How do I simply move a URL from wordpress.com to wordpress.org?
August 13, 2024 11:06 AM Subscribe
A foolish thing happened. I started a blog (a url I own) at wordrpess.com when it was supposed to be wordpress.org. I don't want to migrate a bunch of data to .org. I just want to move the url and start over. What's the process?
I'm finding lots of stuff about how to migrate an entire site's world of data from wordpress.com to wordpress.org ... but nothing about simply moving the url and starting from scratch. I imagine it's quite simple. I do realize I will need to secure hosting for my site before I do so.
Where is the simple guide?
I'm finding lots of stuff about how to migrate an entire site's world of data from wordpress.com to wordpress.org ... but nothing about simply moving the url and starting from scratch. I imagine it's quite simple. I do realize I will need to secure hosting for my site before I do so.
Where is the simple guide?
I don't think "to wordpress.org" means what you think it means - that's the open-source home of the wordpress project, I don't think it offers hosting of its own.
posted by mhoye at 11:43 AM on August 13 [2 favorites]
posted by mhoye at 11:43 AM on August 13 [2 favorites]
As discussed in grog's link, this is basically just a DNS change. You need to tell the world that your URL (and email if applicable) is now hosted in a different place. Normally you would set up the site on the new host using whatever default URL/IP they provide and then do the DNS switch after you are satisfied that the new site looks how you want. The details for changing the DNS are specific to the current and new hosts (or possibly who you bought the domain from).
But does wordpress.org even offer hosting themselves?
posted by Press Butt.on to Check at 11:43 AM on August 13
But does wordpress.org even offer hosting themselves?
posted by Press Butt.on to Check at 11:43 AM on August 13
Response by poster: But does wordpress.org even offer hosting themselves?
No, they don't. Like I said, "I do realize I will need to secure hosting for my site before I do so." (ie: make the move)
The question is -- what's the step-by-step process toward making the move. Is there not some wordpress help page (or youtube video) that explains it very simply? I can't find it.
Please, imagine I'm a complete idiot at this kind of stuff. Because I am.
Grog's link seems to handle the moving away part ... but then what?
posted by philip-random at 12:25 PM on August 13
No, they don't. Like I said, "I do realize I will need to secure hosting for my site before I do so." (ie: make the move)
The question is -- what's the step-by-step process toward making the move. Is there not some wordpress help page (or youtube video) that explains it very simply? I can't find it.
Please, imagine I'm a complete idiot at this kind of stuff. Because I am.
Grog's link seems to handle the moving away part ... but then what?
posted by philip-random at 12:25 PM on August 13
You need to secure hosting first. They will have instructions. (Somehow I missed your hosting sentence when first answering.)
posted by Press Butt.on to Check at 12:26 PM on August 13
posted by Press Butt.on to Check at 12:26 PM on August 13
Response by poster: thank you. Things are getting a little clearer. It will be a while before I can actually pursue this, so please don't take my silence for either success or failure ...
posted by philip-random at 12:37 PM on August 13 [1 favorite]
posted by philip-random at 12:37 PM on August 13 [1 favorite]
Really this is more of a thing to do with the registrar of the domain. Did you get the domain from wordpress.com or somewhere else?
posted by Press Butt.on to Check at 12:40 PM on August 13
posted by Press Butt.on to Check at 12:40 PM on August 13
Grog's link has sections for both scenarios: "Domains Registered With WordPress.com" versus "Domains Registered With Other Companies". You only need to read and understand the one relevant to you.
posted by Press Butt.on to Check at 12:49 PM on August 13
posted by Press Butt.on to Check at 12:49 PM on August 13
Can you clarify whether you literally mean "wordpress.com" and "wordpress.org" or whether you are using those as placeholders for other domain names you prefer not to specify, along the lines of "example.com" and "example.org"?
Because, as others are trying to point out, wordpress.org is an organization that already exists and has a purpose which (unless you have reason to believe otherwise) most likely does not include publishing a DNS record or delegating a subdomain to direct internet users to your hosted content.
posted by Nerd of the North at 1:11 PM on August 13
Because, as others are trying to point out, wordpress.org is an organization that already exists and has a purpose which (unless you have reason to believe otherwise) most likely does not include publishing a DNS record or delegating a subdomain to direct internet users to your hosted content.
posted by Nerd of the North at 1:11 PM on August 13
Response by poster: I am aiming to move from wordpress.com to wordpress.org.
.org is where I intended to be in but something stupid happened and I ended up registering at .com ... and then life got complicated for about a year and now I'm finally hoping to sort it all out.
I did post a couple of things to my .com blog but nothing I care about.
posted by philip-random at 2:03 PM on August 13
.org is where I intended to be in but something stupid happened and I ended up registering at .com ... and then life got complicated for about a year and now I'm finally hoping to sort it all out.
I did post a couple of things to my .com blog but nothing I care about.
posted by philip-random at 2:03 PM on August 13
Wordpress.org is just a website for information about Wordpress. It isn't a place you use for anything other than downloading wordpress or reading documentation about wordpress. When you say "move to wordpress.org" this doesn't make any sense. Think of wordpress.org as the Home page for wordpress where you learn about it and download it.
Because wordpress is software you use to run a website, there is also wordpress.com which is a service that hosts and runs wordpress for you so you do not need to manage it. You can also run wordpress on your own server. You cannot "run wordpress on wordpress.org". That doesn't make any sense.
To run wordpress, you need the wordpress software installed somewhere with a database installed somewhere that has all your data in it. You need a hostname pointed to where you have wordpress installed so you (and others) can see it and use it.
You can use wordpress.com to be that somewhere and they manage the software and they manage the database and they charge you. You can use a wordpress.com URL to get to the software or you can use your own domain name to get to that software.
Or you can run wordpress on your own server you pay for using things like AWS or bluehost or Dreamhost. You need to use your own domain name to point at that server.
Can you try to explain again what you're trying to accomplish?
posted by cmm at 3:03 PM on August 13 [1 favorite]
Because wordpress is software you use to run a website, there is also wordpress.com which is a service that hosts and runs wordpress for you so you do not need to manage it. You can also run wordpress on your own server. You cannot "run wordpress on wordpress.org". That doesn't make any sense.
To run wordpress, you need the wordpress software installed somewhere with a database installed somewhere that has all your data in it. You need a hostname pointed to where you have wordpress installed so you (and others) can see it and use it.
You can use wordpress.com to be that somewhere and they manage the software and they manage the database and they charge you. You can use a wordpress.com URL to get to the software or you can use your own domain name to get to that software.
Or you can run wordpress on your own server you pay for using things like AWS or bluehost or Dreamhost. You need to use your own domain name to point at that server.
Can you try to explain again what you're trying to accomplish?
posted by cmm at 3:03 PM on August 13 [1 favorite]
Best answer: I just want to move the url and start over.
If I understand you correctly, you have a domain which is currently pointed to a blog hosted on wordpress.com per the instructions here. You want this domain to point to a different webhost, where you will run the same blog in a wordpress install you manage yourself.
If that's correct then here are instructions that make no assumptions about what you do and don't already know, so please forgive me if I'm telling you something you already know.
If the above is true that means you bought a domain, and have it registered somewhere. The "somewhere" is your domain registrar, and you'll need to be able to log in to the registrar to make this change. (If you don't know your registrar, you can try to find out who it is here.)
Once you know your registrar, you'll need hosting. The host should provide hosting that meets the minimum requirements for running WordPress OR they should be a host that offers WordPress installs or specializes in WordPress (for example of the former: Dreamhost; for an example of the latter, WPengine.) Which you choose will mostly depend on if the WordPress blog is the only thing you want to host.
Once you have selected a host, you'll need to follow the host's instructions for pointing the DNS to their name servers, changing any CNAME records, etc. Every host that allows custom domains will have clear instructions on what needs to be done.
You'll log in to your registrar, and implement the instructions from your host to make DNS changes, and then usually wait 24 hours to see them take effect. You'll need to turn off the custom domain feature in Wordpress.com as well.
Note: you didn't ask this but I bet you might want it: WordPress.com allows you to export your content. If you do this- first export the content, then install (or activate) wordpress on the new host, then import your content, then make the domain transfer, then you could end up keeping your content and having all the URLs maintained, which would be best for your SEO in the long run.
Good luck!
posted by A Most Curious Rabbit at 4:14 PM on August 13
If I understand you correctly, you have a domain which is currently pointed to a blog hosted on wordpress.com per the instructions here. You want this domain to point to a different webhost, where you will run the same blog in a wordpress install you manage yourself.
If that's correct then here are instructions that make no assumptions about what you do and don't already know, so please forgive me if I'm telling you something you already know.
If the above is true that means you bought a domain, and have it registered somewhere. The "somewhere" is your domain registrar, and you'll need to be able to log in to the registrar to make this change. (If you don't know your registrar, you can try to find out who it is here.)
Once you know your registrar, you'll need hosting. The host should provide hosting that meets the minimum requirements for running WordPress OR they should be a host that offers WordPress installs or specializes in WordPress (for example of the former: Dreamhost; for an example of the latter, WPengine.) Which you choose will mostly depend on if the WordPress blog is the only thing you want to host.
Once you have selected a host, you'll need to follow the host's instructions for pointing the DNS to their name servers, changing any CNAME records, etc. Every host that allows custom domains will have clear instructions on what needs to be done.
You'll log in to your registrar, and implement the instructions from your host to make DNS changes, and then usually wait 24 hours to see them take effect. You'll need to turn off the custom domain feature in Wordpress.com as well.
Note: you didn't ask this but I bet you might want it: WordPress.com allows you to export your content. If you do this- first export the content, then install (or activate) wordpress on the new host, then import your content, then make the domain transfer, then you could end up keeping your content and having all the URLs maintained, which would be best for your SEO in the long run.
Good luck!
posted by A Most Curious Rabbit at 4:14 PM on August 13
Is the issue that you have a Wordpress blog that can be found at "myblog.com" but you want the blog to be at "myblog.org" instead? This requires you to buy a totally new domain name that ends in org instead of com. This domain name might not even be available if someone else already owns it, that's how separate they are. This issue by itself has nothing to do with either wordpress.com or wordpress.org.
The company that owns and operates the website "wordpress.com" offers a lot of online services, including helping you to buy a domain name and providing hosting for a Wordpress blog. It's possible you are using this company to host your blog at "myblog.com". If so, you can also use the same company to host your new blog at "myblog.org". Just follow whatever process you used before, but just pick the right domain name this time.
The phrase "wordpress.org" is meaningless in this context, and has nothing to do with what you need (if I understand your needs correctly).
posted by grog at 4:52 PM on August 13
The company that owns and operates the website "wordpress.com" offers a lot of online services, including helping you to buy a domain name and providing hosting for a Wordpress blog. It's possible you are using this company to host your blog at "myblog.com". If so, you can also use the same company to host your new blog at "myblog.org". Just follow whatever process you used before, but just pick the right domain name this time.
The phrase "wordpress.org" is meaningless in this context, and has nothing to do with what you need (if I understand your needs correctly).
posted by grog at 4:52 PM on August 13
Response by poster: thanks all -- I do believe A Most Curious Rabbit gave me the answer I need.
posted by philip-random at 5:12 PM on August 13
posted by philip-random at 5:12 PM on August 13
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posted by grog at 11:27 AM on August 13