Changing URL (domain name) but staying in same place.

  • Resolved tdustrude

    (@tdustrude)


    8 years, 7 months ago

    I’ve looked around in these forums and I keep seeing solutions that involve moving or copying site files. Apologies if my answer is already there, I’ve just not found it.

    I have a site I’ve just redesigned for a client on my Hostgator WHM reseller account. It has its own shared server we’ll call “www.temporary-domain.com” for now. (yes I bought a temporary domain name and pointed it to my server). The design is complete and they are happy with it.

    I would now like to change it to “www.real-domain.com” (their real domain name which currently points to their previous host) and point the domain to it.

    I understand that I need to go into WP’s “Settings>General” and change the address. And I understand that all the current links within the site need to be updated (I will use the plugin “better search & replace”.

    However, I keep seeing references to the Codex page “Moving WordPress” where it says:

    If database and URL remain the same, you can move by just copying your files and database.

    Can’t it just stay where it is as long as WHM knows the name changed, and as long as the domain’s nameservers point to my hosting instead of the previous host?

    Instructions on Hostgator support site also talk about copying files to a new directory and parking domains. I did find these instructions for telling WHM/Cpanel to use a different domain. But I don’t use Liquid Host, and I don’t know why Hostgator would not be similar.

    I want to keep it where it is and change the URL/Domain name.

    Why do I need to move/copy anything? (or is my simpler answer there somewhere and I’ve just not found it yet?)

    Thanks!

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  • Thread Starter tdustrude

    (@tdustrude)

    I am marking this as Resolved.

    I got impatient and went ahead and tried what was linked above at LiquidWeb.com, and it works.

    So, in case anyone wants to know – it is relatively easy to change the URL or domain associated with a wordpress site that is hosted in a WHM/Cpanel environment on Hostgator.

    First I logged into the WordPress dashboard and under “Setting>General…” I changed to the new (real) domain name. And I got the 404 error, but I was expecting that.

    In WHM, I clicked on “Modify Account…” and changed the domain name for the account to the real domain.
    Changing the domain in this way also renames the sql database and username, so in Cpanel, using File Manager, I edited the wp_config file to update the reference to the new db name and new db user name.

    Then I pointed the real domain to my hostgator account’s nameservers.

    Once the domain propagated, I logged in to the WordPress dashboard and used the Better Search and Replace plugin to fix any references to the temporary domain.

    No need to copy and move (download / upload) files.

Viewing 1 replies (of 1 total)
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