Migrating a WordPress Install to a New Domain

adam — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 12:57:48 +0000

When you develop a site on a test server, it's tricky to make sure that none of the old links get carried over to the live site. This tutorial also works if you're moving to a new domain. While using a WordPress export is easier, this method catches everything, which can be important if your theme links to specific pages, since WordPress exports don't preserve post ID's

Download the exisitng /wp-content/ directory (all of it ( some plugins (cforms, wp-eCommerce) contain modified or uploaded files)).
Install wordpress on the new domain. Very few of the settings matter, because they're all going to be overwritten. Nonetheless, it's easiest to use fantastico or Simplescripts to set up the database, and create the basic file structure.
Delete the new /wp-content/ folder, and upload the existing /wp-content/ folder. This step may take a long time, so you can do the next few steps while it's uploading.
Export the old database, using PHPMyAdmin:
Open the exported *.SQL file, using a code editor (Eclipse/Aptana, Notepad++, or (god forbid) Dreamweaver), and find and replace the old domain name with the new one.
After step 4 has completely finished (so that all of the plugins and themes exist before WordPress attempts to use them), use PHPMyAdmin on the new host to delete the newly created database tables
... and import the new ones.
On the existing install, set the blog address to the new URL. this ensures that any google juice that the development server may have picked up will be transfered to the new domain (this isn't necessary if the development server doesn't face the internet).

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Migrating a WordPress Install to a New Domain