Changing the URL of a Joomla Website

Sometimes it is necessary to change the domain name for a website.  If you are using Joomla, this will involve making a change to a configuration file and possibly your database.  The following article will take you through the steps for changing your Joomla website URL.

Modifying the Domain Name for Your Joomla Website

Modify the configuration .php file of your Joomla Installation

1. Login to your cPanel and then go to the File Manager.
2. Locate the installation files for your Joomla files.  Search for the root folder of your Joomla installation, then open the CONFIGURATION.PHP file in one of the editing options of the File Manager.
3. Look for the following setting:
   
   public $live_site='domain_name.com';
   
   The "domain_name.com" represents the current setting.  Below the "new_domain.com" represents your new domain name. Replace the text of the current domain name with your new domain name.
   
   public $live_site='new_domain_name.com';
   
   
4. Once you have completed the change, click on SAVE CHANGES in your editor. 

Change the Database Settings of Your Joomla Installation

1. Login to your cPanel.
2. Scroll down to the DATABASES section and click on phpMyAdmin.
3. Select your Joomla database and then click on EXPORT in the top menu after the database is selected. The exported format will be SQL (e.g. filename.sql)
4. Save the resulting SQL file to your local hard drive.
5. Open the SQL file in a TEXT EDITOR (e.g. Notepad.)
6. Find and Replace all of your old URLs with the new one.  Note: the default keyboard shortcut for "find and replace" is CTRL+H (hold down your control key and click on 'H') - this will bring up the Find and Replace dialog.
7. Once you have replaced all of the old URLs with your domain name save the SQL file.
8. Go back to phpMyAdmin and then IMPORT your updated SQL file back in as the SAME Joomla database.

This completes the steps necessary to change the domain name for your Joomla website.  Remember that the changes for the database might not be necessary as it depends on how you configured your Joomla website.  If you require further information on Joomla, please go to the Getting Started Guide:  Joomla.