Reconfigure production website to subdomain

This guide will teach you how to reconfigure your website to use a subdomain (rather than a naked domain).

To complete this guide, please ensure you have:

• Your cPanel login details - These were included in the original Welcome to Serversaurus or IMPORTANT: Hosting Documentation email which you should be able to find in your inbox otherwise follow these instructions on how to update your cPanel password.
• SSH Access - Serversaurus relies on key based authentication to login via SSH/SFTP, if you haven't already, generate your SSH key pair and configure it in cPanel before proceeding with the next steps.

Let's begin!

1. Login to cPanel and navigate to the Subdomain function, create your subdomain of choice, in this guide we will be using a subdomain labeled legacy.

2. This step varies depending on your setup, so please choose from 2a. or 2b. depending on which applied to your circumstance:

2a. You have web browser access to the production website

Using WP Migrate DB plugin, we're going to update the websites database to the new domain name and document root. So login to WordPress dashboard >> Plugins >> Add New >> Install WP Migrate DB >> Activate Plugin.

Then navigate to Tools >> Migrate DB >> Migrate >> Search & Replace >> Update the Replace fields with the subdomain and new directory path.

Once you've filled out the details, select Search & Replace at the bottom of the page to initiate the process, once processing is complete, the website will be dysfunctional. Do not worry, this is all part of the process, please proceed to step 3.

2b. You don't have web browser access to the production website

Open Terminal and SSH to your hosting server (update the following command with your server login details):

ssh username@servername.serversaurus.com.au

Edit the wp-config.php file:

vi public_html/wp-config.php

Above the WP_DEBUG entries enter the following:

Update the entry with your domain and save:

define( 'WP_HOME', 'https://www.legacy.yourdomain.com/’ );
define( 'WP_SITEURL', 'https://www.legacy.yourdomain.com/' );

Move the current production site to the subdomain document root:

mv public_html/* ~/legacy.yourdomain.com/

You will now be able to view the website. Our next step is using WP Migrate DB plugin, we're going to update the websites database to the new subdomain name and document root. So login to WordPress dashboard >> Plugins >> Add New >> Install WP Migrate DB >> Activate Plugin.

Then navigate to Tools >> Migrate DB >> Migrate >> Search & Replace >> Update the Replace fields with the production domain and new directory path.

Once you've filled out the details, select Search & Replace at the bottom of the page to initiate the process. Please skip step 3.

3. Move the current production site to the subdomain document root:

Update the following command with your subdomain details.

mv public_html/* ~/legacy.yourdomain.com/

The subdomain is live! Nice work

Troubleshooting recommendations:
If you have any warnings/errors, please check for the following common post migration issues.

1. Login to WordPress and clear all website cache
2. Check DNS is resolving to correct server IP address
3. Login to phpMyAdmin, check wp_options table and confirm the siteurl and home are pointing to the correct domain name- update if required
4. Check all PHP dependencies are enabled.