Perplexity and Burstiness: Moving Your WordPress Site to a New Domain

WordPress is a popular content management system (CMS) that is easy to use and customize to fit your specific needs. Its flexibility is one of the greatest advantages, making it easy to move your site from one domain to another without losing any of your content or design. However, given the technical nature of the process, many people shy away from moving their WordPress site from one domain to another.

Step 1: Choose a New Domain Name

Before you get started on the technical side of moving your website, make sure you have a new domain name. If you haven’t already registered one, choose a domain name that is easy to remember and reflects your brand or business name.

Step 2: Backup Your Website

The first step in moving your website from one domain to another is to back it up. This is a crucial step in the process because it ensures that you have a backup copy of your website in case something goes wrong during the transfer. A reliable backup of your site will enable you to recover your data if things go south.

Choose one of the backup plugins below and use it to create a backup of your site.

• UpdraftPlus
• BackupBuddy
• Duplicator
• All-in-One WP Migration
• VaultPress

Step 3: Export Your Website’s Database

The next step is to export your site’s database files. This will enable you to transfer your website’s data to the new domain.

To export your website’s database, take the following steps:

1. Log into your website’s control panel and click on the phpMyAdmin icon.
2. Select the database you want to export by clicking on it.
3. Click on the “Export” tab in the Menu.
4. Select the Quick export method and click on the “Go” button to export your database files.

After you export your database, it will be saved as an SQL file, which you will need to import into the new domain.

Step 4: Import Your Website’s Database to the New Domain

After you export your database, the next step in moving your WordPress site is to import the database files you just exported to the new domain.

To import your database, follow the steps below:

1. Log in to your new domain’s control panel and click on the phpMyAdmin icon.
2. Click on the database you want to import your database files into.
3. Click on the “Import” tab in the Menu.
4. Browse and select the SQL file you just exported from your old domain.
5. Set the “File Type” to SQL and click on the “Go” button to commence the import process.

Importing your database could take some time, depending on the size of your website.

Step 5: Edit the Configuration File

To get your website up and running on the new domain, you need to edit the configuration file. The configuration file is a PHP file that contains details of your website, including database details.

Edit the configuration file by following the steps below:

1. Connect to your new domain using an FTP client.
2. Navigate to the root directory of your WordPress website.
3. Locate the wp-config.php file and open it.
4. Update the following details in the file:
• Define(‘DB_NAME’, ‘new_database_name_here’);
• Define(‘DB_USER’, ‘new_username_here’);
• Define(‘DB_PASSWORD’, ‘new_password_here’);
• Define(‘DB_HOST’, ‘localhost’);
5. Save the file and upload it to the server.

Step 6: Update Your URLs

After updating your configuration file, the next step is to update your site URLs. This is important because all your site’s links point to your old domain, which will no longer be available.

To update your site URLs, follow the steps below:

1. Log in to your new domain’s WordPress dashboard.
2. Hover over the “Settings” menu and click on “General.”
3. Update the WordPress Address and Site Address fields to reflect the new domain name.
4. Save the changes.

Step 7: Check for Broken Links

After updating your URLs, you’ll need to check your website for any broken links. This can happen when you’ve updated your website’s URLs without updating links pointing to external resources.

To check for broken links, use a plugin like Broken Link Checker. Once you run the plugin, it will notify you of any broken links on your website.

Step 8: Test Your Website

The final step in moving your WordPress site from one domain to another is to test it. Test all the links on your site to make sure everything works as it should. You can also check your social media accounts, RSS feeds, and email subscriptions to ensure that they all work correctly.

By following the steps outlined above, you can easily move your WordPress site from one domain to another without losing any content or design. While the process may seem overwhelming, taking your time will enable you to complete the transfer quickly and efficiently. So, get started on migrating your website today!