Domain Migration Checklist

Problem

You need to move a domain or key hostname to a new environment without breaking service.

Symptoms

• Some users fail after the migration while others still reach the site.
• DNS changes look correct, but HTTPS or redirect behavior is wrong.
• Old and new origins both seem active during the transition.

Top 3 Causes

1. DNS was updated without validating SSL/HTTP readiness - The new environment is not fully prepared.
2. Old and new environments overlap - Some paths, caches, or resolvers still point at the previous setup.
3. Registration and nameserver alignment was not fully reviewed - Registrar, nameserver, zone, and deployment paths do not all match the new plan.

Diagnose with DechoNet

• DNS Lookup to inspect critical records and TTL values.
• SSL Check to verify certificate readiness in the new environment.
• HTTP Check to review final URL, redirect chain, and final response code.
• RDAP / WHOIS to confirm registrar and nameserver state.

Resolution Checklist

• Lower TTL and plan the cutover window before making the switch.
• Prepare certificate coverage and hostname bindings in the new environment first.
• After DNS changes, validate both propagation and the final HTTP behavior.
• Confirm the old origin no longer serves stale redirects, caches, or placeholder pages.
• Verify registrar, nameserver, zone, and deployment state all match the intended target environment.

When to Escalate

• Coordinate across teams when domain, CDN, application, and infrastructure ownership are split.
• Critical services should rehearse the cutover in staging and define rollback conditions before production migration.