Keeping old website active while working on new WordPress site
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I have a self-hosted site healthyfoundations.com that I would like to keep live until I have completed its migration and update on WordPress. I need the business plan to do everything I would like to do with the site, but I do not want the domain healthyfoundations.com to leave its current site until the new WordPress one is completed. How do I do that?
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Yes :) This is a very common question. Go ahead and build your new site on WordPress.com. Import your content, customize the theme, get it all ready to launch.
Keeping the new site private will help prevent any SEO confusion since you’re going to have the same content on two different addresses.
https://en.support.wordpress.com/settings/privacy-settings/Once ready, the domain can get connected with one of our plans. https://wordpress.com/pricing/
There’s 2 ways to connect the domain. Either will work fine.
1. Mapping: https://en.support.wordpress.com/domains/map-existing-domain/
2. Transfer: https://en.support.wordpress.com/incoming-domain-transfer/Write back with more questions :)
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Do I go ahead and use the domain name in WordPress even though it isn’t pointing to WordPress yet? I need to do that to make sure the URLs are correct. Thank you!
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You can build a site with a free subdomain ending in .wordpress.com or .home.blog or similar. When you’re ready you upgrade that site to a paid plan to map or transfer your current domain to it.
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And how can I work on it before I pay for a plan? Without the plan, I don’t get all the good themes.
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themagicrobot – If I do it that way, won’t I have to recreate all the URLs? I have multiple WP sites, but I have not created one while keeping its predecessor live before. Thanks!
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For clarification, the jhrosenberg and angeh13 are coming from the same person on the same topic. I am helping jhrosenberg and was logged into her account when I sent the original message.
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I missed the bit about the Business plan. If you start initially with a free site to set up the subdomain address then you can upgrade that site to a Business plan and then map/transfer your real domain at a later date. There is a plugin called theme-switcha that you could use to experiment with different themes. Adding a Business plan will give you direct access to support as well.
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Thank you. That plugin will be helpful. I have direct support from the business sites I have within my own account. I have directed my efforts there since logging in with the account I am helping with didn’t give me any support and led me here. Thank you for the info.
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I asked a similar question today. @themagicrobot can’t I just pay for the business plan with the free subdomain ending in .wordpress.com then map the real domain when the site is built? That way I can take advantage of the themes. Also, do you know if I can have multiple domain names under the business plan? Thanks,
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All sites on WordPress.com get a free WordPress.com or .blog subdomain when the site is created, that functions just like any regular subdomain, and your site is fully online and accessible at that subdomain (provided you set it to public).
So you can experiment and build your site at that free address, even upgrade the site while still using the free address, and only add/transfer/map a custom domain once you’re ready.
You can add as many domains as you want to any site with a paid plan, but only the first domain registration or transfer is free. Additional domains cost extra.
If you already have the domains registered somewhere else, you can map as many as you want to a site on a paid plan at no additional cost.
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