How To Move WordPress Site To New Domain

Do you need to change the domain name of your website? Are you wondering if that will affect SEO?

If yes, then you have landed on the right page.

In this article, we will discuss how to move a WordPress site to new domain and transfer the link juice to the new domain name, ensuring no SEO impact.

But why do you want to change the domain name?

The reason could be rebranding, the acquisition of a professional domain name, or any other reason.

Changing the domain name is a relatively straightforward task, taking just five minutes. However, if you don’t do it properly, it can negatively impact your SEO.

Effect Of Domain Name Change

Before changing the domain name, it is essential to verify if there are any severe consequences or issues. It is always better to get informed than to get a surprise.

Loss of Search Ranking For A Brief Time

Yes, it’s normal. When you move your site to a new domain, you can expect to lose your search ranking briefly.

Assume that your new domain is like your new home address. Don’t you take time to get things settled in your new home?

Just like how we organize everything in our new house, Google also takes time to understand the new domain name and its contents.

In this period, you may see a drop in your ranking. But, Relux, you will be back where you were before.

If you follow proper redirect practice, your new site will regain its search ranking quickly.

Duplicate Content Issue If The Redirect Is Not Done Correctly

There is always a chance of a “Duplicate Content” issue if you have not set up redirects correctly. ”

Google and other search engines should be informed about this change in the domain name. A proper redirect should be set in the old domain to redirect to the new domain name.

If you don’t do that, you risk getting a penalty from Google for duplicate content.

Things To Do Before You Change The Domain Name

The only prerequisite for moving a WordPress site to another domain is to take backups. Yes, you heard it right. Backup-Backup-Backup.

Try every possible way to take backups of your complete website. This ensures you have something to rebuild your website if something goes wrong.

You can download website content to your local storage using FTP to back up your existing site. You can use FileZilla to download files from your web server through FTP.

You can use free plugins, such as WPVivid, to back up your website.

Nowadays, most web hosts offer a free backup feature. You can then ask your web host to take a backup.

How To Move WordPress Site To New Domain

Below is a step-by-step process to follow when moving a WordPress site to a new domain.

1. Use the WPVivid Plugin To Take A Complete Backup

WPVivid is a free plugin that takes backups of your WordPress sites. You can take both local and remote backups using this plugin.

WPVivid also has a premium version with advanced features. If you’d like, you can try that as well.

To take a backup using the WPVivid plugin, please go to WPVivid settings and click “Backup Now”. Depending on the settings, it will be a local or remote backup.

Please make sure to select the “Database + Files” option

Download the backup file on your computer.

2. Change The Nameserver For The New Domain Name

Please change the nameserver for the new domain name. You can obtain the nameserver details from the hosting provider where you plan to host your website using the new domain name.

Here are two guides for GoDaddy and Namecheap that explain how to change the nameserver.

• How to Change the Name Server in GoDaddy?
• How do you change the name server in Namecheap?

3. Install WordPress On The New Domain Name

Once you change the nameserver, you must install WordPress on the new domain name. It will be a default installation.

If you don’t know how to install WordPress, refer to this article. Most shared hosting plans offer a Softaculous auto-installer, making it easy to install WordPress. If not, refer to the host-specific guide for installing WordPress.

4. Install WPVivid Plugin On The New Domain Name

You need to install the WPVivid plugin on the new domain name so that we can restore the backup from the old domain name. The free version is sufficient for backup and restore purposes.

5. Restore The Backup

To restore the backup, go to WPVivid settings and click on upload, as shown below. Select the backup file you downloaded in the first step and upload it.

Once uploaded, it will be shown in the backups list. Select the backup and click on “Restore.“

The restoration is an automated process. Wait for the process to complete, and the content of the old domain name will replace the content of your new domain name.

That’s it. You have moved your WordPress site to a new domain.

This video explains the entire process of transferring a WordPress site to a new domain.

6. Set Up Permanent Redirect

If you want to transfer the link juice from your old domain name to the new domain name, you need to set up a 301 redirect.

With 301 redirects, all visitors to your old domain name will be redirected to the new domain name. Backlinks will also get transferred.

To set up 301 redirects, your old domain hosting files should still be available. This means that once you move your old domain content to a new domain, you can not simply delete the contents of the old domain name.

Please access your old domain name’s .htaccess file and add the following code. Replace example.com with your new domain URL.

#Options +FollowSymLinks
RewriteEngine on
RewriteRule ^(.*)$ http://www.example.com/$1 [R=301,L]

7. Inform Google About The Domain Name Change

Domain name changes should be informed to Google and other search engines to tell them that you have moved to a new domain.

Although it is not mandatory, it is always better to inform so that you are safe from duplicate content issues.

First, you must add the new domain name to the Google Search Console to inform Google about the name change.

Once you add the new domain name to the Google Search Console, go to Settings -> Change of Address.

Select the new domain name you added now, then click Validate and Update.

Conclusion: Move WordPress Site To New Domain

Moving a WordPress site to a new domain is no longer a painful process. With plugins like WPVivid, you can complete the entire process in under 30 minutes, depending on the size of your website.

If you follow all the processes correctly, there is no risk to SEO, either.

FAQ | Migrate WordPress Site