🗺️ Overview
If you built your website using Wix but want to host it on Namecheap with a domain registered through GoDaddy, you need to complete three steps: export your Wix site content, point your GoDaddy domain to Namecheap's nameservers, and publish your site through Namecheap hosting. This guide walks you through each step clearly.
⚠️ What to Know Before You Start
There are a few important limitations to understand upfront:
- Wix does not allow full site exports. Wix is a closed platform — you cannot download your site's source code or migrate it directly to another host. You will need to rebuild or replicate your content on the new hosting environment.
- Domain and hosting are separate. Your GoDaddy domain and your Namecheap hosting account are independent services. You connect them by updating nameservers.
- DNS changes take time. After updating nameservers, propagation can take 24–48 hours worldwide.
📋 Step 1 — Gather Your Namecheap Hosting Details
- Log in to your Namecheap account at namecheap.com.
- Go to Dashboard → Hosting List and select your hosting plan.
- Note the two nameserver addresses assigned to your plan (they typically look like dns1.namecheaphosting.com and dns2.namecheaphosting.com). You will need these in the next step.
- Also note your hosting cPanel login URL, username, and password — you will use cPanel to publish your website files.
🔗 Step 2 — Point Your GoDaddy Domain to Namecheap
- Log in to your GoDaddy account and go to My Products → Domains.
- Click Manage next to the domain you want to use.
- Scroll to the Nameservers section and click Change.
- Select Enter my own nameservers.
- Replace the existing nameservers with the two Namecheap nameserver addresses you gathered in Step 1.
- Save your changes. GoDaddy will display a confirmation prompt — accept it.
- Wait 24–48 hours for DNS propagation to complete before expecting the domain to resolve correctly.
🏗️ Step 3 — Recreate and Upload Your Website to Namecheap
Because Wix does not allow file exports, you need to rebuild your website content in a format compatible with Namecheap hosting. Common approaches include:
- WordPress on Namecheap: Install WordPress via Namecheap's cPanel (Softaculous one-click installer), then recreate your pages and content. This is the most flexible option.
- Static HTML site: If your site is simple, manually code or use a website builder tool to create HTML/CSS files, then upload them via cPanel's File Manager or an FTP client.
To upload files via cPanel File Manager:
- Log in to your Namecheap cPanel.
- Open File Manager and navigate to the public_html folder.
- Upload your website files (HTML, CSS, images, etc.) into this folder.
- Ensure your homepage file is named index.html or index.php so the server loads it by default.
✅ Step 4 — Verify Your Site Is Live
- After DNS propagation (24–48 hours), open a browser and type your GoDaddy domain into the address bar.
- Your Namecheap-hosted website should load. If it does not, try clearing your browser cache or checking propagation status using a tool like whatsmydns.net.
- Confirm your nameservers are correctly set by entering your domain on the whatsmydns.net site and selecting NS from the record type dropdown.
🛠️ Troubleshooting Common Issues
- Domain still shows the old Wix site: DNS has not fully propagated yet. Wait the full 48 hours and clear your browser cache.
- Nameservers not saving in GoDaddy: Ensure you are entering the nameservers exactly as provided by Namecheap, with no extra spaces.
- cPanel login not working: Double-check your credentials in the Namecheap dashboard under your hosting plan details. You may need to reset your cPanel password from there.
- Site shows a blank page or error after upload: Confirm your main file is named index.html or index.php and is placed directly inside the public_html folder, not inside a subfolder.
💬 Need More Help?
If you need further assistance, open the chat widget in the bottom-right corner of the platform and type human teammate to be connected with a member of our team.
Additional Notes
Step 4 details connecting the custom domain inside Wix (Settings → Website Settings → Custom Domain → Connect a Domain You Already Own) and adding Wix-provided DNS records (A, CNAME) via Namecheap cPanel Zone Editor instead of GoDaddy.