TommyDavis_DA
New member
- Joined
- May 14, 2026
- Messages
- 1
Hi everyone,
I recently went through a full cPanel to DirectAdmin migration for several accounts and wanted to share a comprehensive guide that covers the entire process - databases, email, DNS, SSL, and backups.
Here's the quick overview of the process I used:
Pre-Migration Prep:
- Lower DNS TTL to 300 seconds 24+ hours before migration
- Document all existing DNS records (A, MX, TXT, SPF, DKIM, DMARC)
- List all cPanel accounts, databases, mailboxes, and cron jobs
- Take a full off-server backup
The 10 Steps:
1. Create cPanel backup with pkgacct
2. Transfer backup to DirectAdmin server via rsync
3. Convert using DirectAdmin's built-in cpanel_to_da tool
4. Verify databases and update app configs (especially WP wp-config.php)
5. Sync email with imapsync for zero message loss
6. Compare and verify all DNS records
7. Re-issue SSL certificates after DNS cutover
8. Verify SPF/DKIM/DMARC email authentication
9. Run systematic post-cutover tests
10. Keep old cPanel server online 7-14 days for monitoring
The rollback plan is simple if you lowered TTL: just revert nameservers/A records back to the old server.
Common issues I encountered:
- DB name/user mismatches after migration - update app config files
- Mail login failures - reset passwords, update client hostnames
- SSL failures - verify DNS propagation and port 80 access
- SPF/DKIM failures - update TXT records with new IPs
I wrote up the full detailed guide with all the commands here:
www.serverspan.com
Hope this helps anyone planning a migration. Happy to answer questions!
I recently went through a full cPanel to DirectAdmin migration for several accounts and wanted to share a comprehensive guide that covers the entire process - databases, email, DNS, SSL, and backups.
Here's the quick overview of the process I used:
Pre-Migration Prep:
- Lower DNS TTL to 300 seconds 24+ hours before migration
- Document all existing DNS records (A, MX, TXT, SPF, DKIM, DMARC)
- List all cPanel accounts, databases, mailboxes, and cron jobs
- Take a full off-server backup
The 10 Steps:
1. Create cPanel backup with pkgacct
2. Transfer backup to DirectAdmin server via rsync
3. Convert using DirectAdmin's built-in cpanel_to_da tool
4. Verify databases and update app configs (especially WP wp-config.php)
5. Sync email with imapsync for zero message loss
6. Compare and verify all DNS records
7. Re-issue SSL certificates after DNS cutover
8. Verify SPF/DKIM/DMARC email authentication
9. Run systematic post-cutover tests
10. Keep old cPanel server online 7-14 days for monitoring
The rollback plan is simple if you lowered TTL: just revert nameservers/A records back to the old server.
Common issues I encountered:
- DB name/user mismatches after migration - update app config files
- Mail login failures - reset passwords, update client hostnames
- SSL failures - verify DNS propagation and port 80 access
- SPF/DKIM failures - update TXT records with new IPs
I wrote up the full detailed guide with all the commands here:
cPanel to DirectAdmin migration guide for 2026: move accounts, databases, email, DNS, SSL, and backups safely with a tested rollback plan. - ServerSpan
A cPanel to DirectAdmin migration starts with a full cPanel account backup, a clean DirectAdmin server, a controlled transfer, conversion with the...
www.serverspan.com
Hope this helps anyone planning a migration. Happy to answer questions!