How to Change an Application's Domain Name on Cloudways

There are two ways to change your application’s domain name on Cloudways: through the Cloudways dashboard (no SSH needed) or via WP-CLI over SSH. The dashboard method is faster for most WordPress users. The WP-CLI method gives you more control and is the right choice if the dashboard option does not update all references in the database.

After changing the domain, you also need to provision a new SSL certificate for it and update your DNS records. Both are covered below.

Quick Steps: What the Process Looks Like

1. Update Primary Domain in Application Settings > General (or run wp search-replace via WP-CLI for a full database update)
2. Provision a new SSL certificate in Application Settings > SSL Certificate using Let’s Encrypt (free)
3. Update DNS at your domain registrar: add an A record pointing to your Cloudways server IP

Detailed steps for each stage follow below.

Method 1: Change Domain via the Cloudways Dashboard

This is the quickest approach and does not require SSH access.

Step 1 - Log In and Select Your Application

Log in to your Cloudways account, click “Servers” in the top menu, select the server your application is on, then click the application name.

Step 2 - Application Settings

Go to Application Settings > General. You will see a “Primary Domain” field. Enter your new domain name here and click “Save Changes”.

Cloudways updates the WordPress database records for siteurl and home automatically. If your site uses a caching plugin, clear the cache after saving.

Changing a Temporary (Staging) Domain to a Production Domain

One of the most common reasons to change a Cloudways application domain is moving from the temporary Cloudways subdomain (something like myapp.cloudwaysapps.com) to your real domain at launch. The steps are the same as a regular domain change, but a few specifics apply:

• Make sure your production domain's DNS A record is pointing to your Cloudways server IP before you change the Primary Domain field. If the A record is not already propagated, the SSL certificate request will fail because Let's Encrypt cannot reach the domain over HTTP.
• The Cloudways temporary subdomain continues to work after you change the primary domain. You do not need to delete or disable it. This is useful as a fallback if DNS is still propagating.
• If you have been developing on the temporary domain, run a full wp search-replace via WP-CLI (see Method 2 below) to replace all references to the temporary domain URL in the database, including in post content, metadata, and option values.
• After launching, change any hard-coded references in your theme or plugin files from the staging domain to the production domain, particularly wp-config.php if it has a defined WP_SITEURL or WP_HOME.

Method 2: Change Domain via WP-CLI (SSH)

Use this method if the dashboard method does not catch all hardcoded URLs in the database, or if you prefer command-line control.

Step 1 - Connect via SSH

Connect to your Cloudways server using SSH. You can find your SSH credentials under Server Management > Master Credentials. The connection command follows this format:

ssh [email protected] -p 22

Replace master_user with your master username and your.server.ip with the server’s IP address. Both are shown in the Master Credentials panel.

Step 2 - Navigate to Your Application Directory

Once connected, navigate to the application’s webroot directory where wp-config.php lives. On Cloudways this is typically:

cd /home/master/applications/your-app/public_html

Replace your-app with your application’s folder name. You can find your application folder name on Cloudways in the Application Settings. Confirm you are in the right place by running ls wp-config.php, you should see the filename returned.

Step 3 - Do a Dry Run First

Before running the actual replacement, test it with the --dry-run flag. This shows how many rows would be changed without touching the database:

wp search-replace 'https://olddomain.com' 'https://newdomain.com' --all-tables --dry-run

Review the output. If the row count looks reasonable (tens or hundreds of rows for a typical WordPress site), proceed to the live run. If the count is unexpectedly high or zero, check that you have the correct old domain URL including the protocol.

Step 4 - Run the Search-Replace Command

Use WP-CLI to replace all instances of the old domain with the new one across the database:

wp search-replace 'https://olddomain.com' 'https://newdomain.com' --all-tables

Replace olddomain.com and newdomain.com with your actual domains. Include the protocol (https:// or http://) to avoid replacing partial strings. If you have not yet set up HTTPS, follow our guide on how to install SSL on Cloudways before switching domains. When the command completes, you will see a success message showing how many rows were updated.

If your site is a WordPress Multisite network, add the --network flag:

wp search-replace 'https://olddomain.com' 'https://newdomain.com' --all-tables --network

After the command completes, clear your site cache. In Cloudways, go to Application > Application Settings > Varnish & Nginx and click “Purge Cache”, or clear cache from within your caching plugin.

What Happens to Your SSL Certificate After a Domain Change

Your existing Let’s Encrypt SSL certificate is issued for the old domain name. When you change the primary domain, the certificate does not transfer automatically; it remains tied to the original domain and becomes invalid for the new one.

If you do not provision a new certificate, visitors to the new domain will see a browser SSL warning or a “Your connection is not private” error, and HTTPS traffic will fail. Fix this immediately after changing the primary domain:

1. In Cloudways, go to Application > Application Settings > SSL Certificate
2. Delete the existing certificate (the one issued to the old domain)
3. Click Let’s Encrypt and enter the new domain name
4. Click Install Certificate

Cloudways provisions the new certificate in 2-3 minutes. Once active, HTTPS will work on the new domain. Make sure the new domain’s DNS is already pointing to your server before requesting the certificate, as Let’s Encrypt validates domain ownership by hitting the domain over HTTP. Once the new certificate is active, confirm your HTTPS redirect is still enabled, if it needs re-enabling, see the guide to force HTTPS on Cloudways.

How to Point DNS to Your Cloudways Server for the New Domain

If you are using a new domain name or transferring a domain to Cloudways from a different host, you need to point the domain’s DNS to your Cloudways server before the site will load under the new address.

Your Cloudways server IP address is shown under Server Management > Master Credentials. Note the public IP address listed there.

At your domain registrar (GoDaddy, Namecheap, Google Domains, etc.), add or update an A record:

• Name / Host: @ (or blank, representing the root domain)
• Type: A
• Value: your Cloudways server’s IP address
• TTL: 300 seconds (5 minutes) for the change period; you can raise it again after propagation

If you want www to also work, add a second A record with Name: www pointing to the same IP, or add a CNAME record pointing www to the root domain.

Using the Cloudways DNS Made Easy Add-On for Nameservers

If you want to manage DNS records directly from the Cloudways interface rather than logging in to your domain registrar, the DNS Made Easy add-on handles this. Once activated, Cloudways gives you a set of nameservers to enter at your registrar. Point your domain to those nameservers, and DNS management moves inside the Cloudways dashboard.

DNS Made Easy nameservers take this form:

• ns0.dnsmadeeasy.com
• ns1.dnsmadeeasy.com
• ns2.dnsmadeeasy.com
• ns3.dnsmadeeasy.com

The exact nameservers assigned to your account are shown inside the DNS Made Easy settings in Cloudways. Using your registrar's control panel, replace the default nameservers (usually the registrar's own NS records) with the ones shown in Cloudways. Once propagated, all DNS changes go through the Cloudways interface instead of the registrar panel. Propagation of nameserver changes typically takes 2-24 hours, longer than a simple A record update.

DNS propagation after a record change typically takes 15 minutes to 48 hours, depending on the TTL of the previous record. If the old record had a long TTL (e.g. 86400 seconds or 24 hours), reduce it to 300 seconds at least 24 hours before making the switch. This minimises the propagation window during the actual cutover.

You can use a DNS propagation checker to monitor when your new A record has spread globally. During propagation, some visitors will reach the old server and others the new one. For a clean cutover with minimal user impact, schedule the domain change and DNS update outside of peak traffic hours.

After Changing Your Domain, What Else You Need to Do

The domain change inside Cloudways only updates your hosting configuration and WordPress database. Several other steps protect your traffic and search rankings:

• Set up a 301 redirect from the old domain: If you still control the old domain, add a server-level redirect so visitors and search engines land on the new domain. Without this, any existing inbound links and bookmarks become dead ends.
• Update Google Search Console: Log in to Search Console, add the new domain as a property, then use the “Change of Address” tool (under Settings) to tell Google the site has moved. This preserves accumulated search rankings during the transition.
• Check plugins that store URLs: Some plugins (Yoast SEO, WooCommerce, Elementor) cache or store URLs independently. Clear each plugin’s cache and regenerate any sitemaps after the change.
• Update external profiles: Update your domain on social media profiles, Google Business Profile, directory listings, and any marketing materials that reference the old URL.

Does Cloudways Register or Sell Domain Names?

No. Cloudways does not sell or register domain names. Cloudways is a managed cloud hosting platform, not a domain registrar. You need to purchase your domain from a separate registrar such as Namecheap, Porkbun, or Google Domains, then point it to your Cloudways server using DNS.

Once you own a domain and want to use it on Cloudways, you have two options:

• Point DNS to Cloudways: Log in to your domain registrar and update the A record to your Cloudways server’s public IP address. The IP is shown under Servers > your server in Cloudways.
• Manage DNS inside Cloudways: The DNS Made Easy add-on lets you manage DNS records from within the Cloudways interface without logging in to your registrar separately.

Buying a domain and hosting it on Cloudways is a two-step process: register the domain elsewhere, then configure it as the primary domain for your Cloudways application using the steps above.

How to Add Multiple Domains or Alias Domains to One Cloudways Application

Cloudways lets you assign multiple domain names to a single application. This is useful when you want both the www and non-www versions to resolve to the same site, when you own multiple TLDs (.com and .co.uk), or when you are rebranding and need the old domain to still serve the site while the new one rolls out.

Adding an Alias Domain

1. In your Cloudways account, navigate to your application and click Application Settings.
2. Click the Domain Management tab.
3. Under Alias Domains, enter the additional domain name and click Add Domain.
4. Cloudways adds the alias immediately. The alias resolves to the same files and database as the primary domain.

Once the alias is added, update the A record at the registrar for each alias domain to point to your Cloudways server’s IP address (the same IP as the primary domain). DNS propagation applies; allow up to 48 hours for the alias to resolve globally, though most registrars propagate in under an hour with a 300-second TTL.

SSL Certificates for Alias Domains

Your existing Let’s Encrypt certificate covers only the domain names listed when it was issued. An alias domain you add later is not automatically covered. To add it to the certificate:

1. Go to Application Settings > SSL Certificate.
2. Delete the current certificate.
3. Re-issue a new Let’s Encrypt certificate, entering both the primary domain and all alias domains in the domain field (comma-separated or one per line, depending on the form version).
4. Click Install Certificate.

Make sure DNS for all alias domains is pointing to your Cloudways server IP before requesting the certificate, as Let’s Encrypt validates each domain over HTTP during issuance.

Alias vs. Primary Domain: What’s the Difference?

The primary domain is the canonical address that appears in the browser and that WordPress uses for its siteurl and home settings. Alias domains serve the same content but do not rewrite URLs. Visitors arriving at an alias domain see the page, but the URL in the browser stays as the alias. If you want alias traffic to redirect to the primary domain, add a 301 redirect rule in your .htaccess or Nginx configuration, or use a redirect plugin. This is the standard approach for consolidating link equity from multiple TLDs onto one canonical domain.

Should You Change Your Domain Name?

Domain changes carry real SEO risk, especially for established sites. Search engines treat a domain change as a significant signal and it can take weeks or months for rankings to fully recover, even with a proper 301 redirect and Search Console change-of-address submission. If the domain is less than six months old, the impact is usually lower. If the site has years of history and backlinks on the old domain, weigh the long-term brand benefit carefully against the short-term traffic risk.

Final Word: How to Change an Application’s Domain Name on Cloudways

For most WordPress sites on Cloudways, the dashboard’s Primary Domain field handles the change quickly without SSH. For a full database search-replace that catches every hardcoded URL, WP-CLI is the thorough option (use --dry-run first). After either method, provision a new SSL certificate for the new domain and update your DNS A record to point to the Cloudways server IP. Complete the post-change checklist (including DNS Made Easy add-on on Cloudways), 301 redirect, Search Console, and plugin cache clears, to protect your search visibility. Sign in to Cloudways to get started.