How to Change Domain of WordPress Site – 2026

Running a WordPress website is exciting but sometimes you may want to switch to a new domain name. Maybe your business rebranded or you found a better domain that fits your brand identity. The good news is that changing a WordPress domain is possible without losing your content, SEO rankings or website performance if done correctly.

In this complete guide, I will explain how to change domain of WordPress site step by step so even beginners can follow along without confusion.

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Why Would You Want to Change Your Domain Name?

Before jumping into the steps, let’s look at some common reasons why website owners change their domain:

• Rebranding – When your business name changes, your domain should match.

• Better Branding – You found a shorter or more memorable domain name.

• Switching Extensions – Moving from .net or .org to a .com for credibility.

• Targeting a New Audience – You want a domain that matches a new region or niche.

• SEO Improvements – A keyword rich domain can sometimes boost rankings.

Whatever the reason, it’s important to change your domain carefully to avoid downtime or SEO loss.

Things to Do Before Changing Your Domain

Changing a domain is not just about updating the URL.

There are a few preparations you should do first:

1. Backup Your Website

• Use plugins like UpdraftPlus or your hosting backup option.

• Store the backup on your computer or cloud storage.

2. Purchase and Set Up the New Domain

• Register your new domain with a trusted registrar Namecheap, GoDaddy, Hostinger, etc.

• Point the new domain to your hosting provider.

3. Check SSL Certificate

• Make sure your new domain has an SSL certificate installed.

• Without SSL (https) your website may show Not Secure.

4. Notify Your Audience

If you have regular visitors, subscribers or customers inform them about the upcoming change.

How to Change Domain of WordPress Site Step by Step

Now let’s move to the main part updating your domain in WordPress.

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Step 1: Change the WordPress and Site URL

1. Log in to your WordPress Dashboard.

2. Go to Settings then select General.

3. Update both fields:

• WordPress Address (URL)
• Site Address (URL)

4. Replace the old domain with your new domain name.

5. Click Save Changes.

After this step you may be logged out and need to log in again using your new domain.

Step 2: Update Domain in phpMyAdmin Optional but Recommended

Sometimes the WordPress settings don’t update everywhere. In that case:

1. Log in to your Hosting cPanel.

2. Open phpMyAdmin then select your WordPress database.

3. Find the wp_options table.

4. Update the values for:

• siteurl
• home

To your new domain.

This ensures your website won’t break due to old URLs.

Step 3: Update wp-config.php File For Advanced Users

If you still face issues you can define your new domain manually:

1. Access your website files via File Manager or FTP.

2. Open the wp-config.php file.

3. Add these lines above the That’s all, stop editing comment:

define(‘WP_HOME’,’https://yournewdomain.com’);

define(‘WP_SITEURL’,’https://yournewdomain.com’);

This forces WordPress to use your new domain.

Step 4: Update Internal Links and Media

Even after changing the domain many old URLs like images, posts and internal links may still point to your old domain.

To fix this:

• Install a plugin like Better Search Replace.

• Search for your old domain like olddomain.com and replace it with your new domain like newdomain.com.

• Run the tool on the database tables.

This ensures all content links point to your new domain.

Step 5: Redirect Old Domain to New Domain

Redirects are crucial for SEO without them, visitors and search engines will see errors when visiting your old domain.

Use a plugin like Redirection or Add this code to your .htaccess file:

RewriteEngine On

RewriteCond %{HTTP_HOST} ^olddomain\.com [NC,OR]

RewriteCond %{HTTP_HOST} ^www\.olddomain\.com [NC]

RewriteRule ^(.*)$ https://newdomain.com/$1 [L,R=301,NC]

This will automatically send traffic from your old domain to your new domain.

Step 6: Update Google Search Console & Analytics

To avoid losing SEO rankings:

1. Go to Google Search Console.

2. Add your new domain as a new property.

3. Use the Change of Address Tool to notify Google about the switch.

4. Update your domain in Google Analytics as well.

This tells search engines to index your new domain while keeping your SEO authority.

Common Issues After Changing Domain And Fixes

• Login Page Not Loading: Clear your browser cache or reset cookies.

• Broken Images/Links: Run a search and replace plugin again.

• Mixed Content Errors (HTTP/HTTPS): Use a plugin like Really Simple SSL.

• Slow Propagation: Sometimes it takes 24 to 48 hours for DNS to fully update.

Best Practices for Changing WordPress Domain

• Always use 301 redirects for SEO.

• Keep your old domain for at least 6 to 12 months.

• Inform your users via email or social media.

• Update your sitemap and submit it to Google again.

• Test everything thoroughly before launching.

Conclusion

Changing your WordPress domain may sound complicated but with the right steps, it’s a smooth process by updating WordPress settings, fixing database links, setting up redirects and notifying Google you can successfully move your website to a new domain without losing traffic or SEO rankings.

If you are still unsure you can ask your hosting provider’s support team to help with the migration.

Now you know exactly how to change domain of WordPress website go ahead and give your website a fresh start with confidence!

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