How to Change WordPress Domain Name?

You may wonder why people change WordPress domain name. Most site owners decide to change their web address to align with evolving brand goals or to navigate legal/security hurdles. 

Understanding the reason behind changing and strategically planning the decision enables brand recognition and builds trust with the audience. Sometimes changing your WordPress domain name is often the fastest way to align with your online presence. Furthermore, it takes your brand to the next chapter while aligning with your site.

In this guide, we’ll not only show you how to change a WordPress domain but also explain why so many site owners undertake this move. Whether you’re rebranding, fixing technical issues, or wanting to secure against legal or security risks, changing your site’s domain name can redefine your site identity.

Why does a site owner change WordPress domain name?

A domain name is a website’s online address, which allows users to find the specific site. It acts like your website’s front signboard, making it easy for visitors to recognize and return to your site. Hence, the domain name’s importance is reflected in branding, discoverability, trust, legal protection, and technical operation.

On the other hand, changing a WordPress domain is often a strategic move that requires strategic planning for mitigating the potential disruptions. Similarly, some of the potential reasons for site owners to change WordPress domain names are

Business or Branding Reason.

When business priorities shift or growth, their domain names generally need to reflect these changes. The business may change their domain to reflect a new brand identity, accommodate a merger, or support expansion into new markets. The process might involve moving from a regional domain extension (like .uk, .co, or .in) to a global .com.

This results in selecting a domain that better represents the business’s current direction and objectives. Similarly, a domain change for branding purposes helps in maintaining consistency between your business identity and digital presence.

SEO and Traffic Considerations.

Search engine optimization plays a crucial role in domain change decisions. Site owners might look for a new domain that better incorporates target keywords, potentially improving visibility in search results and CTR (click-through rates).

Whereas in other cases, a domain might carry the burden of past SEO penalties or a problematic backlink profile, which is difficult to overcome. So, starting fresh with a new domain provides a fresh look for SEO efforts. From which you can strengthen online visibility when remediation of the original domain proves too challenging.

Technical and Security Factors.

The domain changes also occur when ownership or control matters arise. The frequent disruption of technical errors drives site owners to change domain names in the WordPress ecosystem. Similarly, site owners might want to change domains in search of more secure hosting, implement HTTPS, or address constant technical issues.

Perhaps integrating multiple sites under one domain makes the management of sites easier. These technical transitions may be challenging. But they often result in improved site performance and security.

Key Consideration Before Changing WordPress Domain Name

Changing your WordPress domain name is like changing your online business address. Before jumping into changing the WordPress domain name, you should ensure that you have the right tool and credentials. Verifying that your new domain is properly configured and connected to a hosted environment ensures a smooth transition.

Select a new domain.

Start by researching and selecting the new domain name. It ensures that new addresses align with your preferences. So before diving into anything, own the domain name that perfectly matches your business or profession. Similarly, try for a common extension like .com if possible because it is the most popular choice that people can recognize easily.

Back up everything.

Creating a complete backup of your website (files and database) is a critical process to avoid data loss and to enable recovery. If anything goes wrong during the transition, you can easily cover your data. Research shows that backups let you recover quickly if your site breaks or gets lost.

Alert your audience.

Notifying your users about the upcoming changes helps in maintaining trust and prevents confusion. It also gives you an opportunity to communicate the reasons for the change and what users should expect. Domain.com advises notifying people via website notices, social media, and email so no one is caught off guard.

Set up redirects.

This is usually done with a “301 redirect,” which automatically forwards anyone who visits your old URL to the new one. It ensures both visitors and search engines get sent to your new domain. This step is important so you don’t lose traffic or bookmarks when the address changes.

What are the steps involved in changing the WordPress domain name?

Now you know why the site’s owner changed the WordPress domain name. The next task includes a few technical steps, which include

Step 1: Back Your Site Completely

Start by exporting your database and downloading all your WordPress files (especially the WP-content folder). Alternatively, you can use your host’s backup tool or a plugin like UpdraftPlus to simplify the process.

Step 2: Add and Point Your New Domain

In your hosting control panel, add the new domain (as an addon or parked domain) and update its DNS records to point to your server’s IP.

Step 3: Update the WordPress Address and Site Address

Go to Settings → General in wp-admin and change both “WordPress Address (URL)” and “Site Address (URL)” to your new domain (include “https://” if using SSL). Then click “Save changes.

Step 4: Define URLs in wp-config.php (if needed).

If you can’t access your WordPress (wp-admin) while moving your website, you can change the settings via the wp-config.php file. Where you should add the code:

define('WP_HOME','https://new-domain.com');

define('WP_SITEURL','https://new-domain.com');

Note: Use the above method only when you lose admin access after a broken URL change. Or when you migrate your files to a new domain/host and need a quick way to restore.

Step 5: Replace the old URL in the database.

Use the Better Search Replace plugin or another WordPress plugin that handles serialized data to replace every instance of the old domain with the new one.

Step 6: Update the .htaccess Rules

Now edit any hard-coded redirects or custom rewrite rules in your .htaccess file to reference the new domain.

Step 7: Install/Update SSL Certificate

Issue or reissue an SSL certificate for your new domain and install it on your server.

Step 8: Set Up 301 Redirects from the Old Domain

This step is crucial for a URL redirection from your old domain to the new one. This helps in forwarding all the traffic and preserving SEO by placing the code in the old domain’s .htaccess.

Step 9: Clear all caches.

Use cache plugins like W3 Total Cache and CDN caches, which direct visitors to see the updated domain.

Step 10: Update External Services

At last, visit the new domain and click through pages, posts, media, and forms to check for broken links or mixed-content errors. Then add and verify the new domain in Google Search Console and submit an updated sitemap.

Changing your domain name in WordPress may seem technical, but by following each step carefully,. You can ensure a smooth transition with minimal impact on your SEO, traffic, and user experience. Always keep backups, double-check your links, and monitor your site performance after the transformation. Because if anything breaks, you’ll have a backup to restore and try again.

FAQs

Can I change the WordPress domain name?

Yes, you can change the WordPress domain name of a self-hosted site. But you require careful planning and several technical steps, which include updating the WordPress settings, changing URLs in your database, and setting up proper redirects.

Does changing my WordPress domain name hurt SEO?

Changing your domain name can hurt SEO when you don’t redirect it carefully. As you switch to a new domain, there is a risk of losing some of the trust, which leads to a drop in rankings and traffic for a few weeks. However, if you handle the migration properly—by setting up 301 redirects, verifying the new domain in Google Search Console,. Then, you can recover and even improve your SEO over time.

What happens if I change my WordPress domain name?

When you change your WordPress domain name, you’ll need to

• Update the new domain across the entire site, including the database, internal links, and WordPress settings.
• Set up 301 redirects from the old domain to the new one to preserve SEO and user access.
• Expect a temporary sink in search rankings and traffic, but with proper steps, your site can regain and improve its SEO performance.
• Rebuild backlinks and update your domain in external profiles and directories.