Migrate WordPress site to a new domain might seem like a daunting task, but it’s actually relatively simple. There are three ways used to migrate a WordPress site to a new domain; using a migration plugin, Via the web host itself, if it has the option, or by doing it manually. However, whether you’re moving your WordPress site to a new domain, or you’re just looking to make a fresh start with a new URL, the process is straightforward and can usually be done in just a few easy steps.
A Step-By-Step Guide to Migrate WordPress site to new domain.
Step 1: Backup Your Current Site
Whether you are migrating your WordPress site to a new domain with the same web hosting provider or a new hosting services provider, it’s essential to make backups of your current site before taking any steps. This way, in case anything goes wrong during the migration process, you can quickly restore your website to its original state.
Backing up your website can be done manually or using. plugins There are a few free plugins available on the WordPress repository that can help you create a complete backup of your site, including your database, files, and media.
Step 2: Set up The New Domain
Once you’ve backed up your website, set up the new domain where you want your website to be hosted. You can either use a new domain or migrate to an existing domain. Ensure that the new domain is properly set up with hosting and WordPress installed.
Also, it’s important to make sure that no other user but you have access to your current site. Otherwise, any changes that are done by other users might cause errors during the migration process.
Step 3: Export your Current WordPress Database
To begin the migration process, you’ll need to export your WordPress database. You can do this using the ‘Export’ option available under the ‘Tools’ section in your WordPress dashboard.
After that, select ‘All Content’ and click the ‘Download Export File’ button. This will download an XML file of your website’s content.
Step 4: Upload Content to the New Domain
Once you’ve exported your content, create a new WordPress installation on the new domain. You can do this by accessing your cPanel or hosting account, going to the ‘Softaculous Apps Installer section, and installing WordPress.
Once your new WordPress site is up and running, go back to your old WordPress installation, download all of your content and media files, and upload them to the new domain.
Step 5: Edit the WordPress Configuration File
Now that you’ve uploaded your content and media files to the new domain, you’ll need to edit your WordPress configuration file. This file contains your site’s database information, and you’ll need to update it with the new database details.
To make these changes, use a code editor to edit the wp-config.php file located in the root directory of your WordPress installation. Look for the following lines of code:
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Make sure that you change these lines of code to match your new domain and database information.
Step 6: Run a Search and Replace function on the new Database
After you’ve made the necessary changes to your wp-config.php file, it’s time to update URLs in your database. To do this, you’ll need a search and replace tool.
There are several WordPress plugins available that can help you with this process, but one of the most popular is the Better Search Replace plugin.
After installing and activating the plugin, go to the ‘Tools’ section in your WordPress dashboard and click ‘Better Search Replace.’
In the ‘Search for’ field, enter your old domain name, and in the ‘Replace with’ field, enter your new domain name. Select the tables you want to modify and click the ‘Run Search/Replace’ button.
Step 7: Redirect your URLs.
Now that your content has been exported and imported to the new domain, it’s time to set up URL redirects. This ensures that if someone clicks an old link to your website, they will be redirected to the new domain rather than encountering a 404 error.
You will need to set up 301 redirects from your old URLs to the new ones. 301 redirects are permanent redirects, and they let search engines know that your website has moved. If you are comfortable with coding, you can implement the redirects manually in your .htaccess file. Alternatively, you can use any of the available plugins on the internet.
Step 7: Test Your Site
At this point, you should be able to access your new site by going to the new domain name. However, it’s essential to make sure that everything is working correctly. Check that all internal links are pointing to the correct pages on the new domain and that all media files have loaded correctly.
Additionally, test all forms, functionality, and navigation. If everything looks good, congrats – you’ve successfully migrated your WordPress site to a new domain. Otherwise, if you get any errors or if something is not working as it should be, you need to have another look at the migration process.
Step 8: Notify Google
Finally, it’s time to notify Google that you have migrated your website to a new domain. Go to the Google Search Console and add the new domain to your account. Submit a new sitemap and request that Google crawl and index your new domain. You can also check for any crawl errors and fix them if necessary.
By following these steps, you can migrate your WordPress site to a new domain without losing any data or SEO rankings. It’s vital that you take your time and double-check everything to avoid any potential errors.
Conclusion
In conclusion, to migrate a WordPress site to a new domain isn’t as complex as it may seem at first. Just follow the previously mentioned steps and you will be able to manage the whole process in a smooth way.
FAQs
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