Domain mapping questions
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Hello,
I am thinking about mapping a *.wordpress.com domain to an existing domain. I have read all the articles about domain mapping, but I still have a few questions.
1) Is it necessary to remove any files/content from a custom domain, if my custom domain currently is an active website, with content, and I then map a *.wordpress.com domain to it? Or would it just simply change the file hosting to WordPress.com for my custom domain?
2) On the WordPress articles, it is frequently mentioned that there could be problems with custom emails. Would that be the emails associated with the custom domain? And how are they affected? Are you not able to receive emails ?
3) When mapping the domain, I want as little downtime on the custom domain as possible. I’ve heard that issues with accessing the website could arise during the propagation time. Do you recommend setting the custom domain as the primary domain right away, or waiting a few hours? And how long can I expect to wait for users of the websites cache to clear and catch up with the DNS changes.
Thanks in advance :-)
The blog I need help with is: (visible only to logged in users)
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Hi there
1) While it isn’t necessary to remove files, you wouldn’t have access to them through the domain anymore. Do you have some other way you plan on accessing the files there? Also, do you want to move any of those files here?
2) I’m not sure what problems you’re referring to. Emails are not a problem here, so long as you copy the settings over before pointing the domain. Also, if you are using an email account with the current host, be sure they don’t shut it off when you transfer the site.
3) DNS changes can take a few hours if your computer has recently checked the site, but they tend to go quickly for the rest of the web. So once you’ve set up the site here, ensured all images are ported in properly, and made sure you’re done working on it for the next while at least, you can point the domain here. I’d recommend opting to make the new domain primary soon after you point it to our name servers.
How else can we help?
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Hello again, thanks for the response!
1) I would still be able to access the old files through FTP via the old host?
2) https://en.support.wordpress.com/domains/map-existing-domain/
– “If you have email on your domain, there are a few more steps to make this work now that your name servers point here. See our guide on how to update your email records.” This is what i was referring to.3) “So once you’ve set up the site here, ensured all images are ported in properly”. When you say ported in properly, do you just mean the standard WordPress image upload method?
4) Are there any risks when mapping a domain? Can content be lost? Any permanent redirect issues, like the ones, someone could experience when using 301 redirects without precautions? Or anything of that matter?
Thank you :-)
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Are you using your own WordPress installation a the old host?
If so, and if you are planning on using the export/import feature, it’s important for the files to be accessible at via the paths listed in your export file. The import process should get them automatically if they are accessible at the old host.
We can also help you double check your settings for your email before you point the domain here. Here are the steps I would take:
1) (If you are using WordPress there) create a clean export file
2) Import here
3) Buy a plan
4) Map the domain
5) Double check the email settings (support can help with that after the domain is mapped)
6) When everything on the site and the email is correct, update the domain settings to point here. The site (and email) will be live a few hours later, and the old site will no longer be accessible.About redirects: if you had WordPress.org at the old host, and you use an export and import, things should just keep working. If not, let me know what setup you had at the old host and ‘ll try to help you come up with the best convention for old links to keep working.
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Hello again,
Thanks for the reply, and sorry for not responding.
I am not using wordpress.org on any domain. All I have is a domain with a few .html pages. I wish to map my .wordpress.com domain onto that domain. So I guess in that case it isn’t necessary to use any import/export features? And what about emails from the domain I wish to map to?However my main concern is, if there are any risks when mapping a domain, and chaning DNS records? Can it be undone, if any mistakes happen?
Thanks :)
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@testingawebsite283 okay, so you’ll want to finish creating the site here at WordPress.com, map the domain, and ensure any email DNS entries are in place, and then change the domains settings to point here.
You can undo DNS changes – that’s what makes them dynamic. It’s just that it can take a few hours (sometimes more) for each change to take effect, so it’s better to make sure everything looks good prior to making a switch.
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Hello,
Thank you for the answer :-)
1) So I can just follow the guide: https://en.support.wordpress.com/domains/map-existing-domain/2) What happens if I don’t ensure my email DNS entries are in place?
3) Is it possible to make a backup of the site here on WordPress.com?
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Just adding onto the third question. I saw that it is possible to export as xml files. Can I use these as backup files? If everything gets deleted, can I import these, and get everything back? Or is it possible to write to the support, and get a recovery?
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Hi @testingawebsite283 , yeah that guide will work. My summary: First, choose a plan here:
https://wordpress.com/plansThen use the domain credit at https://wordpress.com/domains
Finally, if your domain is registered elsewhere, be sure to update its settings to point to our servers, and wait a few hours for that to take effect.
It’s a good idea to ensure your DNS settings are correct since you have to wait a few hours for each change, but, it’s fixable if something goes wrong. It’s just a matter of waiting.
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About the backups: your XML contains just text, no images or layout settings. If you’re worried about disaster recovery, though, you should be okay. Just keep your password safe, log out of any computers that others can access, and don’t delete stuff (like media library items) unless you’re positive you want it gone. Let me know if you have more questions about that.
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Hello @supernovia
I am aware that it is unlikely that any damage to content will happen during domain mapping. But just for future references. Do WordPress.com offer any kind of content recovery, if something goes wrong?
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The XML backup is just a backup copy. It does not remove or pull anything off of the actual site.
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