Moving Your Server to Witchly.host

Switching hosting providers does not mean starting over. Whether you are coming from another Minecraft host, self-hosting on your own machine, or moving from any other provider, you can bring your existing server data — worlds, configurations, mods, plugins, and player data — to Witchly.host with minimal downtime. This guide walks you through the entire migration process.

Before You Start

Before beginning the migration, make sure you have the following ready:

A Witchly.host account. Sign in at Dashboard using your Discord account. If you do not have an account yet, see our account creation guide.
A server on Witchly. For the free tier, just deploy a server from the dashboard — no payment needed. For an Elite server with more resources, go to the Elite deployment page and complete payment through Stripe. Check our plan comparison guide if you are not sure which option to choose.
An SFTP client. You will need an SFTP client to upload files. We recommend FileZilla (free, cross-platform) or WinSCP (free, Windows). Any SFTP client will work.
Enough local disk space. You need room on your computer to temporarily store the files you download from your old host before uploading them to Witchly.

Step 1: Download Your Files from Your Old Host

The first step is to get a complete copy of your server files from your current hosting provider.

If your old host has a file manager or SFTP access:

Connect to your old server via SFTP or use the provider’s web-based file manager.
Download the entire server directory to your local computer. This includes:
- World/map files (e.g., world/, world_nether/, world_the_end/ for Minecraft)
- Configuration files (e.g., server.properties, bukkit.yml, spigot.yml)
- Plugins/mods folder (e.g., plugins/, mods/)
- Plugin data and configurations (usually inside the plugins/ folder)
- Player data (e.g., world/playerdata/, world/stats/)
- Any custom files (scripts, resource packs, datapacks)
Verify the download is complete by checking that all folders and files are present locally.

If your old host provides backup downloads:

Some hosts let you download a full server backup as a ZIP or TAR archive. If available, download the latest backup and extract it on your local machine. This is often the fastest method.

If you are self-hosting:

Simply copy the entire server directory from your machine. Make sure the server is stopped before copying to avoid corrupted files.

Important: Always stop your old server before downloading files to ensure data consistency. Running servers can have files locked or partially written, which can lead to corruption.

Step 2: Create Your Server on Witchly

Log in to Dashboard.
Deploy a new server and select the same game you are migrating.
For the free tier, allocate resources from your pool through the deployment wizard.
For an Elite server, choose a plan with enough resources for your server (if your old server used 8 GB of RAM, select a plan with at least 8 GB) and complete payment through Stripe.
Once the server is provisioned, do not start it yet. You want to upload your files before the first launch.

Step 3: Connect via SFTP

Now you need to connect to your new Witchly server via SFTP to upload your files.

Open your SFTP client (FileZilla, WinSCP, etc.).
Find your SFTP connection details in the dashboard. Look for the SFTP credentials on your server’s settings page.
Enter the connection details:
- Host: Your server’s address (shown in the dashboard)
- Port: 2022
- Username: Your SFTP username (shown in the dashboard)
- Password: Your account password (set through the dashboard)
Connect to the server.

You should see the default server directory structure. If this is a fresh server that has never been started, it may be mostly empty or contain only a few default files.

Step 4: Upload Your Server Files

With the SFTP connection established, upload your files from your local machine to the Witchly server.

For Minecraft servers:

Delete any default files on the Witchly server that you are replacing (e.g., the default server.properties, default world/ folder if one was generated).
Upload your world folders (world/, world_nether/, world_the_end/).
Upload your plugins/ or mods/ folder (including all plugin/mod data).
Upload your configuration files (server.properties, bukkit.yml, spigot.yml, paper.yml, etc.).
Upload any additional files (datapacks, resource packs, scripts).

For Rust servers:

Upload your server/ directory containing map saves and player data.
Upload your oxide/ directory if you are running Oxide plugins.
Upload configuration files.

For Palworld servers:

Upload your save data directory.
Upload your configuration files (e.g., PalWorldSettings.ini).

For Hytale servers:

Upload your world data and configuration files.
Upload any custom content or mods.

Upload tips:

Large uploads can take time depending on your internet connection. World files are often the largest component.
Use the SFTP client’s queue feature to upload everything at once rather than file by file.
If your upload is interrupted, most SFTP clients can resume where they left off.

Step 5: Configure Your Server

After uploading, you may need to adjust a few settings:

Server properties: Open your server’s configuration through the dashboard file manager or SFTP. Check for settings that reference IP addresses or ports from your old host and update them to match your Witchly server. The correct IP and port are displayed on your server’s page in the dashboard.

Java version (Minecraft): Make sure your Witchly server is set to the correct Java version for your Minecraft version and modpack. You can change this in the startup settings within the control panel.

Server version: Ensure the server software version on Witchly matches what you were running on your old host. Mismatched versions can cause world corruption or plugin incompatibility. Set the correct version in the startup configuration.

Plugin/mod compatibility: Some plugins store absolute file paths or host-specific configurations. Check your plugin configs for any paths that reference your old host’s directory structure and update them.

Step 6: Start and Verify

Start your server from the dashboard.
Watch the console output for any errors during startup.
Join the server in-game and verify:
- Your world loaded correctly (builds, terrain, player progress)
- Plugins and mods are functioning
- Player data is intact (inventories, ranks, permissions)
- Server performance is acceptable

If you encounter errors, check the console logs carefully. Most migration issues come from version mismatches, missing dependencies, or configuration files that reference old host paths.

Step 7: Update Your Server Address

Once everything is verified and working:

Share your new Witchly server IP and port with your players.
Update your server address on any server listing websites.
Update your Discord server, website, or social media with the new connection info.
Once you are confident the migration is successful, cancel your old hosting plan.

Common Migration Issues

World not loading: Usually caused by the world files being in the wrong directory. Make sure world folders are in the root server directory, not nested inside an extra subfolder.

Plugins failing to load: Check that you uploaded the entire plugins/ folder, including both the JAR files and their data folders. Also verify the server software version matches (e.g., Paper 1.21.x if your plugins were built for 1.21.x).

Permission errors: Some permission plugins (like LuckPerms) may need their storage backend reconfigured if they were using a MySQL database on your old host.

Performance differences: If your new server feels different from the old one, give it time to stabilize. Chunk generation on first exploration will use more resources than a server where the world is already generated.

Need Help?

Migration can feel daunting, but our support team is here to help. If you run into any issues or have questions about the process, reach out on Discord. We have helped many server owners migrate successfully and are happy to walk you through any tricky spots.