The Ultimate Guide to Migrating a Magento Store from Local to Live

Migrating a Magento store from a local environment to a live server can be a complex process, but it’s necessary to ensure that your website is accessible to your customers. In this guide, we’ll go through the steps involved in migrating a Magento store from a local environment to a live server.

Step 1: Backup Your Local Store

Before you begin the migration process, it’s important to backup your local store files and database. This ensures that you can easily restore your store if anything goes wrong during the migration process. You can backup your files and database manually.

Step 2: Move Your Files to the Live Server

To move your Magento files to the live server, you can use an FTP client like FileZilla. Connect to your live server and navigate to the root directory where you want to install Magento. Upload all of the files from your local store to the live server using the FTP client.

Step 3: Export Your Local Database

Export your local database in the form of an SQL file. You can do this using phpMyAdmin, a database management tool that’s included with most web hosting plans. Open phpMyAdmin, select your local database, and click on the “Export” tab. Choose the “Quick” export method and click the “Go” button to create an SQL file of your local database.

Step 4: Import Your Local Database to the Live Server

Log in to the cPanel of your live server, open phpMyAdmin, and select the database where you want to import your local database. Click on the “Import” tab, select your SQL file, and click the “Go” button. Wait for the import process to finish.

Step 5: Update Configuration Settings

After you have moved your files and imported your database to the live server, you need to update your Magento configuration settings to reflect the new server. Open the app/etc/env.php file on your live server and update the following settings:

Set the database name, username, and password to match your live server database credentials.
Update the base URL of your Magento store to match the URL of your live server.

Save the changes to the env.php file.

Step 6: Clear Cache and Reindex

After you have updated the configuration settings, you need to clear the cache and reindex your Magento store to ensure that all changes are reflected on the live server. You can do this by logging in to your Magento admin panel and navigating to the “System” menu. Click on “Cache Management” and select “Flush Magento Cache.” Then, click on “Index Management” and reindex all indexes.

Step 7: Test Your Live Store

After you have completed the migration process, you should test your live store to ensure that everything is working properly. Browse your store, place a test order, and check that all features and functionality are working as expected.

By following these steps, you can migrate your Magento store from a local environment to a live server with minimal downtime and disruption to your customers.