How to Change Your WordPress Website Address

Two addresses, two jobs

A URL is a web address, such as https://example.com. WordPress keeps two of them.

• WordPress Address (URL) is where the WordPress files live.
• Site Address (URL) is the address visitors type to see your site.

On most sites these two are the same. You may change them after moving to a new domain, or when moving to https. The https version is the secure one, with a padlock in the browser.

Warning: a wrong address can lock you out. Take a full backup of your files and database first. Make sure the new domain already points to your hosting. If it does not, your site will not open.

Steps

1. Log in to your WordPress dashboard.
2. Click Settings on the left.
3. Click General.
4. Find WordPress Address (URL).

   

5. Type the new address. Include https://. Do not add a slash at the end.
6. Find Site Address (URL) and type the same address.
7. Scroll down and click Save Changes.
8. WordPress logs you out. Log in again at the new address.

If the boxes are grey

The address may be fixed in the wp-config.php file. This file holds your site's main settings. Open it with File Manager in cPanel. Look for lines like these:

define( 'WP_HOME', 'https://example.com' );
define( 'WP_SITEURL', 'https://example.com' );

Change the address in those lines, or remove them. Then save the file. Remember to keep a copy of the original first.

After the change

1. Visit your new address and click around.
2. Go to Settings and then Permalinks. Click Save Changes to refresh the links.
3. Check that images load. Old posts may still point to the old address. A search-and-replace plugin can fix them.

Quick recap

• Back up before you start.
• Change both addresses under Settings and General.
• Save the Permalinks page afterwards.
• Check old posts for links to the old address.