Issue How to change domain of a WordPress site

[DigitalSplendid]

Server operating system version

Ubuntu

Plesk version and microupdate number

18.0.43

I need to change the domain of WordPress instance from Techcosec.com to digialsplendid.xyz. Unable to do so. Attached screenshots below explaining issue faced.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Peter Debik]

Please use Websites & Domains > Hosting Settings and change the domain name there. It will automatically update WP Toolkit with the new domain name, too.

 

[scsa20]

+1 for changing the domain name. If, for some reason you can't or won't be able to simply change the domain from techcosec.com to digitalsplendid.xyz for whatever reason, the alterative would be to copy the content of the files, create a backup of the database, and restore to a new database, go through the database to update the paths accordingly to the new domain, and WordPress Toolkit will pick it up (there's also WordPress plugins that can automate the process as well). But if possible, just go to the hosting settings and changing the domain name is easier and faster.

 

[DigitalSplendid]

Please use Websites & Domains > Hosting Settings and change the domain name there. It will automatically update WP Toolkit with the new domain name, too.

Since I have migrated to a folder of ifsacademy.com, and ifsaacademy.com is already a live site that I need to keep, not sure if the above suggestion applicable.

 

[manni]

The domain change is not as easy in most cases. I do it this way:

* Go to the subscription (olddomain.abc)
* Create an alias (newdomain.abc) without (!) automatic 301 redirect
* Log into wordpress (olddomain.abc/wp-admin)
* Go to plugins and search for "Better Search Replace" -> install and activate it
* Navigate to the plugin and enter olddomain.abc and replace it with newdomain.abc
* Flush cache if caching module is active
* You should now be able to have everything on newdomain.abc
* If it works remove the alias newdomain.abc from subscription
* Rename the domain as described by peter to newdomain.abc

Then everything is clean. Sometimes the domain name / base url is also configured within wp-config.php. Just open it with a text editor and search for the old domain name to ensure this.

Best
Mitti

 

[Peter Debik]

This should normally not be necessary, but it is one way to do it. When the website follows Wordpress and common domain usage rules, it is sufficient to rename the domain in Plesk.

However, @DigitalSplendid seems to be doing something that many users do: they use the same document root directory for different domain names. This opposes the concept of a "domain". A domain defines an area of power, similar to a nation in the real world. One domain = one content. If another fully functional domain tries to govern the same "nation" just like in the real world there will be many conflicts that end up in desaster. Please do not use different domain names on the same document root, there will for sure be trouble in a lot of places. For example can you be sure that when you delete one of the two domains who share the same document root that the deletion process will leave the files and folders intact? It may not and you may end up with everything deleted, because one domain took control over an area that should be controlled by the other.

Instead, if you have to use a domain name with the same content of another domain, configure it as an alias. That will not break anything.

So in the case of @DigitalSplendid, it is probably indeed necessary to follow procedures as @manni suggests.

 

[DigitalSplendid]

The domain change is not as easy in most cases. I do it this way:

* Go to the subscription (olddomain.abc)
* Create an alias (newdomain.abc) without (!) automatic 301 redirect
* Log into wordpress (olddomain.abc/wp-admin)
* Go to plugins and search for "Better Search Replace" -> install and activate it
* Navigate to the plugin and enter olddomain.abc and replace it with newdomain.abc
* Flush cache if caching module is active
* You should now be able to have everything on newdomain.abc
* If it works remove the alias newdomain.abc from subscription
* Rename the domain as described by peter to newdomain.abc

Then everything is clean. Sometimes the domain name / base url is also configured within wp-config.php. Just open it with a text editor and search for the old domain name to ensure this.

Best
Mitti

Thanks so much for your help in troubleshooting. olddomain.abc for my case is ifsaacademy.com. newdomain.abc is digitalsplendid.xyz. I need both of them as WordPress sites on Plesk Web Admin Se Edition that supports up to 3 WordPress sites. I have shared a screenshot in order to confirm if I am moving correctly.

 

[scsa20]

Hi @DigitalSplendid,

I wouldn't use domain alias in your case, since an alias just points back to the original domain. As I've mention before, you would want to copy the whole content to the new domain if you're planning on keeping ifsaacademy.com and just wanting a clone of it for digitalsplendid.xyz.

What you can do to help with the cloning/migration progress is to use a wordpress plugin called Migrate Guru.

This guide will give you an overview for using both the plugin or manually moving. It's a generic guide so it's not locked to just one hosting solution or control panel: How To Migrate WordPress Site To New Domain Without Losing Content