Move Server to New Domain: How to Transfer WordPress to New Server

WordPress for the first time came into existence on May 27, 2003 founded by Mike Little and Matt Mullenweg. In recent, you will be pleased to know that WordPress is one among the free and open source content management system (CMS) and blogging tool, based over MySQL and PHP sports on a Web hosting service. It will be great news for those users who are wandering in search of free web platform to ensure their online presence. According to a report, you will be amazed to know that it is so popular worldwide which drive over 60 million websites.

However, WordPress has brought an appreciating uprising in web development. As a result, it caters entire freedom to move a live website to the WordPress platform despite of other services like PSD to WordPress conversion, WordPress custom development, Customized WordPress themes and etc. You may experience the time when requisites of migrating your site either backed by other platform or not towards WordPress or from one server to another. This is very easy and convenient, as it eliminates the necessities to re-install.

Thus, in coming section of this post, I am going to highlight the state of affairs you can handle devoid of any hurdles and make you well acquainted regarding that. So, let’s discuss the aspects and state of migration one after one.

When No Changes to URLs and Domain Name is Made

It seems to be very simple an easy when an attempt is made towards moving your domain to the WordPress site devoid of making any alteration to the home and site URLs. In most of the cases it can get accomplished merely by transferring the file as stated below.

• When the URLs and database does not support any modification, the simplicity you are believed to have copied the entire files and database.
• In the case, if name of user or database bring changes, get the correct values by editing  wp-config.php
• If you carved to have a demo prior to switch eternally then you should change “site url” and “home” in the database table “wp_options” temporarily (by phpMyAdmin or similar).

If you obsess any sorts of permalinks or rewrites, it is obligatory to disable .htaccess and attempt to reconfigure permalinks when it goes live.

In subject to WordPress migration, if you are shifting your website to a new server with the same domain, all the things you are required to perform is to edit wp-config.php with new database or users as well as paste everything to the new server as it was.

When Both URLs and Domain Name Get Changed

In the subject of alterations made to URLs or domain name – such as from https://webgranth.com/blog to https://webgranth.com OR https://webgranth.com to http://webgranth.net including other concerns too. However, the entire file and database can be moved but the references and location of the previous domain name will remain constant. This as a result is potential to create issues for theme and display links.

Towards the direction of changing the URLs, when you perform a search and replace them accordingly, you may encounter problems with data serialization. This as a result may litharge some widgets and themes store values concerned with the length of the URL. This change can break things. So, you got two diverse options to evade the issues of serialization.

• You can perform only with search and replace at wp_posts table.
• In order to perform changes at all instances safely you can employ search and replace for WordPress Databases Script.

Moving on Existing Server

When the subject of matter comes around moving files on existing server while migrating to WordPress – i.e. Shifting of URL – demand great care.

Here, go through the step-by-step instruction being provided that assists you to relocate your WordPress site to a new location on identical server:

• Generate a new location by employing either of these alternatives

1. Create a new directory if you are migrating WordPress core files to the new directory.
2. In the case if you are moving WordPress to the root directory, first of all you are required to ensure all .htaccess, index.php including other file that might be moved or backed up. Now, the root directory can accept the WordPress files.

• Login to your blog.
• Designate the Administration > Settings > General panel.
• Alter the URL address to the new location in the WordPress address (URL) of the main WordPress core files.
• Again, change the address that must be identical to the WordPress address URL to new location in the box of the site address (URL).
• Now, Click to Save Changes.
• At this point avoid to attempt viewing/opening the blog.
• Now move the entire WordPress core files to new location including the files sits under original directory. For instance – https://webgranth.com/wordpress, entire files under sub-directories will be copied to new address.
• Now, open your website by yourdomain.com/wp-admin. Mark that you are required to go at yourdomain.com/wp-admin.php
• If you are accessing Permalinks, then you are supposed to update the Permalink structure going through Administration > Settings > Permalinks to the .htaccess file in the same directory as the main index.phpindex.php file.
• The links of uploaded or existing media files concerned to older folder should be also upgraded with new location.
• Depending on the ISP you may encounter alteration with permissions. So, you are required to analyze files with “0000” permissions and render them back to “0644”.
• Now go to Appearance > Menus and perform update if the embedded theme sustain menus and links to home page that still comprised by old subdirectory.
• Sometime, it may require restarting of server, in the mean while your serve may state some error. Basically it occurs in MAMP software (MAC).

It is obvious to set the URLs locations prior to move your files.

What if you overlook to change the locations

If you have moved your files by mistake prior to change the URLs locations then nothing to fret about this. You will get further two more options to carry out:

• Assume that the files originally stored in /path/to/old and have been moved to /path/to/new prior to changing the URLs. You can fix this issue by making /path/to/old/ which is considered as a symlink equivalent to “shortcut” in windows to /path/to/new/. If you want you can delete the symlink after following the procedural towards this endeavor.
• Accidentally, if you forget to change the Blog and WordPress address, you can’t change it by employing WordPress interface. But, it allows you to fix accordingly if you obsess the database accessibility. Now, you are supposed to point out the wp_options table in your database. This table stores entire alternatives you can define in the interface. Both WordPress and Blog address are saved as site-URL and home (the option_name field). Simply, you are required to modify the option_value field with the precise URL for the records along with option_name=’siteurl’ or option_name=’home’.

WordPress site URL if changed accidentally

Suppose you changed the URL of your WordPress site which prohibit transfer of files but still allow to access login page in account of performing redirection or anything else.

Wp-login.php is there to use for set/reset the URLs. Have this line with you:

require( dirname(__FILE__) . '/wp-load.php' );

Now, below that include the following lines:

//FIXME: do comment/remove these hack lines. (once the database is updated)
update_option('siteurl', 'http://your.domain.name/the/path' );
update_option('home', 'http://your.domain.name/the/path' );

You have done it now. Analyze the website to ensure whether it works precisely or not. However, if the modifications include a new address for your WordPress Blog, you are supposed to let the people know about the new address. Also, you are required to put some instruction towards redirection in your .htaccess file that steers your users to the new location.

WordPress Site when Moving to a New Server

In the context of moving your WordPress site from previous server to new one, the best step to get started with is backing up your data. WordPress database, images, plug-in, core files and other files on the site includes backing up.

• One of the remarkable points, if you are simply shifting your site with same domain name to a new server, then you are believed to edit wp-config.php that set precisely with new database/user information as well as upload the things in original form to the new server.

Does not Matter either Existing Blog Work or Not

• You can back up the files of main WordPress and old blog to the hard drive and perform to edit WP-config. PHP that sustains precisely with the new server.
• Go to the old blog and navigate to Administration > Settings > General and alter the url for both to your new website.
• Login to the server and open phpmyadmin to move the files as well as save to your database. Now, export the backup of WordPress core files and new database with modified wp-config.php to the new server.

If you Crave Old Blogs to Still Work

Prior to proceeding it is highly recommended to ensure a backup of your old blog’s WordPress database.
Though this procedural is simple and convenient to accomplish by adopting two diverse parts. Let’s have a look over them.

Part A – Turning On Your New Blog

• You are supposed to initiate this process by downloading your complete WordPress installation to the hard drive by assigning an appropriate folder name to designate the OLD blog installation.
• Download the entire database.
• Navigate to the Old blog and go to options for altering the url for both to that of your new website.
• Once again download the WordPress installation to your hard drive assigning the folder name to mark as new blog installation.
• Now, again download the database retaining the old one and upload this to your new server. It seems to be very easy and affable in the case if you employ the same database name and login credential on new server identical to the old server.
• In the case, if you desire to change the name of database and user information, you are required to edit wp-config.php in the new blog installation folder accordingly.
• Ultimately, upload the installation folder of new blogs to the new site. Now, it should work properly.

Part B – Renovating Your Old Blog

• Delete your old blog’s database from the original server. (It is obvious to retain a copy of that on your local hard drive you made at earlier.
• Again, upload the old blog’s installation folder and database to the original server overwriting the files even they are present there.

Apart from this, you can follow the below provide easy-to-follow steps towards making copies of comments, posts, pages, custom field, permalinks, categories and others:

• Install a new WordPress blog
• Navigate to old blog Admin panel and go to Manage > Export, where you are supposed to “select all” in Restrict Author menu.
• Now click on ‘Download Export File‘
• Go to Manage > Import and select WordPress item in the new blog.
• A page will appear where in ‘Assign Author‘ assign author to users which already exist or generate a new one.
• Click Submit

Note: By adopting this method some articles in new blog like info page etc. will remain unaltered adding only articles. On the other hand, with previous method the articles in new blog will be erased.

WordPress Migration to Multisite

Moving towards Multisite seems to be highly confounding as the database it comprises multiple folder locations and reference to the server name. Moving to a new server with an identical domain name is easy and convenient merely by copying the database and files.

But in the case of modifying domain, the precise way considered is to move Multisite is transferring the files and editing wp-config.php and .htaccess. Later, edit the database manually. Now, look for entire attributes of a domain name and change them accordingly. This cannot be automated so easily. Therefore, it is recommended to search and replace either of wp_x_posts tables. Also, avoid making blanket search/replace devoid of Search and Replace for WordPress Database script.

The things you must ensure regarding editing wp_blogs entries to modify the name of folder correctly while moving Multisite. You are supposed to review both wp_blogs and wp_site manually to confirm precise changes.

Review wp_x_options tables manually and designate for below three listed fields as well as make corrections as required:

• Home
• Site url
• fileupload_url

Moreover, in the case if you are migrating from subfolder to subdomains or vice-versa; never forget to amend the .htaccess file and other attributes of SUBDOMAIN_INSTALL in the wp-config.php file.

Conclusion

At this point, I am in the state to opine that this post Moving WordPress to New Server & Domain: A Perfect Approach will literally make you educate of diversified aspects of migrating a WordPress site like identical or distinct domain name and server. Also, in order to cater extreme level of ease to get accomplished such tasks by developers and other professionals; it will be proved as a great tool. So, in lack of any hurdles move a site to WordPress. Moreover, it might not only eliminate the worries of new developers but also save tons of time towards working on moving WordPress to a new server.