WordPress Migration + Domain Change

Step 1: Back up the original wordpress root directory. For example, create an archive on test.czl.net, copy it to czl.net, and extract it.

Step 2: Back up the database using phpmyadmin or your hosting provider's backup tool. For example, name the database backup test_czl_net.sql

Step 3: Import the database backup into the new database (create the database before importing).

Step 4: Modify the database tables:

     1.In the wp_options table, find the row whose option_name is siteurl and change its value to the new blog URL, such as https://www.czl.net

     2.In the wp_options table, find the row whose option_name is home and change its value to the new blog URL, such as https://www.czl.net

Step 5: Modify the wordpress configuration file wp-config.php

     The four main fields to change are DB_NAME,DB_USER,DB_PASS,DB_HOST

     Update these four fields to match the new database configuration

Step 6: Set up a permanent redirect from the old domain to the new domain

     For example, edit the .htaccess file in the root directory of the old hosting account and add

     redirect 301 / https://www.czl.net

Note: Also, change the default upload path in the wordpress admin panel to the new path. Otherwise, you may be unable to upload images for your posts.

Some online guides say you need to change the upload path, but I couldn't find that setting, even after checking the database. I'm not sure whether it was removed in a later update.

Another note: If some images do not appear after migration, their URLs in the posts must still point to the old location. Log in to phpmyadmin and run the following sql:

UPDATE `wp_posts` SET `post_content` = replace (`post_content`,’test_czl_net/test_czl_net/wp-content/uploads’,'www_czl_net/wp-content/uploads’)

This replaces all old image URLs in the posts with the new URLs.