I remember the first time I bought a domain name. It felt like buying a piece of the internet—a little plot of digital land that was all mine. But just a few months in, I realized the name didn’t quite fit the brand I was building. That led me to wonder: Can I change my domain name on GoDaddy? If you’re asking yourself the same question, you’re not alone. It’s a common issue, especially for small business owners, bloggers, or creators who are evolving. In this post, I’ll walk you through everything I’ve learned—clearly, simply, and with a few honest thoughts thrown in along the way.
Key Takeaways:
- You can’t rename a domain on GoDaddy—but you can switch to a new one.
- 301 redirects and good planning can help protect your traffic and SEO.
- GoDaddy offers tools to manage your domain change easily.
Can You Actually Change a Domain Name on GoDaddy?
So, here’s the raw truth: No, you can’t directly rename a domain on GoDaddy. Once a domain is registered, it’s locked in. Think of it like getting a tattoo—sure, you can get another one or cover it up, but you can’t really erase the original without some effort.
But here’s the good news: You can buy a new domain and move everything over. That’s how I did it. GoDaddy makes it possible to manage both your old and new domain from the same account. You just have to be smart about it—especially if you care about SEO, web traffic, and customer trust.
What You Can Do Instead (And Should)
I was nervous about losing traffic when switching domains. But I found a way to keep most of it by setting up a 301 redirect. This tells Google and users that your website has moved to a new address, permanently.
When I switched, I also updated all my social media handles, email addresses, and internal links. It felt like changing homes—you need to tell everyone where you’ve moved and forward your mail, right?
Here’s a simple comparison I made for myself:
| Old Domain Setup | New Domain Transition |
|---|---|
| Registered on GoDaddy | Buy new domain from GoDaddy |
| Hosting + SSL configured | Reuse same hosting or update details |
| No 301 redirect | Set up 301 redirect |
| Old domain emails in use | Forward to new domain email |
Changing the Primary Domain in GoDaddy Hosting
If you’re using GoDaddy’s Windows Hosting (Plesk or cPanel), you can change the primary domain name on your hosting account. But this doesn’t rename the domain itself—it just tells GoDaddy to use a different one as the main site.
Here’s what I had to do:
- Remove the domain I wanted to switch as a secondary (if it was already added).
- Remove the SSL certificate (GoDaddy won’t let you proceed with it installed).
- Use the “Change Domain” option under Settings in the hosting dashboard.
GoDaddy says it might take up to 24 hours to reflect, but mine was done in about 3. Keep in mind, you’ll need to manually update your DNS A records if you’re pointing to a different IP.
How to Set Up a 301 Redirect on GoDaddy (Step-by-Step)
This was the most critical part for me. If I skipped it, I would’ve lost my existing traffic, and all the SEO value I had built would’ve tanked.
So I edited the .htaccess file in the old domain’s root folder. It looked like this:
RewriteEngine on
RewriteCond %{HTTP_HOST} ^olddomain.com [NC,OR]
RewriteCond %{HTTP_HOST} ^www.olddomain.com [NC]
RewriteRule ^(.*)$ http://www.newdomain.com/$1 [L,R=301,NC]
Simple, right? This made sure every page from my old site now pointed to the exact version on the new site. Here’s a breakdown of how things worked after this change:
| Before Redirect | After Redirect |
|---|---|
| Visitors landed on olddomain.com/page.html | Automatically sent to newdomain.com/page.html |
| SEO credit tied to old URLs | Passed on (90%+) to new URLs |
| Emails sent to old domain | Forwarded to new inbox |
Keeping SEO and Traffic Safe During the Change
Let’s get real. SEO is scary when you’re changing domains. I was terrified of losing rankings, but I took a few steps that made a world of difference.
- I used Google Search Console to notify Google of the domain change.
- I updated my sitemap and submitted it again.
- I sent emails to bloggers who had linked to me before, asking them to update their backlinks.
Also, I kept both domains active for a while. That gave users time to adjust, and me—peace of mind.
Don’t Forget the Small Things
One of the most surprising parts? How many little details you need to remember. Like internal links in blog posts. Or logos with the domain name in it. Or social media bios.
If you’re using WordPress, updating your internal links can be easy:
- Just go to Settings > General and replace the domain URLs.
- Or edit
wp-config.phpwith:
define('WP_HOME','http://newdomain.com');
define('WP_SITEURL','http://newdomain.com');
If you’re not on WordPress, use a find-and-replace plugin or do it manually. It’s tedious but worth it.
Final Tips From My Own Experience
My biggest piece of advice? Back up your site before anything else. I used GoDaddy’s file manager to save everything offline. If something went wrong, I could’ve just restored and tried again.
Second, keep your old emails active and forwarding. You’ll be surprised how many people still use the old contact info weeks later.
And lastly, give yourself grace. It’s a process. You’re doing something bold for your brand. Take it one step at a time—and know that it can be done without losing the progress you’ve made.
FAQs
Can I change my domain name on GoDaddy?
No, you can’t rename an existing domain, but you can buy a new one and use redirects.
Will I lose traffic if I change my domain name?
Not if you set up 301 redirects properly and notify search engines.
Can I change my primary domain in GoDaddy hosting?
Yes, if you use Windows or cPanel hosting, you can update the primary domain name.
Do I need a new SSL certificate for the new domain?
Yes, SSLs are domain-specific. You’ll need to install a new one for the new domain.
Should I inform Google about the domain change?
Absolutely. Use Google Search Console’s “Change of Address” tool.
Will my email stop working after switching domains?
Only if you don’t set up forwarding or recreate the same addresses on the new domain.
How long does it take for the changes to reflect?
DNS updates and primary domain changes can take up to 24 hours, though often less.
