Connecting new WordPress installation to existing URL with outdated WordPress

  • Hi, Thanks for considering this post.

    We have a weekly publication at https://spacecalendar.com.

    For a variety of reasons including limited time/resources, limited technical capabilities, staff turn over without proper notations, etc we are using an out dated WordPress 3.0.1.

    We want to revamp the site and start fresh using a fully up to date version of wordpress, but without causing to much down time on the site and without losing the ability to just revert back if things don’t work out.

    So we have created a replacement site with a fully up to date WordPress installation at https://21stcenturyspacecalendar.com. This is based on WordPress 4.0 running a child theme of TwentyTwelve called SCEcho2013.

    We want to find a way to quickly and easily map the new updated wordpress installation, with new theme, custom CSS, imported posts, all ready to go (which is now based at https://21stcenturyspacecalendar.com) to the original URL at spacecalendar.com.

    What is the best way to do this? What are the major potential problems we should be aware of? Any advice or help would be most appreciated.

Viewing 3 replies - 1 through 3 (of 3 total)

  • Step 1 back up both sites. All files and databases.

    If everything on your new site is working the way you want it to and you simply want to move it in place of the original domain, my process would be something like:

    – Upload the wp-content folder from the temp url over to the live url (or at least your new themes and any new plugins you installed on the temp url)
    – Update WordPress on the live URL to 4.0
    – Use the WP Migrate DB plugin to move the database from temp url to live url (it will do the search/replace of urls for you in the database)

    Keep in mind, Migrate DB will pull everything from the temp url over to the live url. Meaning, all posts, all pages, all users, all comments, etc… So, if you have data on the live url that is not currently on the temp url, it would be lost when you did the migration.

    When doing a big site move like this, there’s always the potential for issues like your site becoming unavailable. Remember where I said to make a backup first. And, make sure you know how you’d go about putting the backup back in place in case things don’t go right.

    Hope that helps.

    Thread Starter SpacAge

    (@spacage)

    Thanks John for your helpful response and recommendations. I will continue research and preparations. If anyone else has input I’m all ears.

    Thread Starter SpacAge

    (@spacage)

    I thought I might just be able to switch the url’s listed in the general settings of each installation, but research here on the forums steered me away from that option. Didn’t sound like it would work.

Viewing 3 replies - 1 through 3 (of 3 total)
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