Do you want to migrate your WordPress website to a new domain? It can feel like navigating through a maze of technical procedures. But worry not! With this comprehensive guide, we’ll walk you through a step-by-step process using the All in One WP Migration plugin. From backups to plugin installation and finally going live, this post covers all you need to know to make your site’s move as seamless as possible.
So let’s dive in and get your website comfortably settled into its new digital home!
Key Considerations Before Initiating a Site Migration
Before you migrate your WordPress website to a new domain, it’s crucial to prepare adequately to guarantee a hitch-free migration.
Here’s what you need to address:
- Administrator Access: Confirm you have administrative privileges for both the current and destination domains’ WordPress dashboards.
- Thorough Backups: Perform comprehensive backups of all site files as well as the database from both the old and new WordPress installations.
- Plugin Readiness: Double-check that the All in One WP Migration plugin is installed and ready-to-use on both your original and target websites.
- Domain Preparedness: Verify that your new domain is fully registered and properly configured with your hosting environment.
- Hosting Environment Compatibility: The server environment of your new domain should match or exceed the specifications and PHP version of your old domain to support the seamless performance of your WordPress installation.
- Email and Services Migration Strategy: If you are using email services or other integrations linked to your old domain, develop a plan to migrate these services without losing data or experiencing downtime.
- Maintenance Mode: It is often advisable to put your site on maintenance mode during the migration to prevent data changes and inform your visitors of ongoing updates.
By ensuring these points are addressed before you commence with the actual migration, you lay a solid foundation that promotes a more efficient and trouble-free transition to your new domain.
Downloading Your Website
To migrate your wordpress website to a new domain, follow these steps:
Step 1: Install the Plugin on the Old Website
First, you need to install the All in One WP Migration plugin on your old website. You can do this by navigating to the WordPress admin dashboard and going to ‘Plugins’ > ‘Add New’. Search for ‘All in One WP Migration‘ and click ‘Install Now’.
Step 2: Activate the Plugin
Click ‘Activate’ to enable the plugin after installation.
Step 3: Create a Backup and Download the File
After activating the plugin, go to ‘Import’ > ‘All in One WP Migration’ in the WordPress admin dashboard. Click on ‘Create Backup’ and wait for the process to complete. Once the backup is created, click on ‘Download’ to save the package file to your computer.
Uploading to the New Domain
Now that you have the package file from your old domain, follow these steps to upload it to your new domain:
Step 1: Install the Plugin on the New Website
Similar to the old website, install the All in One WP Migration plugin on your new domain. Navigate to the WordPress admin dashboard, go to ‘Plugins’ > ‘Add New’, search for ‘All in One WP Migration’, and click ‘Install Now’.
Step 2: Activate the Plugin
Click ‘Activate’ to enable the plugin after installation.
Step 3: Import the Package File
Go to ‘Import’ in the WordPress admin dashboard and click on ‘All in One WP Migration’.
Make sure that the ‘Maximum upload file size’ is not less than the size of your downloaded package file. If it is, you’ll need to increase the upload file size limit. You can find instructions on how to do this here. Once the upload file size is sufficient, click on ‘Import’.
Step 4: Upload the Package File
Click on ‘Import’ and choose the option ‘File’. Select the package file that you downloaded from the old domain and wait for the migration process to complete. This may take some time depending on the size of your website.
Step 5: Update Permalink Settings
Once the migration process is finished, it is important to update the permalink settings. It is to ensure that all the site URLs are refreshed. Go to ‘Settings’ > ‘Permalinks’ in the WordPress admin dashboard and click on ‘Update Permalinks’.
Step 6: Congratulations, Your Site Should Be Live Now!
Congratulations, you have successfully migrated your WordPress website to a new domain. 🎉🎉
Bonus Tips
Test, Test, Test
Before going live, thoroughly test your website on the new domain to ensure everything functions as expected.
SEO Smarts
Update your internal links and inform search engines about your new domain to maintain your SEO ranking.
Redirect Royalty
Set up 301 redirects from your old domain to your new one to avoid broken links and keep your visitors happy.
Conclusion
Migrating a WordPress website to a new domain may seem daunting, but with the help of the All in One WP Migration plugin, the process becomes much simpler. By following the steps outlined in this guide, you can easily migrate your WordPress website to a new domain without any hassle.
If you encounter any issues during the migration, don’t hesitate to seek assistance from a professional or refer to the plugin’s documentation for further guidance.
Happy migrating!