Knowledge Base

How Do I Change My WordPress URL?

In this guide, you will learn how to replace the WordPress URL, in such a way that your website keeps working. We will now be able to avoid the most common mistakes and ensure that our site remains intact during this changeover process.

Here are a few scenarios where you may be required to update your WordPress® URL:

If you migrate your WordPress website from one web host to another
Change your domain name
Move your WordPress website location from one directory to another

Please carefully read the steps below to change your WordPress URL since any errors can potentially break your website.

Important: Changing the website URL will not update any references to your original URL and older WordPress posts. Several plugins are available for updating legacy post URLs to resolve these issues. Please refer to WordPress.org for more information about those plugins. Please note that some aspects of your template may not function after a URL change, and you will need to correct these errors manually.

Follow the steps below to update your WordPress URL:

Step 1: Change Your WordPress Address and Website Address

Note: If you installed WordPress using our Open Source Applications, the easiest way to change your WordPress URL is to update the website Address (URL) and WordPress Address (URL) options inside the WordPress administrator dashboard. You can find these options by clicking Settings and selecting General.

Once you have changed your WordPress URL, you must ensure your domain name is pointing to the correct directory.

Step 2: Update Your Directory Pointer

Follow these steps to update your directory pointer:

Log in to your Account Manager.
On the left side of the page, click Hosting.

Red box around Hosting option

Note: If you have one hosting package, go directly to Step 3. If you have more than one hosting package, select the Hosting package that contains your WordPress website.

Click the Assign/Edit Your Domain icon.

Find the domain name you want to update. Then, click Edit.

Red box around Edit links

Use the drop-down menu to choose the directory where WordPress is installed. Then, click Select.

Drop-down to update Directory

If you do not see the proper directory, click Add directory not listed. Then, click Select to assign the directory.
Type the name of the new directory after htdocs and click Select.

Note: On the Windows servers, the root folder may be labeled "www" instead of "htdocs".

Review and confirm your settings and click Continue.

A confirmation page of your changes appears. Your directory pointer has been changed.

Important: If any subpages fail to load, you may need to manually update the WordPress .htaccess file and remove references to the folder name you removed from the website URL.

WordPress URL FAQs

Q: My WordPress website no longer works after changing the WordPress URL.

A: Make sure you have changed the website address and WordPress address inside the administrator panel before editing your Directory Pointer inside the Account Manager. Depending on the third-party themes and plugins used, you may need to make additional changes to the WordPress dashboard or database.

Q: My WordPress website resolves, but images no longer load.

A: You may need to update image links in WordPress, which can be done manually in the database. Be sure to read this article section on the WordPress website for Additional Items of Note in the WordPress Codex when you change your WordPress URL.

Q: I am not a programmer or Web developer. Can the Customer Support team change my WordPress URL?

A: WordPress is an open-source application that we did not develop. Please be advised that our Customer Support team cannot make changes to your WordPress website. We offer paid support for code troubleshooting and WordPress URL changes through our expert MyTimeSupport services.

Review

This is an article about how to change your WordPress URL. It discusses changing your URL for several reasons, such as migrating your website or changing your domain name. The article also details the steps required to change your URL, including updating your WordPress address and website address, as well as your directory pointer. It is important to note that changing your URL may break some aspects of your website, and you may need to make additional changes to your WordPress files or database.

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