Renaming a domain in DirectAdmin Print

Renaming a Domain in DirectAdmin

This is most common when a site was built on a subdomain (example: dev.example.com) and is ready to launch on the main domain. You can log in to DirectAdmin from the client portal using the "Login to Control Panel" button (DirectAdmin Extended).

Before you start

• Make a backup of the site and database.
• Confirm you own the new domain and its DNS is ready to point to this server.
• Plan for a short maintenance window because URLs and email addresses may change.

Step 1: Update the WordPress site URL (before renaming in DirectAdmin)

1. Log in to WordPress on the current domain (the dev or staging URL).
2. Go to Settings > General.
3. Update both WordPress Address (URL) and Site Address (URL) to the new domain (example: https://example.com).
4. Save changes. You may be logged out and need to log in again on the new domain.

If you cannot log back in after the change, contact support and we can update the site URL directly in the database.

Step 2: Rename the domain in DirectAdmin

1. Log in to DirectAdmin from the client portal.
2. Open Domain Setup (or Account Manager > Domain Setup).
3. Click Rename Domain.
4. Enter the new domain and confirm.

Step 3: Verify the site and SSL

• Confirm the new domain resolves to this server.
• Request an SSL certificate for the new domain.
• Check the site for hard-coded links and update them if needed.

If you need help with any part of this process, open a support ticket from the client portal.