How To Change Your Domain Name On Wordpress

With more than than 366 1000000 domain names already registered online, information technology tin can exist intimidating to beginning the procedure of irresolute your ain domain proper name.

For one thing, you might have a difficult time finding another unique domain proper noun. And, if you aren't entirely certain of how to do it correctly, you could damage your WordPress site's SEO — or even completely lose your content.

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It's important to know all the steps to changing a domain name before you get started, from choosing a new domain name to bankroll up your website to redirecting URLs.

Follow forth for a step-by-step guide on how to change your domain name on WordPress.

Reasons for Changing Your WordPress Domain Name

There are plenty of reasons you might want or demand to modify your domain name. Mayhap your business organisation goals have changed and it'south fourth dimension to rebrand.

Alternatively, maybe you need to reconsider your domain extensions, such equally changing .internet to .com or switching from a free platform with a required domain extension to a paid choice with just your chief domain name. For case, yous might find it more professional person to motility from yourdomain.wordpress.com to yourdomain.com.

What to Practice Before Changing Your Domain Name

There are a few of import things to accept in order before you lot get-go digging into the wp-config.php or the FTP.

i. Choose a New Domain

Earlier y'all outset moving everything over, you'll demand to cull and ain your new domain name.

There are plenty of domain registrars online, and some hosting services even offer gratis domains.

If you need aid establishing your domain, you tin can check out this free HubSpot form on how to build your WordPress website, which offers helpful data on how to set up your domain equally well.

2. Backup Your Website

There would exist nada worse than completely losing all of your content under your own domain name while transferring to a new domain name.

The process can get complex at times, but bankroll up your website is a quick and piece of cake way to safeguard your work in case something doesn't go quite correct. Luckily, we volition go more in depth here on a variety of plugins that will help you fill-in your website with ease.

three. Notify Your Audience

Once you take a new domain name solidified, you'll want to offset letting your audience know that they might see some changes every bit you change to a new domain name.

Permit them know when they tin expect to meet your new domain, and reassure them that they'll still be able to access your content.

How to Alter Domain Name on WordPress

Ready to learn how to change your primary domain on WordPress? Things can get a fiddling technical hither, merely by post-obit these steps closely, the process will be seamless.

ane. Change the Domain in WordPress

Log into your WordPress account, and from the dashboard, get to Settings > Full general. Modify both the WordPress Address and Site Address to your new domain proper name, and so salve.

2. Update the wp-config.php

What is the wp-config.php? This is a crucial file in your WordPress installation that contains important data and configuration information from your website.

To access and update this with your new domain, you'll need to find your FTP credentials from your hosting provider. Once yous have access to the FTP, get to public_html > wp-config.php, then right-click the file and select Edit. What you will see is:

                                          
ascertain('WP_HOME','http://yoursitename.com');define('WP_SITEURL','http://yoursitename.com');

Change 'yoursitename' to the new domain name, then save.

3. Update the WordPress Database

Go to your hosting control console and find phpMyAdmin. Find wp_options, and then type your new domain into 'siteurl' and 'home'. Click Go to salvage.

four. Redirect the Old Domain

It's fourth dimension to ensure your old website is redirected to the new website, equally audiences might all the same stumble upon your old URL or forget that y'all've changed to a new domain. By redirecting, they can type in the old domain and however finish up on your new domain.

To ready up these 301 redirects, as they are called, get to your hosting control console and choose the file director. Become to the .htaccess folder, and right-click to edit. Add the post-obit code, changing 'newdomain' to your new domain, to the pinnacle of the page:

                                          
#Options +FollowSymLinksRewriteEngine on
                      RewriteRule ^(.*)$ http://world wide web.newdomain.com/$ane [R=301,L]

5. Notify Search Engines

Search engines, particularly Google, have tools to change your site address. You'll fill out a unproblematic grade to notify search engines of the change, and then they tin can direct search traffic to your new domain proper noun. Make certain you lot fulfill the requirements for Google here, then access the Change of Accost tool here.

WordPress Alter Domain Plugins

Need help backing up your website or redirecting your URLs? There'southward a plugin for that! Here are some popular options that can help y'all with these tasks and more as y'all handle your WordPress domain change.

1. Duplicator

Duplicator is a tiptop-rated plugin for WordPress migrations and backups. You can easily backup your site and move your website, and this tool is especially helpful if you'll also be switching hosts during your domain change. Duplicator will download your unabridged WordPress site — plugins, themes, and all — into a .cypher file as a backup or for simplified migrations with no downtime.

2. Redirection

The aptly named Redirection plugin makes light work of 301 redirects. Information technology likewise tracks 404 errors to make sure your website isn't suffering in search rankings due to cleaved links, domain change-related or non. Down the line, you lot might too find other reasons for redirects, and this plugin allows for conditional redirects.

iii. Fill-in Guard

Another option for backups and migrations, Backup Guard offers backup and restore functionality for your website'southward files. If yous upgrade to the premium version, Fill-in Guard will as well handle migrating your website from i domain to another, making the process a easy.

Follow These Tips for a Stress-Costless WordPress Domain Modify

No matter the reason, changing a domain name can feel stressful. Even just finding a new domain can exist a process in-and-of itself.

But with a little training and this guide on handling WordPress domain changes, you tin can have your new domain set up in no time — regardless of whether you do everything manually, or install a plugin to lend you a hand.

Use HubSpot tools on your WordPress website and connect the two platforms without dealing with code. Click here to learn more.