I want a new domain name
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Hello,
I’ve looked around for the answers but I’m still not sure what I should be doing here.
I’m currently registered with the domain name jsoxford.net. It expires in August, and what I want to do is renew it, but I want a different domain name. What is the best way to go about doing this? Is there a way to do this without losing my blog content?The blog I need help with is: (visible only to logged in users)
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Hi there,
When you register a domain name, you’re purchasing the right to use that exact name with your site. If you’d like to use a different domain name, you can add that to your site from the Domains page.
You’re welcome to add that new domain name whenever you want (including before your domain jsoxford.net expires). You can have as many domain names as you’d like linked to the same site, and the primary domain on your site is the one visitors will see in their browser’s address bar.
Other domain names you own will redirect to your primary domain name, so you won’t lost any of your blog content when you add another domain name. The only thing to keep in mind is that you need to keep your domain name registered for your blog content to appear there. So if you switch to a new domain name and let your domain jsoxford.net expire, visitors won’t be able to get to your blog by going to jsoxford.net anymore.
Please let me know if you have any questions about that. :)
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So would it be easier for me then, to register the new domain name through wordpress.org, and then import my whole blog? I don’t want to have to be paying for two domain names all the time. :)
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You don’t have to pay for two domain names all the time if you don’t want to use jsoxford.net at all anymore. :) You can register your new domain name at WordPress.com now and then use jsoxford.net until it expires (or I can help you cancel it now).
If you want to move your blog to a self-hosted WordPress site using the WordPress.org software you’re welcome to do that, and in that case I’d recommend waiting to register the new domain name with your new host. But if you just want to change your domain name, you can do that here at WordPress.com now on the Domains page.
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Hmm… I’m just missing something I think.
If I register a new domain name, and have jsoxford.net open at the same time until it expires, it will redirect people.If I let jsoxford.net expire after the few months, and just use the other one, do I lose all my previous blog content? It’s important that I have all of my previous content.
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No matter what you do, you won’t lose any of your content. We save all your blog’s content along with your blog’s underlying free address josoxford.wordpress.com, so no matter what custom domain name you use your content will always be there.
The only thing that will change is the domain name people use to get to that content. If you let jsoxford.net expire, your content will all still be there — people will just have to use a different domain name to view the content. So if you register a new domain name, they’ll use that new domain name to view your content (including all your previous content).
I hope that helps explain it! If that’s still confusing, please let me know. :)
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Oh awesome! That really helps. And until jsoxford.net expires, it will redirect people? I think four months is probably enough time to get that sorted out. :)
Thanks so much for your help!
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Yep! Until jsoxford.net expires it will redirect people to your new domain name, and like you said, that’s a long enough time that people should be able to get their bookmarks updated. :)
Please let me know if I can do anything more to help with that!
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Sorry, I’ve discovered one more question.
If I buy a new domain name through wordpress.com, am I able to transfer that domain name to wordpress.org with the content? Will jsoxford redirect to the wordpress.org until it expires? Or does this only work between wordpress.coms?Thanks!
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The automatic redirect only happens when you have two domains registered at WordPress.com and linked to the same WordPress.com site — that’s because any domains on a WordPress.com site will redirect to the site’s primary domain.
However, you are welcome to use domains you’ve registered here at WordPress.com with other hosting providers (for example, hosts where you’re using the WordPress.org software). You can point your domain to another host by changing the domain’s name servers. As long as your domains are set up like that, the automatic redirect will keep happening.
You also have the option to transfer domains to another domain registrar. That’s useful if you want to use your domain with a different website host, so you can transfer your domain to your new host and manage everything in one place. However, there’s a 60-day transfer lock after you register a new domain name, so you’d need to wait 60 days to do that if you register a new domain name now. If you know you want to use the domain somewhere else, rather than here at WordPress.com, you’d probably be better off buying the new domain with your new host, instead.
Please let me know if you have any other questions about that. :)
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