If you already own a domain name with another provider, you can use that domain name with your WordPress.com site. This guide will help you choose whether to connect or transfer the domain name.
Certain things are the same when choosing to connect or transfer your domain name:
- Your domain name will display your WordPress.com website.
- Your site’s address will be your domain name, without ‘WordPress’ in the address.
- Supports all major domain name extensions, including .com, .net, and .org. See the full list.
- Included with any annual WordPress.com plan.
Connecting a domain name means:
- Your domain name remains at your domain provider (where the domain is registered).
- You change some settings so that the domain name shows your WordPress.com site.
- You continue to renew the domain name with the other company where your domain name is registered.
- You continue to renew your website’s hosting plan here at WordPress.com.
- The process takes less than 15 minutes and takes effect within a few hours.
Transferring a domain name means:
- You move your domain name’s registration from your current provider to WordPress.com.
- Your domain name’s settings are managed in your WordPress.com account.
- You no longer pay any domain name registration fees to your current domain provider.
- You renew your domain name and website’s hosting plan here at WordPress.com.
- The process takes less than 30 minutes and takes effect within 7 days.
A common question that arises is whether to move a domain name to where you created your website or to move your website to where your domain name is registered.
While both are possible, it is much easier to move the domain name to where your website is already hosted. By following the steps shared above, you can move your domain name to your website in under 30 minutes, and your website will remain intact the entire time.
If you were to move your website to where your domain name is registered, you would need to export it and create the website again with a new host. This process is typically longer and carries the risk that your website will not look or work the same as it did when you originally created it.
