How To Change Primary Domain On Bluehost?

To change your primary domain on Bluehost, access your Bluehost account, go to the cPanel, find the “Domains” section, click on “Addon Domains,” select the primary domain you want to change, click on “Manage,” enter the new primary domain, and click “Save.” When it comes to managing your website, it’s important to have control over your domain.

Here, I will walk you through the simple steps required to change your primary domain on Bluehost, giving you the flexibility and customization you need for your online presence. So, let’s jump right in and get started!

Step 1: Selecting A New Primary Domain

Learn how to change your primary domain on Bluehost with this step-by-step guide. Start by selecting a new primary domain to give your website a fresh, updated look. Follow these instructions to smoothly transition to a new domain.

Understanding The Current Primary Domain

If you’re using Bluehost as your web hosting provider, changing your primary domain is a fairly straightforward process. However, before you dive into selecting a new primary domain, it’s crucial to understand your current primary domain.

In Bluehost, your primary domain is the main domain associated with your account. It is the domain that visitors will use to access your website. Before making any changes, it’s important to note that changing your primary domain can affect your website’s SEO and may result in temporary downtime. Therefore, it’s essential to plan ahead and make sure you follow the necessary steps to minimize any potential issues.

Researching And Selecting A New Primary Domain

Once you have a clear understanding of your current primary domain, it’s time to begin researching and selecting a new primary domain. This step is crucial as your domain plays a significant role in the visibility and success of your website.

When selecting a new primary domain, keep the following best practices in mind:

• Choose a domain name that reflects your brand or website content. This will make it easier for visitors to remember and associate with your website.
• Avoid domains that are too lengthy or complicated. Short and simple domain names are generally easier to remember and type.
• Consider using keywords relevant to your website’s niche. Including relevant keywords in your domain can help improve your website’s visibility in search engine results.

Checking Domain Availability

Once you have a list of potential domain names, it’s time to check their availability. You can use Bluehost’s domain checker tool or any other reputable domain registrar to verify if your desired domain is available.

During this process, it’s recommended to have backup domain options in case your primary choice is not available. It’s best to be prepared and have alternatives ready.

After checking the availability of your desired domain, you can proceed to Step 2: Updating your primary domain in Bluehost.

Step 2: Preparing For The Primary Domain Change

Before you jump into changing your primary domain on Bluehost, it’s important to take a few preliminary steps to ensure a smooth transition. In this step, you’ll be focusing on backing up your website files and databases, informing your website users and visitors, and preparing your email accounts and settings.

Backing Up Your Website Files And Databases

One of the most crucial steps when preparing for a primary domain change is to back up your website files and databases. This ensures that you have a copy of all your important data in case anything goes wrong during the transition. To ensure a comprehensive backup, follow these steps:

1. Access your Bluehost cPanel and navigate to the “Files” section.
2. Click on “Backup” and select “Download a Full Website Backup.”
3. Choose a destination on your computer to save the backup file and start the download.

By following these steps, you’ll have a secure backup of your website files and databases, which can be a lifesaver if anything unexpected occurs during the primary domain change.

Informing Your Website Users And Visitors

Before you proceed with the primary domain change, it’s crucial to inform your website users and visitors about the upcoming transition. This ensures that they are aware of any potential disruptions and can adjust their expectations accordingly. Consider implementing the following steps to keep your audience informed:

• Create a notification banner or pop-up on your website, informing visitors of the upcoming primary domain change and any temporary downtime that might occur.
• Send out an email blast or a newsletter to your subscribers, notifying them of the upcoming changes and expressing your gratitude for their understanding.
• Update your social media profiles and post about the domain change to reach a wider audience and keep everyone informed.

Preparing Email Accounts And Settings

Another essential aspect of preparing for a primary domain change is to ensure that your email accounts and settings are in order. This ensures that your email communication remains uninterrupted during and after the transition. Here’s what you need to do:

1. Make a note of your existing email account settings, including server addresses, port numbers, and any specific configuration.
2. Access your Bluehost cPanel and navigate to the “Email” section.
3. Recreate your email accounts using the same email addresses and passwords, ensuring that the primary domain is updated in the settings.
4. Update the email client settings on your devices, such as your computer and mobile phone, with the new server addresses and configuration.

By following these steps, you’ll be well-prepared to handle any email-related challenges that may arise during the primary domain change process, ensuring a seamless email communication flow.

Step 3: Changing The Primary Domain On Bluehost

Now that you have accessed your Bluehost account and updated your primary domain, it’s time to proceed with the next step: configuring the new primary domain settings. Follow the instructions below to ensure a smooth transition.

Accessing Your Bluehost Account

1. Go to the Bluehost homepage and click on the “Login” button at the top right corner.
2. Enter your login credentials – username and password – in the appropriate fields.
3. Click on the “Login” button to access your Bluehost account.

Once you have successfully logged in, you can move on to updating the primary domain.

Updating The Primary Domain In Bluehost

1. On the Bluehost dashboard, find the “Domains” tab and click on it to access the domain management section.
2. Under the “Domains” section, click on “Assign” next to the domain you want to set as your new primary domain.
3. Confirm your selection by clicking on the “Assign” button.
4. Wait for the changes to take effect. This might take a few minutes, so be patient during this process.

With the primary domain updated, it’s crucial to configure the new domain settings to ensure everything works correctly.

Configuring The New Primary Domain Settings

Configuring the new primary domain involves updating the DNS settings and ensuring the necessary records are correctly set up. Follow the steps below:

1. On the Bluehost dashboard, navigate to the “Domains” tab once again.
2. Under the “Domains” section, click on “DNS” next to the new primary domain.
3. Here, you will see a list of DNS records. Check if all the necessary records for your website are present and correctly set up.
4. If any records are missing or need to be updated, click on the “Add Record” button to add new records or modify existing ones.
5. Save your changes and wait for the DNS propagation to take effect. This process may take a few hours or even up to 48 hours.

With the new primary domain settings properly configured, it’s time to move on to the final step: testing and verifying the domain change.

Testing And Verifying The Domain Change

After completing the previous steps, it’s essential to ensure that the domain change has been implemented successfully. Follow these steps to test and verify the domain change:

1. Open a web browser and type in your new primary domain.
2. If your website loads correctly without any errors, congratulations! The domain change has been successful.
3. If you encounter any issues or errors, double-check the DNS settings and make any necessary adjustments.
4. Consider clearing your browser cache or trying a different web browser to ensure you’re seeing the most up-to-date version of your website.

Step 4: Post-domain Change Tasks

Discover the essential post-domain change tasks to successfully switch your primary domain on Bluehost. Ensure a smooth transition by properly following these step-by-step instructions.

Updating URLs within Your Website

After successfully changing your primary domain on Bluehost, it is crucial to update the URLs within your website to ensure that everything is aligned with the new domain. URLs play a significant role in improving your website’s search engine rankings and user experience. To update your URLs, follow these steps:

1. Log in to your WordPress dashboard.
2. Navigate to the settings menu on the left-hand side.
3. Click on the ‘General’ option.
4. Replace the old domain with the new domain in the ‘WordPress Address (URL)’ and ‘Site Address (URL)’ fields.
5. Scroll down and click ‘Save Changes’ to update the URLs.

Redirecting Old URLs to The New Domain

When changing your primary domain, it’s essential to set up redirects from the old URLs to their corresponding new URLs to maintain SEO value and prevent broken links. Redirects ensure that visitors land on the correct pages while retaining their search engine rankings. To redirect old URLs to the new domain:

1. Access your Bluehost account and log in.
2. Navigate to the ‘Domains’ section.
3. Select the ‘Redirects’ option.
4. Add the old URL in the ‘Source URL’ field and the new URL in the ‘Destination URL’ field.
5. Choose the type of redirect you want (301 Permanent or 302 Temporary).
6. Click ‘Add’ to create the redirect.

Implementing these redirects ensures that any previously indexed URLs will redirect visitors seamlessly to the new domain, preserving your website’s online presence and SEO efforts.

Updating Email Account Settings

With a domain change, it’s important to update your email account settings to ensure uninterrupted email communication. Here’s how you can update your email account settings:

1. Access your Bluehost account and log in.
2. Navigate to the ‘Email & Office’ section.
3. Select the specific email account you want to update.
4. Update the ‘Username’ field with the new domain name.
5. Save the changes, and your email account will now operate with the new domain.

Regularly checking and updating your email account settings helps maintain a professional image and ensures that you receive emails correctly on your new domain.

Updating SEO Settings And Redirects

Once you have changed your primary domain, it’s important to update your SEO settings and redirects to ensure search engines can find and index your new domain correctly. Follow these steps to update your SEO settings and redirects:

1. Access your WordPress dashboard.
2. Navigate to the ‘Plugins’ section.
3. Select your SEO plugin (such as Yoast SEO or All in One SEO Pack).
4. Update your website’s sitemap to reflect the new domain.
5. Set up 301 redirects for any URLs affected by the domain change using the SEO plugin’s redirect feature.
6. Submit your updated sitemap to search engines through the respective search console.

By updating your SEO settings and creating redirects, you ensure that search engines understand the changes you’ve made and can direct users appropriately to your new domain.

Monitoring Website Performance And Errors

After changing your primary domain, it’s crucial to monitor your website’s performance and address any errors promptly. Regular monitoring helps identify issues that may arise due to the domain change and ensures your website continues to function optimally. Here are some important tasks to consider:

Task	How to Monitor
Check for broken links	Use a broken link checker tool or crawl your website regularly using a web spider tool.
Monitor website speed	Utilize website speed testing tools like GTmetrix or Google PageSpeed Insights.
Regularly check for crawl errors	Use the crawl error report in Google Search Console or other SEO tools to identify any indexing or crawling issues.
Review website analytics	Analyze website performance metrics in tools like Google Analytics to identify any unusual trends or issues.

By regularly monitoring your website’s performance and addressing any errors promptly, you can ensure that your domain change doesn’t negatively impact your website’s SEO and user experience.

Conclusion

Changing the primary domain on Bluehost is a straightforward process that can greatly benefit your website. By following the steps outlined in this blog post, you can easily make the necessary updates to ensure your website reflects the desired primary domain.

Remember to take caution and double-check all changes before proceeding. With this knowledge, you are now equipped to confidently navigate the primary domain change on Bluehost and optimize your website for success.

FAQs Of How To Change Primary Domain On Bluehost

How To Change The Primary Domain?

To change the primary domain, you can follow these steps: Go to your website’s domain settings. Choose the new domain you want as your primary. Verify ownership of the new domain. Update the DNS settings for the new domain. Set the new domain as your primary.

Can I Change The Main Domain Of Hosting Account?

Yes, you can change the main domain of your hosting account. This can be done by contacting your hosting provider or through your account settings. Ensure to follow the necessary steps and instructions provided by the hosting provider to successfully change your main domain.

How Do I Change My Primary Domain In WordPress?

To change your primary domain in WordPress, go to your WordPress dashboard and navigate to Settings > General. Look for the “WordPress Address (URL)” and “Site Address (URL)” fields. Update the URLs with your new domain and save the changes.