A full domain change moves your site’s entire identity from one domain to another — every database URL reference, every hardcoded link in code, DNS, and hosting configuration — done together and carefully, since missing any one piece leaves a site partially on the old domain and partially on the new one, which is a genuinely confusing, broken state for visitors and search engines alike.
Domain change - full site URL migration
A complete domain change — database, code, and DNS together, with redirects from the old one.
- 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
- Confirmation of both the old and new domain
- DNS access for the new domain, and access to your hosting for the underlying site configuration
- Your preferred timing for the cutover, ideally during lower-traffic hours
This or something else?
| You want your site’s entire URL moved from one domain to another, comprehensively | This fix covers it |
| You just need leftover hardcoded references cleaned up after an already-completed domain change | Hardcoded URL cleanup after domain change, the smaller, follow-up version |
| You’re moving hosts but keeping the same domain | Host-to-host migration – single site, in the Backups, Staging & Migration Ops category, a different kind of move |
| You want the DNS-level change made without a full site URL migration | Registrar-level DNS & nameserver changes, a narrower, different scope |
What we do
- Update the database URL configuration to the new domain
- Perform a serialization-safe search and replace for every URL reference throughout the database
- Correct hardcoded references in theme, plugin, and custom code
- Configure DNS for the new domain and coordinate the cutover timing
- Set up redirects from the old domain to the new one
- Verify the site functions fully on the new domain, and that old URLs correctly redirect
What is included
- A complete domain change across database, code, and DNS
- Serialization-safe URL replacement throughout
- Redirects configured from old to new domain
- Post-cutover verification
Not included
- Purchasing or registering the new domain itself
- Recovering search rankings tied to the old domain — a properly configured redirect supports this, though some fluctuation during re-indexing is normal
- Email configuration for the new domain, a separate, related fix if needed
- Ongoing management of either domain after the change
Questions about this fix
Will I lose my search rankings by changing domains?
A properly configured redirect from every old URL to its new equivalent is the standard, recommended way to preserve most ranking signal, though some temporary fluctuation during re-crawling and re-indexing is normal and expected.
What happens to links from other websites pointing at my old domain?
The redirects we set up ensure those external links continue working, sending visitors to the correct new location rather than resulting in a broken link.
Will this affect my email if it's on the same domain?
Yes, potentially — email configuration is often tied to the same domain, so this needs coordinating carefully alongside the site's own migration to avoid disrupting mail delivery.
How long does a full domain change typically take?
It varies with site size and complexity, though we plan the actual cutover for a specific, agreed window to minimise visible disruption regardless of how long the underlying preparation takes.
Can I keep the old domain pointing somewhere after this?
Yes, keeping the old domain registered and redirecting is standard practice, both to preserve any remaining link value and to avoid someone else acquiring and misusing your previous domain.
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.