEFORE changing DNS.
- Test via temporary domain or hosts file modification
- Check frontend: all pages load correctly
- Check backend: can you log in and edit
- Test forms and extensions
- Check images and file uploads
- Test SSL certificate
Hosts file method: Add the IP of the new server to your hosts file to test without changing DNS.
Change DNS and go live
If everything works: point your domain name to the new server.
- Put old site in maintenance mode
- Make final backup of old server
- Sync any new content to new server
- Change A-record to IP of new server
- Wait until DNS propagation is complete (1-48 hours)
- Monitor new server for errors
Tip: Keep old server active for 1-2 more weeks as backup. Some DNS servers cache longer.
Common migration problems
And how to solve them
Database connection error
TYPO3 cannot connect to database after migration.
Solution: Check database credentials in LocalConfiguration.php. Verify database host is correct (often localhost or 127.0.0.1). Test connection with mysql cli.
Images not showing
Images broken or not visible on new server.
Solution: Check if fileadmin/ directory is completely copied. Verify file permissions (755 for directories, 644 for files). Clear cache in Install Tool.
Backend styling broken
TYPO3 backend loads without CSS/JS or looks weird.
Solution: Clear all caches via Install Tool > Important Actions > Flush TYPO3 and PHP Cache. Check if typo3temp/ directory is writable. Check base URL in site configuration.
PHP errors / white screen
White screen of death or PHP fatal errors after migration.
Solution: Check PHP error log. Often caused by wrong PHP version, insufficient memory_limit, or missing PHP extensions. Compare phpinfo() from old and new server.
Useful migration tools
Tools that make your migration easier
Deployer
Automatic deployment tool for TYPO3. Sync files, database and run cache clear commands automatically.
deployer.org →rsync
Incremental file transfer. Faster than FTP for large TYPO3 installations. Sync only changed files.
rsync -avz source/ dest/
mysqldump
Standard tool for database backup and restore. Reliable and always works.
mysqldump -u user -p db > backup.sql
TYPO3 Console
Command line tool for TYPO3 tasks. Cache clear, database compare, scheduler tasks via CLI.
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