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You can move a WordPress site to a new domain without throwing away its search traffic, but only if the old URLs remain reachable and each one redirects to its closest equivalent on the new domain. The safe sequence is: inventory URLs, prepare the new site, change WordPress’s URL settings, update absolute links, install page-to-page 301 redirects, use Google Search Console’s Change of Address tool, submit the new sitemap, and monitor both domains.
A temporary decline is normal. Google describes domain moves as gradual, and recovery can take months. The goal is to preserve the URL signals that search engines and visitors already know, while giving them a clean path to the replacement pages.
What changes when you move a WordPress domain?
A domain move changes the address of every public resource: posts, pages, media files, feeds, author archives, category archives and sometimes administrative endpoints. Search engines have to recrawl those addresses, follow the redirects and consolidate signals on the new URLs.
Changing only the WordPress address is not enough. If the old domain returns errors, redirects to the wrong page or points every request to the home page, users lose bookmarked links and search engines receive weak or conflicting signals. A successful migration preserves the site’s URL structure wherever possible and maps exceptions individually.
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Moves that need Google’s Change of Address tool
Use the tool for a move between domains or subdomains, such as oldsite.tld to newsite.tld or blog.oldsite.tld to blog.newsite.tld. It works at the domain-property level.
Moves that do not need the tool
Do not use Change of Address for an HTTP-to-HTTPS change, a switch between www and non-www on the same domain, or moving pages within one domain. Those changes still require correct canonical tags, internal links and redirects where applicable, but they are not domain moves in Search Console’s sense.
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1. Inventory every URL before touching WordPress
Create a migration list before changing DNS or WordPress settings. This list becomes the redirect map and your post-launch test plan.
- Export the current XML sitemap. Keep every indexable URL, including URLs that may not receive much traffic.
- Export the Search Console Page report. Include indexed, crawled and discovered URLs, not just pages currently receiving clicks.
- Export analytics landing pages. Include every URL with at least one visit in the last 12 months. Pay special attention to organic landing pages, high-value referrals and pages with conversions.
- Add non-page assets and special paths. Record image files, PDFs, feeds, attachment URLs, pagination paths and important campaign landing pages if people link to them.
- Record the intended destination. For each old URL, specify its exact new URL, whether the content will be consolidated, or whether the URL should return a genuine 404 or 410.
Do not rely on a crawl performed after the switch. Once the old domain starts redirecting, discovery tools may no longer show the original response, status code or content.
Build a practical mapping table
| Old URL pattern | New destination | Redirect status | Validation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Individual post | Matching post on the new domain | 301 | Title, canonical and main content match |
| Renamed or merged page | Closest equivalent page | 301 | Destination answers the same user intent |
| Deleted page with no replacement | None | 404 or 410 | No valuable links or traffic remain |
| Old sitemap URL | New sitemap URL | Not redirected | New sitemap lists only canonical new URLs |
2. Prepare hosting, HTTPS and Search Console
- Register or configure the new domain and point it to the new or migrated hosting environment.
- Install a valid TLS certificate and confirm that the new site loads over
https://before launch. - Make sure the new server can serve the complete WordPress installation, uploads, rewrite rules and cron tasks.
- Verify the new domain in Google Search Console before the cutover. Verify every relevant property variant: HTTP, HTTPS, www and non-www, as well as subdomains that will be redirected.
- Keep the old hosting and DNS available. The old domain must continue responding while redirects are active.
Use a staging copy when possible. Block staging from indexing, and remove that block before the production launch. A staging environment is for testing links, redirects and URL settings; it is not a substitute for keeping the old site available.
3. Change WordPress Address and Site Address safely
WordPress has two URL fields under Settings → General:
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- WordPress Address (URL): where the WordPress core files are located.
- Site Address (URL): the public address visitors use.
For a normal single-site installation, set both to the new HTTPS URL with no trailing slash, for example https://newsite.tld. Save the settings only after the new domain and certificate are working.
Dashboard procedure
- Sign in through the new domain, or temporarily use the existing domain if DNS has not switched yet.
- Open Settings → General.
- Replace both URL fields with the new HTTPS address, without a final slash.
- Save changes and sign in again if WordPress ends the current session.
- Open the home page, an ordinary post, a page, the media library and
/wp-admin/to confirm that links and styles load from the intended domain.
Lock the values in wp-config.php when the dashboard is inaccessible
You can define the values before loading WordPress:
define( 'WP_HOME', 'https://newsite.tld' );
define( 'WP_SITEURL', 'https://newsite.tld' );These constants override the dashboard fields and lock them while present. They do not update the underlying database values. Remove them after the migration if administrators need to edit the URLs from the dashboard again.
If you used WordPress’s RELOCATE method during recovery, remove the RELOCATE line immediately after the correct URL is stored. Leaving it in place can create an unsafe configuration.
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Multisite migrations generally require manual database edits and network-specific handling. The Settings → General procedure described above applies to single-site installations; do not assume it changes every network site, mapped domain or subdomain. Back up the database and follow a Multisite-specific migration plan before editing network tables.
4. Replace old absolute URLs without corrupting data
Changing the site settings does not rewrite URLs already stored in post content, widgets, plugin options, menus or serialized configuration. Search for the old domain in all of those locations.
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Use a serialization-aware WP-CLI search-replace
After taking a database backup, run a dry run first, then perform the replacement. A typical command is:
wp search-replace 'https://oldsite.tld' 'https://newsite.tld' --all-tables --skip-columns=guid --dry-runWhen the dry run reports the expected tables and counts, run the same command without --dry-run. WP-CLI understands serialized values, which matters for many WordPress options and plugin settings.
Why a blind SQL replacement is risky
A raw text replacement can change string lengths inside serialized data and leave options or widgets unreadable. Vendor migration guidance warns against an unqualified SQL swap. If a database edit is unavoidable, make a tested backup, use a serialization-aware method and verify every affected plugin.
Places that still need a manual check
- Hard-coded links in theme PHP, JavaScript and CSS files.
- Custom code, shortcodes and page-builder settings.
.htaccessor Nginx rewrite rules.- Upload paths and CDN settings.
- Plugin options containing callback URLs, webhook endpoints or license domains.
- Email templates and structured-data fields.
Do not change WordPress GUIDs. GUIDs identify the original post object and are not intended to be rewritten as part of a domain move. WordPress template functions such as bloginfo() normally read the site address from settings, so themes using those functions usually need no source edit.
5. Install one-to-one 301 redirects
Redirect every important old URL to the closest matching new URL with a permanent 301 response. A post should go to the same post, a product or service page to its equivalent, and a renamed page to the page that satisfies the same intent.
Why a home-page redirect is a bad migration
A blanket rule that sends every old URL to the new home page discards context. Visitors who click an old article link do not get the promised information, and search engines may treat unrelated destinations as soft 404s. Redirecting to the home page is appropriate only when the old URL genuinely represented the home page.
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Redirect method comparison
| Method | Use | Advantages | Risks or limits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Web-server rules | Preferred for large migrations | Fast, runs before WordPress and handles every request | Syntax errors can affect the whole site; test on staging |
| CDN or edge rules | Useful when traffic is filtered at the edge | Low origin load and broad variant coverage | Rules must preserve paths and query handling correctly |
| Redirect plugin | Practical when server access is limited | Manageable mapping interface and logging | Depends on WordPress loading; large rule sets can add overhead |
| Meta refresh | Not recommended | Works only after a page loads | Slower, less reliable and weaker than a server-side 301 |
Cover every old-domain variant
Test and redirect the bare domain, www and non-www hostnames, HTTP and HTTPS, and any old subdomains. Preserve the path and, where appropriate, the query string. Send each variant directly to the final HTTPS URL so visitors do not pass through a chain such as HTTP → www → old path → new path.
Use a 301 rather than a 302 for a permanent move. A 302 tells Google that the old address may return, which can delay consolidation of the new URL.
6. Run Change of Address in Search Console
Run this step only after the new site works and redirects are live. Starting the tool before redirects are available can send users and crawlers into a broken move.
- Confirm that you are an owner of both the old and new Search Console properties.
- Use the same Google account for both properties.
- Open the old property and start the Change of Address process.
- Select the new domain-level property and complete the pre-checks.
- Repeat the process for each relevant subdomain variant covered by the migration.
The tool applies at domain level. Google displays the move notification in Search Console for 180 days when critical checks pass. You cannot immediately chain moves, such as moving A to B and then B to C, so choose the final domain before starting.
7. Publish the new site’s signals
- Generate a new XML sitemap containing only canonical URLs on the new domain.
- Submit that sitemap in the new Search Console property.
- Update canonical tags so each page points to its new HTTPS URL.
- Change navigation, breadcrumbs, XML feeds, structured data and internal links to the new domain.
- Check robots.txt and ensure the new site is not accidentally blocked from crawling.
- Update external services that use the domain, including analytics, consent tools, email systems, payment callbacks and webhooks.
Keep the old sitemap available only as an audit reference; do not submit an old-domain sitemap as the preferred sitemap for the new property.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.8. Monitor traffic and errors after launch
Compare combined organic traffic from both domains with the pre-migration baseline. Looking only at the new domain can make a normal transition look like a severe loss while some visits are still arriving through old URLs.
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First 48 hours
- Test representative old URLs from every redirect rule and confirm a single 301 to the final new URL.
- Open the new home page, top landing pages, posts, categories, media files and search pages.
- Check HTTPS certificates, canonical tags, robots.txt and the sitemap.
- Review server and CDN logs for redirect loops, 404s, 500s and unexpected hostnames.
Following weeks
- Review old-domain logs for several weeks and add redirects for valuable URLs that still return 404.
- Inspect Search Console indexing, Page indexing errors and crawl statistics.
- Watch rankings and organic sessions by landing page, not just sitewide totals.
- Check referral, email and social links that may still contain the old domain.
Keep redirects for at least 180 days, which is the period associated with the Change of Address notification. Google’s broader site-move guidance recommends keeping them for at least one year, and longer if Google Search still sends traffic to old URLs. Removing them early can strand users and break links that have not yet been updated.
Common failure modes and fixes
The new site redirects back to the old site
Check WordPress Address and Site Address, WP_HOME, WP_SITEURL, reverse-proxy settings and cached configuration. Remove stale constants or rewrite rules that still name the old domain.
Every old URL lands on the new home page
Replace the blanket rule with a path-preserving rule or an explicit page-to-page map. Add individual destinations for renamed, merged and high-traffic pages.
Styles, images or scripts fail after the move
Search the database and theme files for absolute HTTP or old-domain URLs. Confirm that the uploads directory, CDN host and mixed-content settings use HTTPS.
WordPress says “too many redirects”
Ensure HTTPS is terminated in one place, then align the server’s forwarded-protocol setting with WordPress. Remove duplicate HTTP-to-HTTPS rules from the CDN, web server and WordPress plugin until one direct redirect path remains.
Traffic drops sharply
First verify that the old domain returns 301 responses, the new pages return 200 responses, and the new sitemap is indexable. Then check whether important URLs were omitted from the map, canonicals still reference the old domain, or robots.txt blocks crawling. A temporary decline can occur because the move is processed gradually; measure both domains over the following weeks and months.
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Search Console will not allow Change of Address
Verify ownership of both domain properties with the same account, select the old property as the starting point, and confirm that the move is truly between domains or subdomains. The tool is not available for an HTTP-to-HTTPS-only change or a www preference change within one domain.
Migration checklist
- URL inventory exported from the sitemap, Search Console and 12 months of analytics.
- New hosting, DNS and HTTPS tested.
- New domain verified in Search Console, including relevant variants.
- WordPress Address and Site Address set to the new HTTPS URL without a trailing slash.
WP_HOME,WP_SITEURLand any temporaryRELOCATEsetting reviewed and removed when no longer needed.- Database backup completed before search-replace.
- Absolute URLs updated with a serialization-aware method.
- GUIDs left unchanged.
- Page-to-page 301 redirects deployed for all old variants.
- Redirect chains, loops and blanket home-page redirects eliminated.
- Change of Address submitted from the old property after redirects go live.
- New sitemap, canonicals and internal links published.
- Old-domain logs monitored and redirects retained for at least 180 days, preferably a year or longer.
Bottom line
The safest WordPress domain migration is a controlled URL transition, not a simple domain replacement. Preserve the old site’s URL inventory, make the WordPress settings and stored links consistent, redirect each old address directly to its equivalent, then tell Google about the move and monitor both domains. That process cannot guarantee an immediate, perfectly flat traffic graph, but it gives search engines and visitors the strongest possible path from the old domain to the new one.
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