> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://kb.hosting.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Changing the domain in WordPress

> Learn how to change your WordPress domain using the admin interface, WP-CLI, or phpMyAdmin with this step-by-step guide.

This article describes how to change the domain name for an existing [WordPress](https://hosting.com/hosting/platforms/wordpress-hosting/managed-wordpress-hosting/) installation. You may need to do this, for example, if:

* You want to use a new domain name for your site.

* You are migrating your WordPress site.

## Step #1: Back up the site

Before changing the domain (or making any other major changes, for that matter), it is a good idea to do a site backup. Then if anything goes wrong, you can restore the site to its previous state.

For information about how to back up WordPress, please see [this article](/docs/backing-up-your-wordpress-site).

## Step #2: Change the WordPress domain settings

After you do a site backup, you are ready to change the site's domain settings in WordPress. There are several ways to do this; use whichever method is available or easiest for you.

<Note>
  Make sure the new domain is pointing to your site\
  **before** you change the domain settings in WordPress. Remember that\
  [DNS propagation](/docs/accessing-your-web-site-before-dns-propagation-is-complete) can take 24 hours to complete.
</Note>

### Method #1: Use the WordPress administration interface

The easiest way to change the domain name is to use the administration interface in WordPress. To do this, follow these steps:

1. Log in to WordPress.

2. In the left sidebar, click **Settings**, and then click **General**:\
   ![WordPress sidebar - Settings - General](https://static.hosting.com/kb/kb-wordpress-sidebar-settings-general.png)

3. Under **General Settings**, in the **WordPress Address (URL)** text box, type the new domain name:\
   ![WordPress - General Settings page - WordPress Address and Site Address text boxes](https://static.hosting.com/kb/kb-wordpress-general-settings-page.png)

<Note>
  If your site has an SSL certificate, remember to type *https\://* instead of *http\://*.
</Note>

4. In the **Site Address (URL)** text box, type the new domain name.

<Note>
  If your site has an SSL certificate, remember to type *https\://* instead of *http\://*.
</Note>

5. Click **Save Changes**.

### Method #2: Use the WP-CLI tool

If the administration interface is inaccessible, or if you prefer working from the command line, you can use the WP-CLI tool to change the domain name. To do this, follow these steps:

1. Log in to your account [using SSH](/docs/using-ssh-secure-shell).

2. At the command prompt, change to the directory where you installed WordPress.

3. Type the following command. Replace ***old.example.com*** with the old domain name, and replace ***new\.example.com*** with the new domain name:

```bash theme={null}
wp search-replace 'old.example.com' 'new.example.com'
```

WP-CLI replaces all instances of ***old.example.com*** in the database with ***new\.example.com***.

### Method #3: Use phpMyAdmin

If you are unable to access the WordPress administration dashboard, or if you don't want to use the command line, you can use [phpMyAdmin](https://www.phpmyadmin.net/) to change the domain name settings in the database manually. For information about how to do this, please see [this article](/docs/changing-the-website-url-in-wordpress).

## Step #3: Test the site

Lastly, you should test the site to make sure everything works correctly. Be sure to look for any hard-coded URLs that may no longer function with the domain name change.

<Tip>
  Additionally, you may want to set up redirects to ensure your visitors go to the correct location. For information about how to configure redirects in cPanel, please see [this article](/docs/redirects).
</Tip>

## Related articles

* [Introduction to domains](/docs/introduction-to-domains)

* [Changing the WordPress site URLs](/docs/changing-the-website-url-in-wordpress)

* [Choosing an effective domain name](/docs/choosing-an-effective-domain-name)

* [Changing your account’s primary domain name](/docs/changing-your-accounts-primary-domain-name)

* [Installing WordPress on a subdomain](/docs/installing-wordpress-on-a-subdomain)

* [Administering WordPress from the command line](/docs/administering-wordpress-from-the-command-line)

* [Installing WP-CLI manually](/docs/installing-wp-cli-manually)