A clear starting point
What should you check before moving a campaign website?
Record the content, important URLs, domain access, DNS, email and connected services. Rebuild and review the new website before changing the public connection. Then test the website, mail, forms and relevant old links, with a named owner and a recovery plan for any failed check.
Record the current setup before making changes
Identify the domain registrar, DNS manager, website provider, mail provider and person with authority to change each account. They may be different organizations. Keep access details secure.
Make a record of current DNS settings and renewal dates. List mailboxes, forwarding addresses and other services that depend on the domain. Identify the services that must keep working.
Collect content and agree what to keep
Save approved copy, original images, downloadable resources and important page addresses. Decide which material to retain, revise or retire. Check the current provider’s options for securely retaining or exporting stored form responses; a new website account will not necessarily contain those historical records.
When moving to PoliticalWin, plan to recreate the material with templates and guided editors. This checklist does not describe a bulk website import or a managed transfer service. Keep existing contribution or other specialist tools in place where the campaign still needs them.
Use a handoff sheet with named owners
A short shared sheet makes the change easier to coordinate. Record each item, its current location, the intended result and the person who will confirm it. Keep credentials in an appropriate password manager.
| Item | Prepare before the change | Confirm afterward |
|---|---|---|
| Public pages and media | Approved files and page inventory | Correct content, images and downloads |
| Domain and DNS | Current settings and responsible administrator | Expected website at the intended address |
| Campaign email | Mail provider, records and test addresses | Sending and receiving through the existing service |
| Forms and response routing | Required fields and destination | A controlled test reaches the intended place |
| Important old links | Keep/change/retire map and redirect owner | Relevant destinations or intentional removal |
| Recovery and old account | Previous settings, access and decision owner | Checks passed before cancellation |
Distinguish website connection from email and registration
Changing where the website runs does not require assuming the domain registration or mailboxes move with it. DNS records control different services, including website routing and mail delivery. A nameserver change can affect the whole DNS zone, so the domain administrator must account for existing records.
Follow the new provider’s actual instructions. PoliticalWin’s dashboard displays the configured custom-domain connection method and values. If a step affects existing mail or another service, coordinate it with that service’s administrator first. Do not replace records from a generic tutorial without checking this domain’s setup.
Decide whether public URLs are changing
Keeping the domain does not always keep every page address. Compare important old URLs with the new pages. For an unchanged address, test the content at that address. For a changed one, ask the existing host or technical administrator whether a relevant permanent redirect can be arranged.
Google’s site-move guidance recommends a URL mapping, appropriate redirects, updated internal links and canonicals, and monitoring. Do not send every old page to an unrelated homepage. Search visibility can change during a move; recrawling has no fixed timetable.
Review the new site before the public handoff
Check the candidate profile, office and location, event dates, public contact information, approved footer language and external donation or RSVP destinations. Review the site on a phone and on a larger screen. Confirm the selected language and that private drafts are not being treated as final public material.
Agree on a change window with the domain and mail administrators. Keep the old account and previous settings available until the checks are complete. DNS behavior can change over time as records propagate; one successful check from one device is not a substitute for the agreed verification.
Test the complete path and decide whether to proceed
After the connection changes, open the intended web address and important pages from an independent browser session. Check HTTPS, images, downloads and external links. Arrange a controlled form test with the response owner, and test sending and receiving with the mail administrator. Use test data appropriately and handle it under the campaign’s normal privacy practices.
If a critical check fails, the designated administrator should use the agreed recovery plan and investigate before cancellation. Once checks pass, update the campaign’s own published links and document the new update routine. Retire the old setup according to its contract and data-retention terms.
- Website, email and response owners have confirmed their checks.
- Important old URLs have an agreed outcome.
- Account access and recovery records are retained securely.
- The team knows how to make routine updates in the new setup.
- Cancellation follows the verified handoff and current contract.
Questions before choosing a platform
Frequently asked questions
Can the website move while email stays with its current provider?
Yes, services can be separate. The actual DNS change must preserve the records and configuration that the mail provider needs. Coordinate with the domain and mail administrators.
Does keeping the domain mean every old page URL stays the same?
No. Page paths can differ even when the domain is unchanged. Inventory important addresses and agree on relevant redirects or other outcomes where necessary.
When should the old hosting account be canceled?
After the required content, data-retention and handoff checks are complete and the contract has been reviewed. Keep the access needed for recovery and any redirect arrangement.
Primary references
Sources and product details
Your next step
Turn the handoff checklist into a practical move
Check how your required content and connected services fit PoliticalWin before changing the public address. Use the switching guide to decide what to rebuild and what to keep with other providers.