WordPress: The Go-To Platform for Your Site’s Content Management

WordPress has become the preferred content management system for bloggers, businesses, and developers due to its easy-to-use interface, flexibility in customization options, and availability of a dynamic range of plugins. Nevertheless, you may find yourself in a situation where you have to update or replace a URL. Maybe your domain name has changed, you have migrated your site to another server or simply want to improve your SEO rankings. Whatever the reason, replacing a URL is a straightforward process if you follow the steps we will discuss in this guide.

Step One: Create a Backup of Your Site

Before making any significant changes to your website, it’s always a good practice to create a backup. This measure ensures that you can return your site to its previous state if anything goes wrong during the update or URL replacement process. Several backup solutions are available for WordPress, including using plugin backups, manual backups, or utilizing hosting platform backups.

Step Two: Identify URLs to Replace

The next step is to identify all the URLs that you would like to replace, ranging from internal links, image URLs, external links, and more. Several specialized tools, such as Screaming Frog or SEMrush site audit, can help to crawl and create lists of all the URLs available in your site. You can also use the search function in your database to locate any instances of old URLs in code or plugins.

Step Three: Use Automated Tools to Replace URLs

Several automated tools are available to help you replace URLs quickly and easily, including Velvet Blues Update URLs, WP-CLI Search Replace, and Better Search Replace. These tools work by scanning your database and replacing old URLs with the specified new ones. Different tools have advanced functionalities, including the option to only update specific URLs or search and replace in particular database tables. Developers can also use WP-CLI Search Replace in command line instead of plugins.

Step Four: Manually Replace URLs in Specific Locations

Automated tools are perfect for bulk URL replacement, but you may have specific locations where you have to manually replace URLs, such as custom CSS or Javascript files, page builders, or specific themes. However, if you aren’t comfortable with code editing, it’s best to seek assistance from a professional.

Step Five: Test and Verify Changes

Testing and verifying your site’s functionality is essential after completing URL replacements. Check the site’s functionality, page loading times, and its SEO status using tools such as Google Search Console. Double-checking everything ensures that everything is functioning correctly before re-launching your site.

Conclusion

URL updating on WordPress doesn’t have to be an intimidating task. Creating a backup, identifying URLs to replace, and using automated tools like Velvet Blues Update URLs or Better Search Replace, assists in efficient URL replacement. Lastly, testing and verification of the site’s functionality is essential in ensuring optimal site performance. By following these steps, you can quickly replace and update your URLs and enhance your site’s function optimally.