WordPress Migration Problems? Troubleshooting Broken Links, Missing Media, Login Issues, DNS and Email After a Move
A migration can look finished and still be broken. The homepage loads, everything seems fine, and then a visitor reports a missing image, a contact form that never arrives, or a link that goes nowhere. These problems are common after a WordPress move, and most of them have clear causes. The hard part is knowing which cause matches your symptom — and knowing when to fix it yourself and when to call the team.
This guide covers the most common post-migration problems for users of WordPress Migration – Premium, WP Theme Bazar's one-time, team-handled migration service for one site, priced at ৳3,000 — price may change — see the product page for the current price. The service itself includes testing of the homepage, login, media, links, forms, and key workflows, plus follow-up after the move. But problems can still appear in the days after go-live, and this guide helps you recognise them, check the likely cause, and decide the next step.
Buy WordPress Migration – Premium: message us on WhatsApp https://wa.me/8801919052411 with the product name — bKash/Nagad accepted, activation within minutes.
First Rule: Do Not Panic, and Do Not Cancel the Old Hosting
Before troubleshooting anything, remember two things. First, keep your old hosting active briefly after the move as a fallback. If a problem turns out to be serious, the old site is your recovery path. Cancelling it on the day of the move removes that safety net. Second, do not make several big changes at once while troubleshooting. Change one thing, test, and note the result. Changing DNS, plugins, and settings all at once makes it impossible to know which change fixed — or caused — the problem.
Also remember the service disclaimer: the outcome of a migration depends on hosting configuration, site size, third-party integrations, server permissions, and access, and migration gives no guarantee of ranking, speed, uptime, or business continuity. Some problems after a move are migration problems. Others are hosting problems, or problems that already existed and only became visible on the new host. Sorting out which kind you have is half the fix.
Problem 1: Broken Links After Migration
Broken links are one of the most reported post-migration issues. You click a menu item or an internal link and it goes to a 404 page, or it sends you back to the old host. Sometimes the homepage works perfectly while deeper pages fail, which makes the problem easy to miss at first.
The most common cause is URL settings that still point to the old location. WordPress stores its site address in the database, and content and settings can hold old URLs as well. If the configuration and URL review was incomplete, links keep pointing to the old host. Another common cause is a change of address during the move — a new domain, a move from a subdomain, or a switch from HTTP to HTTPS — that was not fully reflected in the site's settings.
What to check: open several internal links, not just the homepage. Check menu links, links inside posts, and links on category or shop pages. Note whether broken links point to the old domain, to a wrong path, or to a 404 on the new domain. That detail matters — a link to the old domain suggests a URL setting issue, while a 404 on the new domain suggests a missing page or a permalink problem.
What to do: if you used the migration service, report the broken links to the team under the post-migration support confirmed before the service started, with examples of the broken URLs and where they appear. Do not run a careless find-and-replace across the database yourself — WordPress stores some URLs inside serialised data, and a naive replacement can break settings and widgets silently. A proper URL fix needs care, and that is exactly the kind of follow-up the service exists for.
Problem 2: Missing Media and Images
Missing images are easy to spot and frustrating to fix. A post loads with empty image frames, a gallery shows broken thumbnails, or a downloadable file returns an error. Sometimes only older posts are affected, which points to a media folder that did not transfer completely.
The likely cause is an incomplete file transfer. A large media library takes time to move, and an interrupted transfer can leave some files behind while the site otherwise looks complete. Another cause is a file path problem: the files moved, but the site is looking for them in the wrong place on the new host. A third cause is permissions — files that arrived on the new server but cannot be read because of server permission settings.
What to check: open several older posts and gallery pages, not just recent ones. Check your logo, featured images, and any downloadable files. Note whether the missing files are all from a certain period, a certain folder, or a certain file type. That pattern helps identify whether the transfer missed a folder or whether a permission or path issue is involved.
What to do: do not re-upload images one by one into the media library as a first step — that can create duplicates and break the link between posts and their original files. Report the missing media to the team with specific post URLs and examples, and let them check the transfer and the file paths. If you have a backup, keep it available. It may be needed to restore the missing files cleanly.
Problem 3: Cannot Log In to the Dashboard
Login problems after a migration are stressful, because the dashboard is how you fix everything else. The symptom varies: the login page loops back to itself, it shows an error, it redirects to the old site, or your password seems to stop working even though you have not changed it.
A redirect to the old site usually points to URL settings that still reference the old address. A login loop can come from configuration issues, cached redirects, or a cookie problem after the address change. A password that seems wrong may not be a password problem at all — if the database transfer was incomplete, the user data may not have arrived correctly.
What to check: note exactly what happens when you try to log in. Does the page redirect, loop, show an error message, or simply reject the password? Try a different browser or a private window to rule out a cached redirect on your own device. Check whether the site address in your browser points to the new host or the old one — DNS propagation means different devices can reach different hosts for a while after the switch.
What to do: do not repeatedly reset passwords or change settings in a panic — that can create new problems on top of the old one. If the migration was team-handled, contact the team with the exact symptom and what you have already tried. Login access is part of the post-move testing, so a login failure after go-live is something the follow-up support should address. Share access details only through the seller's secure instructions, never publicly.
Problem 4: DNS Propagation — "It Works for Me but Not for Them"
DNS problems produce one of the most confusing symptoms in migration: the site works for one person and not for another, or it works on your phone but not on your laptop. That inconsistency is usually DNS propagation, not a broken site.
When your domain is pointed at the new host, the change spreads across networks at different speeds. Some visitors reach the new host within minutes. Others keep reaching the old host for hours. During that window, two people can see two different versions of the site, and a form submitted on the old version may never reach the new one.
What to check: ask whether the problem is the same on different devices and networks. If the site loads on mobile data but not on office Wi-Fi, or vice versa, DNS propagation is the likely cause. Check whether the issue is a missing page or a completely unreachable site — the latter, shortly after a DNS change, often resolves on its own as propagation completes.
What to do: wait, and avoid making further DNS changes during propagation. Changing records again while the first change is still spreading only extends the confusion. Keep the old hosting active during this period. If the site is still unreachable for everyone after a reasonable time, check with the team whether the DNS records point to the correct new host address. And remember that the timing of the DNS switch should have been part of the plan confirmed before the service started — if it was switched before testing was complete, say so when you report the problem.
Problem 5: Email Stops Working After the Move
Email is the problem most often forgotten in a migration plan. Your website moves, and suddenly contact form messages stop arriving, order emails vanish, or your domain email stops working. The site looks fine. The email does not.
The cause is usually tied to DNS or hosting. If your email is connected to your hosting or your domain settings, a DNS change can redirect mail along with web traffic. If your new host handles mail differently from the old one, forms that used to send mail may fail silently. Third-party email tools connected to the site can also be affected if their settings reference the old host.
What to do: tell the team how your email is configured and when it stopped working. Email and third-party integration needs are part of the information gathered before the migration, so if email was discussed during planning, the team will know what to check. Do not change mail DNS records yourself while troubleshooting unless you are sure what each record does — a wrong mail record can stop email for longer than the original problem did.
The Premium service at ৳3,000 — price may change — see the product page for the current price — includes testing and follow-up precisely because migrations can produce these delayed surprises. Knowing the common problems, checking systematically, and calling the team early turns a stressful post-move week into a manageable one.
Buy WordPress Migration – Premium: message us on WhatsApp https://wa.me/8801919052411 with the product name — bKash/Nagad accepted, activation within minutes.
Frequently Asked Questions
My site works on my phone but not on my laptop. Is it broken?
Probably not. That pattern usually means DNS propagation — different networks pick up the domain change at different times. Wait, avoid further DNS changes, and check again on both devices later.
Some images are missing but the homepage looks fine. What happened?
The file transfer may have missed part of the media library, or there may be a path or permission issue. Check older posts, note which images are missing, and report them to the team rather than re-uploading one by one.
I cannot log in after migration. Should I reset my password?
Not as a first step. Note the exact symptom — redirect, loop, or error — try a private browser window, and contact the team. Repeated password resets can create new problems.
My contact form says success but I get no message. What is wrong?
The form may be submitting while mail delivery fails on the new host. Check spam folders and whether entries are stored in the dashboard, then report the form and your test to the team.
When should I call the team instead of fixing it myself?
Immediately for a fully down site, failed logins, broken orders or payments, large-scale missing media, or stopped email. For smaller issues, report them with clear examples during the follow-up window.
