## **πŸ—ΊοΈ Overview** Migrating a WordPress site to a new domain is one of the most SEO-sensitive tasks you can perform. Done correctly, you retain rankings, backlink equity, and indexed pages. This article walks you through the full process β€” from pre-migration data export to post-migration validation inside Search Atlas β€” and covers common project setup errors you may encounter along the way. ## **πŸ“¦ Step 1: Export Your Current URL and Metadata Inventory** Before touching anything on your site, capture a full snapshot of your existing SEO data. This gives you a baseline to compare against after migration and helps you catch any missing pages or broken metadata. 1. In Search Atlas, go to **Left sidebar β†’ Site Metrics β†’ Pages**. 2. Use the **Filters** and **Columns** options to display URL, page title, and meta description for all indexed pages. 3. Click **History** to save the current state as a reference point. 4. Export the data using the export option in the toolbar and save the file locally as your pre-migration inventory. Keep this file. You will re-run the same export after migration to compare old URLs against new ones and confirm no pages were lost. ## **βš™οΈ Step 2: Prepare Your WordPress Site for Migration** Complete these steps inside WordPress and your hosting environment before changing any DNS settings. - **Install your new domain** on the destination server and verify it loads correctly before proceeding. - **Clone your WordPress database and files** to the new domain using a plugin such as Duplicator or All-in-One WP Migration, or via a manual export from phpMyAdmin. - **Update Site URL settings**: In WordPress, go to **Settings β†’ General** and update both the WordPress Address and Site Address fields to the new domain. - **Run a database search-and-replace** to update all internal links and image paths. Use a tool such as Better Search Replace to replace every instance of the old domain with the new one in the database. - **Test the new domain thoroughly** β€” check pages, images, forms, and any third-party integrations β€” before going live. ## **πŸ”— Step 3: Set Up 301 Redirects on Your Old Domain** 301 redirects tell search engines that your content has permanently moved. This is the single most important step for preserving SEO equity. 1. Add a wildcard 301 redirect in your old domain's **.htaccess** file (Apache) or server configuration (Nginx) that points every old URL to its exact equivalent on the new domain. 2. For example, `olddomain.com/blog/post-slug` should redirect to `newdomain.com/blog/post-slug` β€” not just to the homepage. 3. Test a sample of redirects using an HTTP status checker before submitting anything to Google. 4. Submit your new XML sitemap to Google Search Console under the new domain property. Also submit a Change of Address request in Google Search Console to accelerate the transition. ## **πŸ“Š Step 4: Add Your New Domain to Search Atlas and Validate** Once the new domain is live and redirects are confirmed, add it as a project in Search Atlas and run a fresh analysis. 1. Go to **Left sidebar β†’ Site Metrics β†’ All Sites** and click **Analyze**. 2. Enter your new domain URL and start the analysis. 3. Once the project is saved, navigate to **Site Metrics β†’ Pages** and export a new URL and metadata inventory. 4. Compare this export against your pre-migration snapshot to confirm all pages are present and metadata is intact. 5. Use **Site Metrics β†’ Position Changes** to monitor keyword ranking changes over the following weeks. ## **πŸ› οΈ Fixing Common Project Setup Errors** Some customers encounter validation errors when setting up a new project or connecting platform integrations. Here are the most common causes and fixes. - **LinkedIn profile validation error:** This typically occurs when the URL entered does not match the expected format. Make sure you are entering a full, public LinkedIn profile or company page URL (for example, `https://www.linkedin.com/company/your-company-name`). Personal profile URLs with custom slugs may not validate β€” try using the standard format. Also confirm the profile is set to public visibility. - **Domain not resolving during project setup:** If you add a domain before DNS propagation is complete, the platform may return an error. Wait 24–48 hours after a domain change before adding the new domain as a project. - **Duplicate project warning:** If the old domain was already saved as a project, the new domain will create a separate entry. This is expected behaviour. You can archive the old domain project once migration is complete by managing it under **Site Metrics β†’ All Sites**. - **Sitemap errors during crawl:** If your sitemap was regenerated during migration, ensure the sitemap URL is correct and publicly accessible. Update the sitemap URL inside the project settings if needed. ## **βœ… Post-Migration SEO Checklist** - All old URLs return a 301 redirect to the correct new URL. - New XML sitemap is submitted to Google Search Console. - Change of Address request submitted in Google Search Console. - New domain added and analyzed in Search Atlas Site Metrics. - Pre- and post-migration URL inventories compared β€” no missing pages. - Keyword rankings monitored weekly for the first 60 days. - Backlinks pointing to the old domain are tracked and outreach prioritised for high-value links. ## **πŸ’¬ Need More Help?** If you need further assistance, open the chat widget in the bottom-right corner of the platform and type **human teammate** to be connected with a member of our team.