New website using main domain

NetHosted Customer Joined: 26 Jun 2010 Posts: 48

To use a subdomain it is simple to create a sub directory, populate it and then point the subdomain at the required sub directory. What happens if I wish to replace my main domain?

I currently have a website base on html files and am considering switching to wordpress but do not wish to make the switch until the new site is tested. Wordpress will install in its own directory presumably and I could get the site up and running for test purposes but how can I redirect my main domain, or would I need to have everything moved to the root directory?

NetHosted Staff Joined: 24 Jun 2005 Posts: 1019

Hi,

To use a subdomain you need to use the Subdomains section in cPanel to setup the directory so this will display correctly. (From your 2nd paragraph I think you are just looking for a subdirectory not a subdomain, in which case you do simply need to make the directory)

To use a WordPress install that is in a subdirectory on the main site you can follow the steps in this guide: http://codex.wordpress.org/Giving_WordPress_Its_Own_Directory

You will need to follow the "Using a pre-existing subdirectory install" section.

Regards,

Darryl

NetHosted Customer Joined: 26 Jun 2010 Posts: 48

I do not wish to use a sub domain, in fact I have already done this. It is my main domain that I wish to use but I would like to continue using my existing site until the wordpress site is properly working then switch over. As I understand it Wordpress will install in its own directory but how do I move my domain to point to it? cPanel nly seems to refer to subdomains.

NetHosted Staff Joined: 24 Jun 2005 Posts: 1019

Hi,

This is what I pointed to in the 2nd part of my post, if you read the link it explains this and the process that you need to go through.

Regards,

Darryl

NetHosted Customer Joined: 26 Jun 2010 Posts: 48

Are you saying that I cannot point the domain at the wordpress directory i.e. my main domain (or at least the index files) must be in the root directory?

NetHosted Staff Joined: 24 Jun 2005 Posts: 1019

The guide explains how to do exactly this. It's not possible to simply point the domain to the WordPress directory, it would not work correctly (due to various things such as the way WordPress generates links).

You need to follow this guide if you want to install WordPress in a subdirectory but have it displayed as though it is in the site root directory, which I am fairly sure is what you are trying to achieve.

Regards,

Darryl

NetHosted Customer Joined: 26 Jun 2010 Posts: 48

The workings of wordpress are not a problem. The issue was more about having my site kep working whilst installing and configuring wordpress and then switching between the two.

What it now looks like is that I install wordpress in a sub directory with one or two .php files in the root directory alongside my current files. Hopefully index.html is picked up first. Inorder to switch I simple remove the files for the current site leaving index.php behind.

NetHosted Staff Joined: 24 Jun 2005 Posts: 1019

Hi,

That's correct, an index.html file has higher preference than index.php so this will be displayed first if it exists.

Regards,

Darryl

NetHosted Customer Joined: 26 Jun 2010 Posts: 48

Just a couple of questions regarding Wordpress:

Will the file permissions be set for max security or will I need to manually do this after installation?

What backups will I need to do?

NetHosted Staff Joined: 24 Jun 2005 Posts: 1019

Hi,

File permissions will be set securely after install.

It's up to you how often you take backups, you can do this whenever you wish via cPanel's Backup section. Our system takes backups which are retained for one month on a separate backup server.

Regards,

Darryl

NetHosted Customer Joined: 26 Jun 2010 Posts: 48

Just realised that my plans have left me with a big problem, creating 301 redirects for the html pages on my current site. Is there a simple way to do this en masse or will I need to specify every html file in the htaccess file?

NetHosted Staff Joined: 24 Jun 2005 Posts: 1019

Hi,

You'll need to explain what you are trying to achieve and give some more details about the kind of logic rules required for the redirects before I can really advise you on this.

Regards,

Darryl

NetHosted Customer Joined: 26 Jun 2010 Posts: 48

As you know I have a site a www.creative4business.co.uk with all of the html files in the root directory. I am planning to move to a wordpress site with the index.php file in the root and the remainder of the files in a subdirectory.

There will not be a direct mapping between old and new pages but there will be no pattern so I do not think that regular expressions can be used to match patterns.

For instance I have a file innovation.html which will have to be redirected to a new page, presumably via the relevant permalink? Presumably the new path will also contain the subdirectory name?

There will be 20-30 of these files.

NetHosted Staff Joined: 24 Jun 2005 Posts: 1019

Hi,

For these old pages you will indeed need to create individual .htaccess redirects, you shouldn't have to include the subdirectory name, the point of the WordPress guide I linked is that it will show up without the subdirectory as though it was installed in the root directory.

Regards,

Darryl

NetHosted Customer Joined: 26 Jun 2010 Posts: 48

Excellent, thanls. Now all I need to do is make it happen!

Client Support	Community	Server Status	Contact Us	Client Login
Email Hosting	Website Hosting	Reseller Hosting	VPS Hosting	Dedicated Servers