Transferring my domain to WordPress

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  reeyaf465caa4fb · Member · Mar 3, 2020 at 2:32 pm

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  I am currently hosting my website through another provider but would like to start using WordPress. Please can you advise how I ca do this? Thanks

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  copymel · Member · Mar 3, 2020 at 3:59 pm

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  I’m a similar situation. I’m trying to find out the most effective way of doing this.

  As far as I’m aware, you have two options:

  1. Domain Mapping
  2. Domain Transfer

  Domain Mapping means that your domain continues to be hosted by the current provider. In my case that’s Moonfruit. (I don’t currently have a website with them, but that’s where I bought the domain.)

  In Domain Mapping, your WordPress site uses the domain, but it doesn’t actually host it. So if you want to renew your domain etc then you have to do that with your old provider.

  In order to use Domain Mapping you need to upgrade to a personal account (£3/month) on WordPress.

  Domain Transfer means that it’s a full transfer and you can renew/manage the domain on WordPress. Domain transfer incurs a cost with the domain provider. For Moonfruit, I have to pay £10+VAT.

  However, apparently I can’t transfer a URL ending ‘.uk’ on WordPress. I can only map it.

  This is only my understanding, someone might correct me.

  But here’s a question: if I choose a personal plan at £3/month…, then map the domain from Moonfruit…, can I further down the line refuse to renew my domain at Moonfruit? Thereby leaving it vacant so that I can then purchase the domain via WordPress?

  That way I can go back down to a free plan and simply continue renewing my domain?

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  themagicrobot · Member · Mar 3, 2020 at 4:17 pm

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  @reeyaf465caa4fb Is your existing site made using the wordpress software?
  https://en.support.wordpress.com/moving-from-self-hosted-wordpress-to-wordpress-com/
  
  @copymel

  can I further down the line refuse to renew my domain at Moonfruit? Thereby leaving it vacant so that I can then purchase the domain via WordPress?

  That would be a dangerous thing to do. There would be no guarantee that the domain would be released promptly if at all and it could very well be registered by a domain squatter before you could.

  That way I can go back down to a free plan and simply continue renewing my domain?

  A paid plan rather than a free plan at WordPress.com is required to register/transfer/map a custom domain.

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  copymel · Member · Mar 3, 2020 at 4:27 pm

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  Ah I see. Thanks MagicRobot that’s very useful to know!