{"id":65081,"date":"2022-09-29T13:22:05","date_gmt":"2022-09-29T13:22:05","guid":{"rendered":"\/tutorials\/?p=65081"},"modified":"2026-03-09T19:18:24","modified_gmt":"2026-03-09T19:18:24","slug":"how-to-move-my-wordpress-to-a-new-domain","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"\/ng\/tutorials\/how-to-move-my-wordpress-to-a-new-domain\/","title":{"rendered":"How to move a WordPress site to a new domain"},"content":{"rendered":"

Moving a WordPress site to a new domain means changing its primary web address, a common step during rebranding or a strategic shift.<\/strong><\/p>

Incorrectly moving a website can have serious consequences, such as data loss, broken functionality, and a significant drop in your search engine rankings.<\/p>

Here’s a quick look at how to move your WordPress site to a new domain:<\/p>

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  1. Secure your data<\/strong>. Start by creating a complete backup of your website’s files and database to prevent any data loss during the transfer.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Copy your database<\/strong>. Export the entire database, which contains all your posts, pages, and user information, preparing it for the new location.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Relocate your files<\/strong>. Upload the backup of your website’s core files to the server associated with your new domain name.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  4. Set up the new database<\/strong>. Create a new, empty database on your new hosting account and import the data you exported earlier.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  5. Update database URLs<\/strong>. Change the site URL references within the newly imported database to reflect your new domain name.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  6. Configure WordPress<\/strong>. Edit the wp-config.php file to connect your WordPress installation with the new database.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  7. Repair internal links<\/strong>. After the move, scan your site for any internal links still pointing to the old domain and update them.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  8. Redirect traffic and bots<\/strong>. Implement 301 redirects to automatically send visitors and search engine crawlers from your old domain to the new one.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  9. Inform Google<\/strong>. Use Google Search Console to officially notify the search engine that your site has moved to a new address.<\/li>\n<\/ol>

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    1. Back up your WordPress website<\/h2>

    Before migrating your WordPress site<\/a>, the first and most critical step is backing up all your site’s files and its database. This gives you a complete, working version of your site that you can restore if anything goes wrong during the migration, preventing any data loss.<\/p>

    There are several ways to back up your WordPress site<\/a>, including using a plugin or the backup tools provided by your hosting provider. The goal is to download a full copy of your site’s public_html<\/strong> directory and a separate file for your database.<\/p>

    2. Export the WordPress database<\/h2>

    After backing up your files, you need to export the database from your old hosting account. You can typically do this using phpMyAdmin<\/strong>, a popular database management tool available in most hosting control panels.<\/p>

    The process involves selecting your database in phpMyAdmin, choosing the export function, and saving it as an SQL<\/strong> file. For a step-by-step guide, see our tutorial on how to export your MySQL database using phpMyAdmin<\/a>.<\/p>

    3. Upload your WordPress files to the new domain<\/h2>

    With your website files backed up and saved to your computer, the next step is to upload them to your new hosting account.<\/p>

    This will place your WordPress core files, themes, plugins, and media uploads into the root directory of your new domain, typically the public_html<\/strong> folder.<\/p>

    You can upload your website files<\/a> using your new host’s File Manager<\/strong> or an FTP client like FileZilla<\/strong>. The transfer might take some time, depending on the size of your website.<\/p>

    4. Import the database to the new hosting environment<\/h2>

    After uploading your files, you need to import your WordPress database<\/a> into the new hosting environment.<\/p>

    First, create a new, empty MySQL database in your new hosting account’s control panel. You’ll need to set a database name, a username, and a password – be sure to save these details for a later step.<\/p>

    Once the new database is ready, use phpMyAdmin in your new hosting account to import the SQL<\/strong> file you exported earlier. This will populate the new database with all your old site’s content.<\/p>

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