Changing your domain name can be a sensible part of a rebrand, business-name change or move to a clearer web address. But it is not just a matter of buying a new domain and pointing it at your website.
Your current domain may be connected to your website, business email, contact forms, online bookings, advertising, social media profiles and third-party services. If those connections are missed, customers may see broken pages, emails may stop arriving, or important enquiries may be lost.
A planned changeover reduces the risk of disruption. It also gives you time to test the new setup before customers rely on it.
Understand what is changing
Before making a plan, it helps to separate four related but different parts of your online setup:
- Domain name: The address people type into a browser, such as
example.co.uk. - Website hosting: The service or server where your website files and database are stored.
- DNS: The system that tells browsers and email services where your domain should connect. DNS records can point a domain to a website, email provider or other service.
- Business email: Mailboxes and email addresses using your domain, such as
hello@example.co.uk. Email may be hosted by a separate provider from your website.
You may be changing only the domain name while keeping the same hosting and email provider. Or the domain change may be happening alongside a new website, hosting move or email migration. Write down exactly what is changing before you start.
Start with an inventory of the old domain
Create a list of every place where the current domain is used. This is one of the most valuable steps because forgotten connections are a common source of problems.
Include:
- The homepage and all important website pages
- Service, product, location, contact and campaign pages
- Staff email addresses, shared inboxes and email signatures
- Contact forms, booking forms, quote requests and newsletter sign-up forms
- Website logins and administrator accounts
- Analytics and tag-management tools
- Search engine tools and reporting accounts
- Paid advertising, email marketing and printed promotional materials
- Social media profiles and business-directory listings
- Online booking, payment, review, CRM and customer-support systems
- Integrations that send notifications or use the old domain
- Links in documents, brochures, invoices and email templates
Also record the current DNS settings before changing anything. You do not need to understand every record to create a useful reference. Save a copy or screenshot of the existing settings and note who manages the domain, hosting and email.
Back up the website as well. Depending on how it is built and hosted, this may include website files, a database, uploaded images, content and configuration. Keep the backup somewhere separate from the website itself so it is available if something needs to be restored.
Set up and test the new domain before launch
Register the new domain and make sure the correct business or account owner controls it. Check that renewal notifications and access details go to an address that will remain available during the change.
The new domain should be connected to the website before the public switch where possible. Your website provider or developer can advise on the required DNS changes. The exact steps vary by registrar and hosting platform, so avoid copying instructions intended for a different provider.
Check the following before launch:
- The new domain resolves to the intended website
- The website has a valid SSL certificate and loads using
https - The main navigation and important pages work on the new domain
- The site displays correctly on mobile devices
- The preferred version of the domain is clear, including whether
wwwis used - Temporary or preview access is not accidentally blocked or exposed
An SSL certificate allows browsers to make an encrypted connection to the website. Most modern websites need one, and browsers may show warnings if it is missing, invalid or issued for the wrong domain.
Protect business email
Email needs separate attention because it can be affected even when the website appears to work normally.
List every address using the old domain and decide what should happen to each one. If the business will use the new domain for email, create and test the new mailboxes before launch. If the old addresses still need to receive messages, ask your email provider about forwarding, aliases or a transition period.
Test both directions:
- Send an email from each important new address to an external account
- Send replies back to the new address
- Check that messages arrive in the correct inbox
- Test contact-form and booking notifications
- Confirm that email signatures, automatic replies and shared inboxes are updated
- Check that messages are not being sent from an outdated address
Your domain's mail records may include records that identify the email service and help other providers verify that messages are legitimate. Do not delete or replace them without understanding which service currently handles your email. If you are unsure, ask the email provider or a suitably experienced technician to review the setup.
Keep the old domain and its email arrangements available during the transition if customers, suppliers or existing systems may still use the old addresses.
Map old URLs to the right new pages
A domain change should preserve access to useful content wherever possible. Make a list of the old URLs that receive visitors or appear in marketing, search results and links from other websites. Pay particular attention to:
- Main service pages
- Product pages
- Location pages
- Contact and enquiry pages
- Booking or appointment pages
- Important guides and resources
- Campaign landing pages
- Frequently shared pages
For each old URL, identify the closest matching new URL. Then implement a permanent redirect from the old address to the equivalent new address. A permanent redirect tells browsers and search engines that the page has moved rather than disappeared.
Do not send every old page to the homepage. A visitor who follows a link to a particular service should arrive at that service, not be forced to search the site again. If a page has genuinely been removed and has no suitable replacement, decide carefully how visitors should be directed or informed.
Test redirects with both the full old URL and common variations, such as the www version or an http version where relevant. Keep the old domain registered and the redirects in place. Cancelling it immediately can allow someone else to register the domain, and it will also prevent old links from reaching your business.
Update the website and connected services
Once the new domain is ready, update references throughout the website and your wider marketing system. Look for:
- Internal links and navigation
- Canonical URLs, which indicate the preferred version of a page
- Forms and form-success pages
- Structured data and social-sharing settings
- Analytics and conversion tracking
- Search engine properties and submitted sitemaps
- Advertising campaigns and tracking templates
- Business listings and map profiles
- Social media profiles and pinned posts
- Email signatures, newsletters and automated messages
- Invoices, proposals, brochures and other customer materials
Check that forms still send notifications to the right people and that confirmation messages use the new domain. If you use a third-party service, follow its domain-change instructions rather than assuming that updating the website alone is enough.
Specialist e-commerce platforms may have their own domain-change steps involving checkout settings, payment providers, customer accounts, transactional email and app integrations. Store owners should check the platform's documentation or seek support before changing the live domain.
Use a simple launch-day test list
On launch day, test the parts of the business customers use most. Ask someone who was not involved in the change to follow the steps as a normal visitor would.
Check:
- The new domain loads securely on desktop and mobile
- The homepage, service pages, location pages and contact page work
- Important old URLs redirect to the correct new pages
- Menus, buttons, search and mobile navigation work
- Contact, quote, booking and newsletter forms submit successfully
- Form notifications arrive at the intended email addresses
- New-domain email can send and receive messages
- Checkout, payment or appointment flows work if applicable
- Analytics and conversion tracking record test activity
- No certificate warnings, obvious broken links or mixed-domain references appear
Do not rely only on the homepage. A site can look fine while a form notification, booking integration or important service page is broken.
Monitor the change after launch
Keep a close eye on the website and inboxes after the switch. Review server or website error reports, search-console notifications, analytics data and customer messages for signs of problems. Look for missing pages, redirect errors, failed form submissions and visitors using old links.
Keep the old domain registered and working for as long as it is needed for redirects, email transition and old marketing materials. Update links gradually as materials are reprinted or campaigns are renewed.
Tell customers, suppliers and staff about the change clearly. A short message can explain the new website address, new email addresses and how long the old details will continue to work. Be especially careful with invoices, customer-service replies and any communication where people may need to recognise that the new address is genuine.
Need help planning the move?
A domain change is easier to manage when the inventory, redirects, email arrangements and testing plan are prepared before the switch. If you need help planning or carrying out a domain move, contact SiteRook or review the current website support options at siterook.com/pricing.