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WordPress has two URL settings because the address where its files are installed can differ from the public address visitors use. WordPress Address (URL) points to the WordPress core directory; Site Address (URL) is the address people enter to view the site. They are normally identical, but a subdirectory installation may use different values.

Most update failures have one of four causes: the fields are being overridden in wp-config.php, the URL was entered with the wrong scheme or a trailing slash, the database still contains old values after a lockout, or a domain migration left old URLs in content and serialized settings. Use the symptom-led procedures below, and make an off-site backup before changing files or database rows.

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What the two WordPress URL settings mean

WordPress Address (URL)

WordPress Developer Resources defines the WordPress Address as “the address where your WordPress core files reside.” It is the installation location of the WordPress application itself. If the files are in the document root, this might be https://example.com. If they are installed in a directory named wordpress, it may be https://example.com/wordpress.

Site Address (URL)

The Site Address is “the address you want people to type in their browser to reach your WordPress blog.” It is the public URL shown to visitors and used for front-end links. In a conventional root installation it matches the WordPress Address. In a deliberately separated installation, it can be the root URL while the core files remain in a subdirectory.

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Required URL format

  • Include the complete scheme, normally https://.
  • Use the correct host name, including any intended subdomain.
  • Include a required path such as /wordpress when that is where the core files live.
  • Do not add a final slash. Enter https://example.com, not https://example.com/.

A mismatch in scheme, host, path, or slash can produce redirects, login failures, missing assets, or links that continue pointing to the former address.

Why WordPress URL changes fail

The fields are greyed out

If Settings → General shows disabled URL fields, wp-config.php probably defines WP_HOME, WP_SITEURL, or both. Those constants are authoritative at runtime, so WordPress prevents the matching General-settings fields from being edited. They override the database values; they do not rewrite those stored values.

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The site redirects or the login no longer works

A typo, an omitted https://, a changed domain, or an incorrect subdirectory can send every request to the wrong host or path. The same error can make /wp-admin redirect repeatedly or reject a valid login because cookies are being set for a different address.

Only some links, images, or styles are old

Changing home and siteurl changes WordPress’s primary settings, not every string stored in posts, widgets, theme options, menus, or plugins. A migration therefore needs a serialization-safe search-and-replace after the main URLs are corrected.

A temporary relocation setting was left behind

WordPress documentation warns: “Leaving the RELOCATE constant in your wp-config.php file is insecure.” If a previous repair added RELOCATE, remove it once the correct values are saved. Do not treat it as a permanent URL configuration.

Prepare before editing anything

URL repairs can lock you out or break every generated link if a value is mistyped. Complete this checklist first:

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  • Create an off-site backup of both the files and the database. Confirm that the backup can be downloaded and that you know how to restore it.
  • Write down the intended old and new URLs, including scheme, host, and path. Decide whether the public site should use www or a bare domain and keep that choice consistent.
  • Record the table prefix from wp-config.php; it may not be wp_.
  • Keep a file-manager, hosting-panel, or SFTP route available in case the dashboard becomes inaccessible.
  • Plan to test the homepage, an internal permalink, an image or stylesheet, login, redirects, and canonical URLs after every change.

Use the symptom to choose the repair

What you see Most likely cause First action
Both URL fields are editable The database values are controlling the settings. Correct them in Settings → General, save, and test the front end and /wp-admin.
One or both fields are greyed out WP_HOME or WP_SITEURL is defined in wp-config.php. Inspect the file and decide whether to keep the hard-coded override or remove it after repairing the database.
The dashboard redirects to the wrong domain or will not load A wrong database value or an override points to an old host or path. Add temporary correct constants through a file editor, regain access, then repair the stored values.
There is no dashboard and no file override The database settings themselves are wrong. Back up first and edit the siteurl and home rows in the options table.
The main site works but old links, images, CSS, or serialized settings remain The change was a migration, not just a settings edit. Run a serialization-aware search-and-replace, previewing it with a dry run.

Fix the URLs from the WordPress dashboard

Use this route when you can sign in and the fields are editable.

  1. Open Settings → General.
  2. In WordPress Address (URL), enter the exact directory that contains the WordPress core files.
  3. In Site Address (URL), enter the public address visitors should use.
  4. Check both values for https://, the correct host and path, and no trailing slash.
  5. Save the changes.
  6. Open the homepage in a private browser window, follow an internal permalink, load a page containing an image and stylesheet, and sign in again at /wp-admin.

If saving immediately logs you out, close the old tab and revisit the new address. If it redirects to the former host, stop and follow the file or database procedures instead of repeatedly submitting the form.

Fix greyed-out fields in wp-config.php

Find the authoritative constants

Use your hosting file manager, SFTP, or another file editor to open the active wp-config.php. Look for definitions resembling:

define( 'WP_HOME', 'https://example.com' );
define( 'WP_SITEURL', 'https://example.com' );

WP_HOME controls the public Site Address, while WP_SITEURL controls the WordPress core location. The names can be present separately, so inspect both. Compare each value with the intended scheme, host, and path.

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Choose a deliberate configuration

  • Keep the constants: This is appropriate when you intentionally want deployment configuration to override the database. Correct the strings in the file and understand that the General settings fields will remain uneditable.
  • Return control to the database: First make sure the database rows contain the desired values, then remove the corresponding constant definitions. The fields become editable again after WordPress no longer sees the override.

Save a copy of the original file before editing. A syntax error in wp-config.php can prevent WordPress from loading, so change only the relevant definitions and preserve the quotation marks and semicolons.

Use a temporary override when you are locked out

If the site redirects to the wrong domain and there is no usable dashboard, add temporary correct WP_HOME and WP_SITEURL definitions through the file manager. Use the exact public and core-file URLs, with the scheme and without a trailing slash. This can restore the correct host long enough to sign in or repair the database.

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The override does not clean up stale database values. After access returns, update the database rows, verify the site, and remove the temporary definitions if the database is meant to be authoritative. Leaving an override in place can hide a bad stored value and make future migrations confusing.

Repair siteurl and home in phpMyAdmin

Use this method when the dashboard is unavailable and no file override is controlling the values. The labels are stored in the WordPress options table, whose name is normally the table prefix followed by options.

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Identify the correct table

  1. Open wp-config.php and note the value of $table_prefix.
  2. In phpMyAdmin, select the database used by this WordPress installation.
  3. Open the table formed from that prefix plus options; for a prefix of wp_, it is commonly wp_options.
  4. Locate the rows whose option_name values are exactly siteurl and home.

Do not assume the visible database is the right one if the host provides several databases. The prefix and database name in the active configuration are the authority.

Edit the rows through the table view

Use the Edit action for each row and replace only option_value. Set siteurl to the URL of the directory containing the WordPress core files. Set home to the public address visitors should use. Include https:// and omit the final slash. Save one row, then the other.

Use SQL when you need an explicit change

After confirming the table prefix and intended URLs, an administrator can run statements in phpMyAdmin’s SQL tab. Replace the example table name and URLs with the real values:

UPDATE `wp_options`
SET `option_value` = 'https://example.com'
WHERE `option_name` = 'siteurl';

UPDATE `wp_options`
SET `option_value` = 'https://example.com'
WHERE `option_name` = 'home';

If WordPress is installed in a subdirectory, the two right-hand values may intentionally differ. For example, siteurl can include /wordpress while home is the root public URL. Do not copy the example literally.

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Clear the cause of the override

If wp-config.php defines WP_HOME or WP_SITEURL, changing the rows alone will not alter what WordPress uses at runtime. Either make the constants match the repaired rows or remove them when the database should control the settings.

Complete a domain or path migration safely

Correcting home and siteurl fixes the primary addresses but does not rewrite every old URL saved elsewhere. Search-and-replace is required when a domain, protocol, or directory changes.

Why ordinary SQL replacement is risky

WordPress and its plugins store some PHP data in serialized form. Serialized values contain character lengths; replacing a longer or shorter URL without recalculating those lengths can corrupt the value and make an option or widget unreadable. Use a tool that understands serialized data rather than a blanket text replacement in the database.

Back up and preview with WP-CLI

  1. Back up the database and files again immediately before the migration replacement.
  2. Record the exact old and new URLs, including whether either contains a path.
  3. From the WordPress installation directory, run a dry run with WP-CLI. Replace the example values with the real old and new addresses:
wp search-replace 'https://old.example' 'https://new.example' --dry-run

The dry run previews matches without writing changes. Review the reported tables and counts for unexpected hosts, staging domains, or unrelated strings.

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  1. When the preview is correct, run the same serialization-aware replacement without --dry-run, using the scope appropriate to your installation.
  2. Clear any page, object, or CDN caches only after the database operation completes.
  3. Test representative posts, menus, media, stylesheets, redirects, and canonical URLs.

Keep the old and new strings exact. A replacement that changes only one variant, such as http:// while the database contains https://, will leave the remaining references untouched.

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When WordPress is installed in a subdirectory but should appear at the root

A common intentional split is a core directory such as /wordpress with a public site at the domain root. In that arrangement:

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  • WordPress Address points to the directory containing the core files, for example https://example.com/wordpress.
  • Site Address points to the public root, for example https://example.com.

Do not set both fields to the root merely because visitors should not see the directory. The root setup also requires the root index.php and the appropriate rewrite configuration to load WordPress from the subdirectory, as described in WordPress’s documented subdirectory procedure. After configuring those files, test both front-end requests and /wp-admin; a missing or incorrect rewrite can look like a URL-setting error even when the two values are correct.

Fix common symptoms after the change

Repeated redirects or a redirect to the old host

  • Compare the scheme and host in both settings and in any WP_HOME/WP_SITEURL definitions.
  • Check that a subdirectory appears only where it should.
  • Ensure no old constant remains in wp-config.php after database repair.
  • Test in a private window to avoid a cached redirect or cookie.

Login fails even though the homepage loads

Open the login URL on the same host and scheme as the homepage. A mismatched value can set authentication cookies for another domain or path. Correct the database and constants together, then close stale browser tabs and sign in again.

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Images, CSS, or links still use the old domain

That indicates leftover references rather than a disagreement between home and siteurl. Make a backup and run the serialization-safe search-and-replace procedure. Inspect media URLs, navigation menus, widgets, theme settings, and plugin options that were stored with the old address.

Only the administration area is broken

Verify that WordPress Address points to the actual core directory and that Site Address points to the public location. In a subdirectory installation, reversing these values can leave the front end partly functional while admin scripts and links point to the wrong path.

Verify the repair systematically

Do not stop after the homepage appears. Check each item from a clean browser session:

  1. Load the homepage over the intended https:// URL and confirm it does not redirect to an old scheme or host.
  2. Open an existing internal permalink and a page with a different content type, such as an archive or a post.
  3. Inspect at least one image and one stylesheet in the browser; each should load from the intended host and path.
  4. Sign in at /wp-admin, open Settings → General, and confirm the displayed values are the ones you intend to maintain.
  5. Test a logout and a second login to verify cookie scope.
  6. Check redirects from the old address if the migration requires them, and confirm canonical URLs use the new address.
  7. Search a representative page source or database sample for the old domain. Remaining matches should be intentional redirects, documentation, or external references rather than active site URLs.

Recovery and security safeguards

WordPress includes Recovery Mode, “a built-in WordPress feature (introduced in version 5.2).” If a URL repair triggers a fatal error from a plugin or theme, use the recovery mechanism offered by WordPress to disable the offending component long enough to correct the configuration. Recovery Mode does not replace a database backup and does not automatically repair URL rows.

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Remove temporary constants and any RELOCATE definition after the correct database values and content references are verified. Keep an off-site backup of the working state, document which URL is authoritative, and record whether the installation intentionally separates its core and public paths. That documentation prevents a later administrator from “fixing” a valid subdirectory arrangement by making both fields identical.

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