WordPress Site Azure Migration

We are a non‑profit organization migrating an existing WordPress + WooCommerce (donation‑based) website from GreenGeeks to Microsoft Azure App Service. We received Azure credits through Microsoft’s non‑profit program and are moving our infrastructure accordingly.
The goal is a seamless migration where the site on Azure:

Looks identical to the original site
Preserves all content, menus, layout, and functionality
Has a stable wp‑admin (no critical errors)
Keeps WooCommerce donation flows (Stripe & PayPal) working correctly

This is not a redesign and not a new build.

Original Environment (Source)

Hosting: GreenGeeks
PHP: 7.4
WordPress (stable)
WooCommerce (used for free products with optional donations)
Stripe & PayPal
Elementor (Free)
Blocksy theme

The site is fully functional on GreenGeeks and will remain online as a reference during migration.

Target Environment (Azure)

Microsoft Azure App Service (Linux)
Azure Database for MySQL (private VNet)
WordPress installed on Azure


What Went Wrong So Far
The data migration itself succeeded:

Database restored correctly
wp-content/uploads restored
Pages, posts, products, orders, and media are present

However, we encountered wp‑admin “critical error” issues during and after migration due to:

PHP version mismatch (7.4 on GreenGeeks → 8.3 on Azure Marketplace WordPress)
Theme and plugin compatibility issues (Elementor, Blocksy)
Legacy cache artifacts (W3 Total Cache) that had to be manually removed
Admin crashes triggered during plugin/theme activation
Inconsistent admin behavior (frontend loads, wp‑admin crashes)

Authentication has been restored, and cache layers have been removed, but admin stability is still unreliable when themes or plugins are activated.

What We Need
We are looking for a developer who can evaluate and execute the best technical path, which may be either:
✅ Stabilize the existing Azure WordPress installation, or
✅ Rebuild cleanly on a classic Azure App Service (PHP 8.1) if that is the safer and faster solution
Key requirements:

Stable wp‑admin (no critical errors)
Proper PHP compatibility handling
Clean reinstall of theme and plugins if needed
Site appearance and structure must match the original exactly
WooCommerce donation workflow must be verified (Stripe & PayPal)
No data loss (products, orders, donations, content)


Important Constraints

❌ No DNS changes
❌ No MX/email changes (email is on Google Workspace)
❌ No cache or security plugins unless discussed
✅ Minimal, controlled access will be provided
✅ GreenGeeks site remains online for comparison


Ideal Candidate

Proven experience with WordPress on Azure App Service (not just shared hosting)
Comfortable handling PHP 7.x → 8.x compatibility
Experience with WooCommerce + Elementor
Able to explain technical decisions clearly
Focused on stability and correctness, not upselling extras


Deliverable
A stable WordPress site on Azure that:

Loads without errors
Has a reliable wp‑admin
Matches the original site’s layout and behavior
Preserves all donation‑based WooCommerce functionality