# Migrate from Cloudways to fortrabbit Source: https://www.fortrabbit.com/migrate/from-cloudways Published: 2026-10-31 Updated: 2026-10-31 ## Migrate from Cloudways with a coding agent Claude Code, Codex, Cursor and other coding agents can run this migration. Paste this prompt into the agent, in the project folder: ```txt Read https://www.fortrabbit.com/agents.md and set up fortrabbit. Then move this site from Cloudways to fortrabbit, following https://www.fortrabbit.com/raw/migrate/from-cloudways.md ``` Sign-in happens in the browser, see [agent setup](/agents). The agent needs SSH access to the Cloudways server to read the settings, dump the database and copy the uploads. The steps below are what the agent follows, and what to do by hand without one. The agent changes nothing on the old host: a person deletes the old setup once the site runs on fortrabbit. ## Cloudways settings and where they go | On Cloudways | On fortrabbit | | -- | -- | | `/home/master/applications//public_html` | Git repository, deployed by the [GitHub integration](https://docs.fortrabbit.com/platform/deployment/github-app) | | `.env` or `wp-config.php` in the application folder | [Environment variables](https://docs.fortrabbit.com/platform/settings/env-vars) in the dashboard | | Deployment via Git | [Build commands](https://docs.fortrabbit.com/platform/deployment/build-commands) and [post-deploy commands](https://docs.fortrabbit.com/platform/deployment/post-deploy-commands) | | Cron Job Management | [Cron jobs](https://docs.fortrabbit.com/platform/jobs/crons) | | Application Settings → Supervisor Jobs | [Workers](https://docs.fortrabbit.com/platform/jobs/workers) | | Database Manager | MySQL component | | Uploads in `public_html` | Storage component, files copied with rsync | ## 1. Create the app Create an app in the dashboard with the software template matching the framework or CMS. Its default domain works with HTTPS right away, so the whole move can be tested before DNS changes. Lower the TTL of the domain's DNS records now, see [migrate to fortrabbit](https://docs.fortrabbit.com/dev/how-to/migrate-to-fortrabbit). ## 2. Get SSH access Cloudways has two kinds of credentials. Master credentials reach every application on the server over SSH and SFTP. Application credentials reach one application over SFTP only, until SSH is switched on for them in Application Settings. Either works for the steps below. The folder name under `/home/master/applications/` is random, not the domain. ## 3. Copy the settings - Open the `.env`, `wp-config.php` or the config file of the CMS in `public_html`. Copy every value except the database credentials and the app URL into the environment variables of the fortrabbit environment. - Open Cron Job Management. Each entry becomes one cron job. - Open Application Settings → Supervisor Jobs. Each queue worker becomes a worker. fortrabbit has no Redis: a Laravel app sets the queue, cache and session drivers to `database` or `file`, see [Laravel queues and scheduler](https://docs.fortrabbit.com/guides/laravel/queues-scheduler). ## 4. Deploy the code Cloudways pulls from Git over SSH and has no deploy on push. Code that is not in a Git repository yet needs one first: download `public_html` with rsync, commit it without uploads and `vendor`, and push to GitHub. Connect the repository to the environment. The first deployment runs the build commands, such as `composer install`. ## 5. Move the database The Database Manager of the application shows the credentials and exports smaller databases. It is not meant for databases over about 200 MiB. Use mysqldump over SSH for those: ```shell mysqldump -u -p > dump.sql ``` Import the dump into the MySQL component as described under [MySQL export and import](https://docs.fortrabbit.com/platform/mysql/export-import). ## 6. Copy the uploads Find the upload folder in `public_html`, such as `wp-content/uploads` for WordPress or the asset volumes of Craft CMS. Pull it to the local machine with rsync, then push it to the environment, see [rsync](https://docs.fortrabbit.com/dev/how-to/rsync). ## 7. Switch the DNS DNS for a Cloudways application usually sits at the registrar or at Cloudflare, since DNS hosting is a paid add-on. Test the app on its default domain, add the custom domain to the environment and point the records to fortrabbit, see [external domain setup](https://docs.fortrabbit.com/platform/domains/external-domain-setup). ## What stays on Cloudways - Mailboxes from the Rackspace email add-on. They are independent of the hosting: keep the MX records pointing to Rackspace. - Server-level settings of the Cloudways server. - Mail sent with PHP `mail()`. Use SMTP or a transactional mail provider, see [limits](https://docs.fortrabbit.com/platform/concepts/limits). Once the site runs on fortrabbit, delete the application on Cloudways, and the server when no other application runs on it. --- - [Migrate to fortrabbit](/dev/how-to/migrate-to-fortrabbit) - [Cloudways alternative](/alternatives/cloudways)