How can I change my Google Console website address?

If you’ve recently moved your website to a new domain, it’s important to notify Google so your SEO rankings stay intact. This step-by-step guide will walk you through how to change your website address using Google Search Console, while ensuring a smooth transition for both visitors and search engines.

Google occasionally updates its interface, so some buttons or sections might look slightly different from what’s shown here, but the overall process remains the same.

Step 1: Add the new site to Google Search Console

To begin, click Search Property (1) in the top-left corner, and then Add Property (2).

Under the URL Prefix section, enter the full new website address (including https://, www, or trailing slashes if applicable). Click Continue and follow the prompts to verify the new domain.

Specify the URL exactly as it appears in the browser bar, including the final / (forward-slash) mark.

Add and verify all versions of your new domain (including http, https, www, and non-www). This ensures that Google properly indexes every variant.

If you’re unsure how to verify ownership of your site, check our verification guide.

Step 2. Set up 301 redirects from the old to the new website

A 301 redirect is a permanent redirect that tells browsers and search engines your site has moved. This ensures users visiting your old domain are automatically taken to the correct page on your new one, and that your SEO value transfers as well.

To do this:

1. Open the .htaccess file located in the public_html (root) directory of your old domain (you can access it via your hosting File Manager).
2. Add the following rule at the top of the file:

RewriteEngine on
RewriteCond %{HTTP_HOST} ^example.com [NC]
RewriteRule ^(.*)$ http://www.example.com/$1 [L,R=301,NC]

This will redirect all URLs from the old site to the exact same paths on the new domain. For example: old-domain.com/blog/post-1/ will redirect to new-domain.com/blog/post-1/.

Step 3: Submit the change of address in Google Search Console

Once the 301 redirects are working, it’s time to officially notify Google:

1. Go to Settings.
2. Then click Change of Address.

Google will begin processing the change. You’ll still be able to monitor both properties during the transition.

1. From the dropdown, select your new verified domain.
2. Click Validate & Submit to complete the change.

Final Notes

• Keep the 301 redirects in place for at least 6–12 months, or indefinitely if possible.
• Ensure internal links and sitemap files on your new domain are updated to reflect the correct URLs.
• Continue monitoring performance and indexing in Google Search Console for both old and new properties.

Stuck at any point? Don’t worry, just click the live chat widget in the bottom-right, and one of our support agents will assist you in under 30 seconds.