Migrate a site from Namecheap using SSH

This guide will show you how to securely share access to your site using SSH, so that you can migrate your site from Namecheap to WordPress.com.

Secure Shell (SSH) is a secure way for us to connect to your current host and copy your site safely. We use it to transfer a copy of your site’s content, media, plugins, themes, and database over an encrypted connection. Your existing site will stay online and unchanged during the migration, so visitors won’t notice any disruption until you’re ready to update your domain name to the newly-migrated site.

To find the SSH details for your site, take the steps below.

1. Log into your Namecheap account.
2. On the left, select the Hosting List menu item.
3. Click the “Go to cPanel” button for the main domain of the hosting account you want to access.
4. Under the Exclusive for Namecheap Customers section, click the “Manage Shell” option.
5. Toggle the option next to “Enable SSH access“.
6. Copy the “Server IP” and paste it as your server address on WordPress.com:

7. Enter a value in the Port box (usually 22 unless stated otherwise in your Namecheap account).
8. Click the “Verify server address” button.

In a few moments, we’ll validate if the details are correct for what we need to migrate a copy of your site to WordPress.com. If the details cannot be validated, please double-check you have pasted the correct information or contact your host for support in obtaining the correct details.

Next, you’ll need to share your SSH details to grant WordPress.com secure access to your site to begin the migration.

1. In the Share SSH access section on WordPress.com, choose the SSH key authentication method.
2. Click the copy icon in the top right to copy the public key to your computer’s clipboard.
3. Return to cPanel → Manage Shell in your Namecheap account.
4. Click the “Manage SSH Keys” link.
5. Click the “Import Keys” button.
   • Key name: Leave as the default, usually ida_rsa.
   • Public Key: Paste the public key you copied from WordPress.com in step 2.
   • Passphrase: Leave blank.
6. Return to the Manage SSH Keys page and click the Manage button next to the new key.
7. Click Authorize to enable the key.
8. Back on WordPress.com, click the Continue button: