Moving a site from a subdomain (like store.example.com) to your root domain (example.com) changes every URL on the site at once, which means updating internal links, redirects, DNS, and often SSL configuration together — done carelessly, this is a reliable way to lose search rankings and break bookmarks; done properly, visitors and search engines transition without much disruption at all.
Subdomain to root domain move
A move from subdomain to root domain, with every old URL redirected to its new home.
- Full backup taken before we start
- If we can’t fix it, you get your money back
- We never ask for your own password
What we need from you
- Access to DNS management for your domain
- Admin and database access for the URL updates involved
- Confirmation of what should happen to the current subdomain after the move (redirect, or retire entirely)
This or something else?
| You want your site moved from a subdomain to your root domain | This fix covers it |
| You’re changing hosts entirely, not just the domain structure | Host-to-host migration – single site |
| You want HTTP switched to HTTPS, a separate concern from domain structure | HTTP to HTTPS full migration |
| You’re extracting one site from a larger multisite network | Multisite to single site extraction |
What we do
- Plan the DNS and configuration changes needed for the root domain
- Update the site URL configuration and all hardcoded references in the database
- Set up redirects from the old subdomain URLs to their new root-domain equivalents
- Update DNS records for the root domain at an agreed cutover time
- Test the site thoroughly on the new domain structure before and after cutover
- Monitor briefly after cutover to confirm search engines and visitors are redirecting correctly
What is included
- A complete move from subdomain to root domain
- Redirects configured from every old URL to its new equivalent
- DNS cutover managed at your agreed time
- Post-cutover verification and brief monitoring
Not included
- Domain registration or DNS hosting itself, if not already in place
- SSL certificate reconfiguration for the new domain structure, if separately needed
- Recovering search rankings lost from a previous, poorly executed move — this covers doing it correctly the first time
- Ongoing management of the domain after the move
Questions about this fix
Will I lose my search engine rankings by doing this?
A properly configured redirect from every old URL to its new equivalent is the standard, recommended way to preserve most ranking signal through a domain structure change, though some temporary fluctuation during reindexing is normal.
What happens to anyone who has bookmarked or linked to the old subdomain address?
The redirects we set up ensure those old links continue to work, sending visitors to the correct new location on the root domain rather than resulting in a broken link.
Should I keep the old subdomain pointing anywhere after this move?
Generally yes, at least for a redirect — retiring it entirely without a redirect means any existing links or bookmarks to it simply break, which is usually avoidable.
Will this require any downtime?
We test thoroughly before the actual cutover and manage DNS changes at an agreed time, aiming to minimise visible disruption, though DNS propagation can introduce a brief transitional period.
Does this affect my SSL certificate?
It can, depending on how your current certificate covers your domains — we check and address this as part of the move so the new root domain has valid, working HTTPS.
Related fixes
If this is the second time this year
A bad update breaking the site is a symptom of updates not being tested first. Care plans run every update on a staging clone before it reaches your live site, which is the actual fix for this happening again.
Your access, your rules
Create a separate admin account for us and delete it when we are done. For anything else, we get in touch and agree a method — never a form field on this site, never by reply to an email.
We back up first, always
Before anything is touched we take a full backup and keep it for 30 days. If a fix goes wrong, we put the site back exactly as it was.
If it is not what you bought
If the problem turns out smaller than what you ordered, we refund the difference. If it is bigger, we stop and send a quote before doing any extra work.
If we cannot fix it
You get back what we received. Diagnosis is on us — you only pay when the problem is actually solved. The payment processor takes its fee before the money reaches us, so we never hold it and it is not ours to return. That is true here as everywhere else.
If it comes back
Reply within seven days of delivery and we put it back on the bench at no cost. The fix is not finished until it holds.
What we are responsible for
If something goes wrong with a fix, our responsibility is limited to what you paid for it. We take a full backup first so mistakes can be undone, and we tell you before doing anything outside what you bought.