Migrating your website can be an exciting moment, signaling growth and improved functionality. But, for many website owners, one common issue arises after a site migration: the fonts just don’t look right.
Whether fonts have completely disappeared or are displayed incorrectly, this can be frustrating and affect the user experience. If you’re facing a font error after site migration, you’re not alone.
This issue often arises due to improper configurations, missing files, or incompatibilities between the old and new servers. In this guide, we’ll walk you through the reasons behind these errors and, more importantly, how to fix them.
Why Do Font Errors Happen After a Site Migration?
When you move your website from one server to another or switch platforms, several elements can get lost or misconfigured in the process. Fonts, being part of the CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) of your site, can be one of the first things to go awry. Here are a few common reasons why a Font Error After Site Migration might occur:
Missing Font Files
During migration, some files—like fonts—may not be transferred correctly or may be placed in the wrong directory. This can happen if:
- The migration tool you used didn’t copy over all assets, especially if fonts were stored in non-standard directories.
- Certain file types, like .woff or .otf fonts, were accidentally excluded during the migration.
- Permissions on the new server block certain files from being accessed.
Without these essential font files, your website’s design breaks, as the browser will attempt to load fonts but won’t find the necessary files to render them.
Incorrect Font Paths
Font files often have relative or absolute paths that point to a specific directory. If those paths change during migration, the browser won’t be able to find and load the fonts.
For example, if your fonts were previously stored in /assets/fonts/ and your new server uses /public/fonts/, the CSS file still points to the old path, leading to missing fonts. Updating these paths in your CSS files is crucial to resolving this issue.
Additionally, fonts could be referenced in multiple stylesheets across your site, which can make troubleshooting more challenging. Each instance of @font-face in your CSS needs to correctly point to the new file locations for your fonts to render properly.
CORS (Cross-Origin Resource Sharing) Policy Issues
Fonts are often hosted on third-party servers or Content Delivery Networks (CDNs) to reduce load times and improve performance.
When your website is migrated, it may run into Cross-Origin Resource Sharing (CORS) issues if the font files are hosted on a different domain from your main site.
CORS is a security feature that blocks resources like fonts from being loaded if they are hosted on a different domain without proper permissions.
CSS and JavaScript Conflicts
Sometimes, during migration, issues arise with the way CSS and JavaScript are loaded, leading to conflicts that prevent fonts from displaying. This can happen if:
- The CSS files are linked incorrectly after the migration, causing the browser to ignore or incorrectly load the font declarations.
- JavaScript files that manipulate fonts (such as custom scripts that dynamically load fonts or apply certain styling) don’t function properly due to changes in file structure or linking.
For example, some websites use asynchronous JavaScript to load fonts after the page content, but if the script doesn’t work correctly post-migration, it may not load the fonts at all. Additionally, certain optimizations or minifications done during migration might have stripped important parts of the code that control font rendering.
Font Compatibility Issues
Some fonts may not be compatible with the new hosting environment, especially if there are differences in the server configurations or the way file permissions are handled.
How to Identify the Font Error
Before jumping into solutions, it’s essential to identify the nature of the errors your fonts are showing after migrating your site. Here are a few ways to troubleshoot:
- Browser Developer Tools: Open the developer tools in your browser and check the Console for any font-related errors. It will usually specify which files are missing or blocked.
- Check the Font URL: Ensure that the URL to your font files is correct. If you’ve moved from a local server to a different host, the paths may need updating.
- CORS Issues: Check if there are any CORS errors related to your font files in the Console. You’ll see this error if your fonts are being blocked by a different domain.
Step-by-Step Guide to Fixing Font Error After Site Migration
Now that we know what might cause a font error after a site migration, let’s look at how to troubleshoot and fix these issues.
Ensure Font Files Were Properly Transferred
The first step to fixing any font error after site migration is to confirm that all your font files have been transferred successfully. Use FTP or your web hosting’s file manager to check the font directory on the new server.
Actionable Step: Compare the font files on your old and new servers to ensure that none are missing or corrupted. If any files are missing, manually upload them to the correct directory.
Update Font File Paths
In many cases, after migration, the paths to your font files may change, especially if you’ve moved from one directory structure to another or if the domain name has changed. This can result in a font error after site migration where the fonts are not found because the old paths are no longer valid.
If your site migration involved a change in directory structure or URLs, you’ll need to update the links in your CSS files to point to the correct font locations.
- Open your CSS file and look for the @font-face declarations.
- Ensure that the src attribute points to the right path where your fonts are stored on the new server.
For example:
Upload Missing Font Files
It’s not uncommon for certain font files to be left behind during a site migration. If the error is due to missing files, you’ll need to upload them manually.
Check the source folder of your previous website and ensure all font files (.ttf, .woff, .woff2, etc.) are uploaded to the new server.
You can use FTP clients like FileZilla or cPanel’s File Manager to transfer the necessary files to the correct directory.
Fix CORS Issues
If your fonts are hosted on a different domain than your website, CORS (Cross-Origin Resource Sharing) issues may block the fonts from loading. To fix this font error after site migration, you’ll need to allow cross-origin requests on the server hosting your fonts.
Here’s how to enable CORS:
If you have access to the server where the fonts are hosted, add the following headers to the .htaccess file or server configuration:
This ensures that browsers can load fonts from different domains without running into CORS issues.
Check Permissions and File Ownership
Permissions can also lead to certain font errors after site migration. If the server does not have proper access to the font files, it will not be able to load them. Make sure the font files have the right permissions and that your web server is allowed to access them.
- Ensure that the font files have a permission level of 644 (readable by the web server).
- Also, check if the ownership of the files is correct, especially if you’ve moved from one hosting environment to another.
Clear Cache and CDN
Another reason why you may still see the font errors after site migration is because of cached versions of your old site. The browser, as well as any Content Delivery Network (CDN) you use, might still be serving outdated files.
- Clear your browser cache to see the changes take effect.
- If you’re using a CDN, make sure to purge the cache and allow the new files to propagate.
Preventing Font Errors in Future Site Migrations
To avoid running into font errors after the site migration again in the future, here are some steps you can take:
- Backup Everything: Always back up your font files, CSS files, and any related assets before initiating a migration.
- Check Compatibility: Ensure that the hosting environment and the platform you’re migrating to support the same font formats and configurations.
- Test Before Going Live: Set up a staging environment where you can test everything, including fonts, before making the migration live.
- Automate the Migration Process: If you frequently move sites, using automated migration tools can help ensure that font files are correctly transferred.
Final Thoughts
Font errors after site migration can be a frustrating problem, but it’s usually easy to fix once you know where to look. By ensuring your font files are properly transferred, updating file paths, fixing CORS issues, and verifying permissions, you can resolve the error and restore your site’s appearance.
Remember, planning ahead and taking time to test your site after migration can save you from many headaches down the road. Keep these troubleshooting tips handy, and you’ll be able to handle any font error after migrating site with ease!
If you’ve followed these steps and are still encountering issues, it may be time to reach out to your hosting provider or a web developer for further assistance.
