# Move Discourse to a new server without setting up the web UI first?

**URL:** <https://meta.discourse.org/t/move-discourse-to-a-new-server-without-setting-up-the-web-ui-first/76504>\
**Category:** Self-hosting\
**Created:** [December 20, 2017, 7:29pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/move-discourse-to-a-new-server-without-setting-up-the-web-ui-first/76504 "2017-12-20T19:29:16Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 7

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**Author:** ![pjv](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/pjv/32/115994_2.png) [@pjv](https://meta.discourse.org/u/pjv)\
**Post date:** [September 3, 2022, 10:46am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/move-discourse-to-a-new-server-without-setting-up-the-web-ui-first/76504/7 "2022-09-03T10:46:19Z")

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> [@pfaffman](#):
>
> > [@Pad\_Pors](#):
> >
> > is it possible to set up the new server by simply **copying** /var/discourse/ of the old server into the new one
> 
> Yes. You can do that.

Sorry to re-open an old / solved topic, but I thought this clarification should be in here rather than a new topic.

If I want to re-locate a working stand-alone discourse install from old-server to new-server, and assuming that docker is installed and working on new-server, could it be as simple as:

old-server:

```plaintext
cd /var/discourse
./launcher stop app

```

new-server:

```plaintext
rsync old-server:/var/discourse /var
cd /var/discourse
./launcher rebuild app

```

Then change the DNS to point the forum’s domain name to new-server.

???

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_[View the full topic](https://meta.discourse.org/t/move-discourse-to-a-new-server-without-setting-up-the-web-ui-first/76504)._