Set up your site after migrating to WordPress.com

If you recently migrated your WordPress site to WordPress.com, you may already be familiar with how to manage it. In this guide, we’ll get you started with your new site, introduce you to tools for managing your account, and cover some key hosting differences.

Now that your site’s content has successfully been migrated to your WordPress.com site, your next step is to set up your domain name.

If you plan to use the same domain name you used for the site before your migration, you can quickly get your domain up and running by adding DNS records with your domain provider. Using the DNS records method ensures you see no interruption in your email or other connected services.

After you’ve connected your domain to your WordPress.com hosted site using the DNS records option, you have time to think about how you want to manage your domain name moving forward. We recommend transferring your domain name to WordPress.com so you can manage the billing for your site and domain all through one place.

Learn more about domain names on WordPress.com.

You may be familiar with managing users on self-hosted sites, through the WP Admin dashboard. Users function slightly differently (but don’t have to!) on WordPress.com.

WordPress.com Log In, also referred to as Secure Sign-On (SSO), connects your WordPress.com dashboard and WP Admin dashboard to use the same log-in information. It ensures you can quickly and securely access all your site’s dashboard settings without needing a separate login for WP Admin.

You can invite users to administer or contribute to your site, or manage subscribers with the WordPress Log In system.

However, for any number of reasons (most predominantly, membership-based websites) you may want to disable Secure Sign-On and use local user management through WP Admin instead.

Learn how to configure your site’s log in access.

After migrating your site, some plugins may require additional steps to ensure everything works correctly. For example:

• Page builder plugins: After migration, you may need to clear the plugin cache or update URLs. If you notice styling issues, review the documentation for your page builder (such as Elementor, Divi, Avada, or Beaver Builder) for recommended post-migration steps.
• Form builder plugins: Some plugins may need to be reconfigured after migration. Test your forms to confirm they are working as expected.
• SEO plugins: If you have changed your domain, you may have to reset metadata or update indexables in Yoast or other SEO plugins. If you’ve migrated from a staging environment and have not had your site indexed yet, you can start by verifying your site with Google Search Console.
• If your previous site used Jetpack, WooPayments, or WooCommerce Shipping, contact support for assistance with connecting your old site’s data to your new site. This includes transferring Jetpack stats and subscribers, WooPayments account information, and WooCommerce Shipping labels.

Check the documentation for each plugin you use to confirm if any post-migration actions are required.

There will be differences between all hosting providers, so now is a good time to learn how hosting on WordPress.com works.

Dashboard navigation: First, our guide on how to navigate WordPress.com will introduce you to the sites list and the difference between WordPress.com’s default dashboard and the familiar WP Admin dashboard. If you’re more comfortable with the WP Admin dashboard, you can set your admin interface to use WP Admin by default.

Advanced tools: If you’re used to using cPanel to manage your WordPress site, you’ll want to read our guide on how to access the same features, like SFTP and database access, on your WordPress.com site.

Included features: In our platform features guide, learn all about the features built into WordPress.com, including domain management, real-time backups, and more.

Security: With WordPress.com, you benefit from integrated security features that eliminate the need for third-party tools or plugins; explore our security overview guide to see how your site is protected from the moment you join us.

Performance: WordPress.com’s full-stack performance features keep your sites running smoothly and quickly, regardless of whether your site has 10 or 10 million visitors. Learn more about site performance.

Built-in search engine optimization: Your WordPress.com website is optimized for search engines by default. We also have built-in SEO tools to help you customize your site’s meta-data or verify your site with Google Search Console.

Learn how to manage your WordPress.com account, subscriptions, and purchases.

Your WordPress.com profile is a dashboard specific to your user account. You can manage account settings, purchases, security, notification settings, and more in your profile.

Learn how to manage your profile or update your account settings. Through your profile, you can also manage your account security, including setting up two-step authentication, changing your email, and changing your password.

You can also manage the purchases for your WordPress.com site (or sites, if you have more than one) through your WordPress.com profile.

We have detailed guides that explain how to manage your purchases or upgrade your existing plan:

• Manage your purchases
• Upgrade your plan