Website Migration DNS Cutover: Avoiding Downtime and Lost Changes

migrationDNS cutoverwebsite migrationSSLbackups

What this problem usually means

DNS cutover is the risky moment in many migrations. The site may be ready on the new server, but stale DNS, old TTLs, SSL mismatch, database changes, email records or cache can still cause downtime or lost orders.

Production caution: For ecommerce or busy applications, plan a write-freeze or synchronisation step. Otherwise customers can create orders or data on the old server during propagation.

Common symptoms

Some users hit the old server after migration
Orders or form submissions go to the wrong database
SSL certificate works on one host but not another
Email records are accidentally changed
Rollback is unclear if the new server fails

Common causes

TTL not lowered before migration
Old and new sites both accept writes
DNS records edited in the wrong provider
SSL certificate not prepared before cutover
Cloudflare/cache rules still point to old assumptions
No rollback plan

Safe first checks

These checks are intended to help identify the direction of the issue. Always adjust paths, service names and commands for your environment.

Check current DNS

dig A example.com +short; dig NS example.com +short

Check TTL before cutover

dig A example.com

Test new origin directly

curl -I --resolve example.com:443:NEW_IP https://example.com

Confirm backups

Verify files and database backup immediately before cutover

Typical fixes

Lower TTL before migration day
Prepare SSL on the new server before switching DNS
Take final backups immediately before cutover
Test the new origin with host header resolution
Keep old server available during propagation
Document rollback steps and DNS records

When to get help

Get help if the system is production-facing, customer data is involved, backups are uncertain, or the issue affects revenue, security or uptime. We can review the logs, confirm the cause and quote a fixed-scope fix where appropriate.

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Get remote support for this issue.

Fixed technical support starts from $499. Emergency incident support is $199/hr with a minimum window.