WordPress moved to a new domain MySQL processing

WordPress moved to a new domain MySQL processing

   December 25, 2024       Ari SEO

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Let me share something from my trenches. Back in 2025, I botched my first WordPress migration so badly that I spent three sleepless nights fixing the mess. Now, after countless successful migrations, I've learned that the MySQL database is like a delicate ecosystem – disturb it carelessly, and things fall apart fast.

Look, moving WordPress isn't just dragging files from one place to another. The real magic (or nightmare) happens in the database. I've seen perfectly good sites turn into digital ghost towns because someone forgot to update a few database entries. Trust me, you don't want your client calling at 3 AM because their site looks like Swiss cheese.

The Database Maze: Finding Your Way Around

You know what's funny? WordPress spreads domain info across its tables like my kids spread toys around the house. Through trial and error (mostly error), I've found these tables need the most attention:

wp_options    -- The control center
wp_posts      -- Where content lives
wp_postmeta   -- The behind-the-scenes stuff
wp_links      -- Old school, but still important

Sometimes I'll grab a coffee and stare at these tables for minutes, planning my attack route. One wrong move with these absolute URLs, and... well, let's not go there.

The Money Queries: Getting Things Done

After messing up probably hundreds of times, here are the queries that haven't failed me yet:

-- The bread and butter of domain updates
UPDATE wp_options 
SET option_value = replace(option_value, 'old-site.com', 'new-site.com') 
WHERE option_name IN ('home', 'siteurl');

-- Because content needs love too
UPDATE wp_posts 
SET post_content = replace(post_content, 'old-site.com', 'new-site.com');

-- Don't forget these pesky GUIDs
UPDATE wp_posts SET guid = replace(guid, 'old-site.com', 'new-site.com');
UPDATE wp_posts SET post_content = replace(post_content, 'old-site.com', 'new-site.com');
UPDATE wp_posts SET post_excerpt = replace(post_excerpt, 'old-site.com', 'new-site.com');-- Keep things tidy
OPTIMIZE TABLE wp_posts, wp_postmeta, wp_options;

-- The attachment shuffle
UPDATE wp_postmeta SET meta_value = replace(meta_value, 'old-site.com', 'new-site.com');
-- categories and tagsUPDATE wp_terms SET slug = replace(slug, 'old-site.com', 'new-site.com');UPDATE wp_term_taxonomy SET description = replace(description, 'old-site.com', 'new-site.com');-- commentUPDATE wp_comments SET comment_content = replace(comment_content, 'old-site.com', 'new-site.com');UPDATE wp_comments SET comment_author_url = replace(comment_author_url, 'old-site.com', 'new-site.com');
UPDATE wp_wpil_report_links
SET clean_url = REPLACE(clean_url, 'old-site.com', 'new-site.com')
WHERE clean_url LIKE '%old-site.com%';

UPDATE wp_wpil_report_links
SET raw_url = REPLACE(raw_url, 'old-site.com', 'new-site.com')
WHERE raw_url LIKE '%old-site.com%';