This guide covers renaming the Webhosting service. If you need to rename other services, follow the guides WebSite 1.0 – Renaming (domain change), or Mailhosting – Renaming (domain change).
If you need to modify the Webhosting alias, follow the guide Webhosting – Aliases.
In this article you will learn about:
Renaming Webhosting
You can use the Webhosting renaming tool when you want to change the domain under which the webhosting is managed. The main reasons for renaming include:
- Releasing the service name: If you want to create a new service under the name of an existing webhosting (for example WebSite 1.0, or Mailhosting), you must rename the original service and thus free up the name. In our system, the occurrence of two or more services with the same name is prohibited except in special cases.
- Changing the domain of an existing website: If you are changing the domain of an existing website, rename the webhosting. In some cases, this change is not enough – pay special attention to the chapter Renaming an existing website.
- Using an inactive webhosting: If you want to use an existing inactive webhosting for a new project, you can remove the old data, rename the hosting, and use it as a renewed service.
Renaming procedure
For a successful rename, you must first meet the conditions, and then perform the renaming of the service itself in the customer administration.
If you are renaming an existing website, pay special attention to the chapter Renaming an existing website. Failure to follow the procedure may result in the website becoming unavailable and in the steps required to complete the rename.
Renaming conditions
When renaming the webhosting, observe the following conditions:
- The new Webhosting name must be a valid 2nd- or 3rd-level domain (domena.tld or sub.domena.tld).
- The new name must not be the name or alias of another Webhosting, WebSite, or Mailhosting.
- If we are the registrar of the domain that will be the new name of the Webhosting, this domain must be in the same customer account as the Webhosting, or it must be an authorized account for that domain.
- The Webhosting must not expire.
Renaming an existing website
If you only need to free up the service name, or use an inactive hosting, continue to the chapter Changing the service domain.
During the renaming of an existing website, the website functionality may be interrupted, including the CMS administration.
If you are changing the name of an existing website, proceed as follows:
- If you use a content management system (e.g. WordPress), change the website name in that system’s administration.
- If the website content is located on FTP in the www/domains/puvodnidomena.tld folder (the last folder name corresponds to the original domain name), change the folder name to the new domain name.
- Continue with the instructions in the chapter Changing the service domain.
Changing the service domain
To rename the service itself, proceed as follows:
- Log in to the customer administration ⧉.
- In the main menu, click the Hosting services Webhosting tab.
- From the list of webhostings, select the one you want to rename.
- In the left menu, choose Tools.
- In the Enter new name field, enter the domain name to which you want to rename the webhosting.
- By checking the relevant boxes, choose whether you want to:
- Modify DNS settings – i.e. point the new domain to the webhosting being renamed. The change will take effect within 1 hour if the new domain uses WEDOS DNS servers.
- Include the new name in the Let’s Encrypt certificate – i.e. issue a Let‘s Encrypt certificate for the new domain. If an error occurs in this step, you can complete the certificate setup according to the guide Webhosting – Manual HTTPS setup.
- Confirm the choices by clicking the Rename button.
After renaming:
- Watch for system messages that will tell you whether any additional steps are required.
- In mail clients, change the addresses from the original domain to the new one and make sure you are using the current SMTP, POP/IMAP servers according to the guide Emails – SMTP, POP3, IMAP.
- Wait for the webserver configuration change (may take up to 30 minutes) and, if applicable, the DNS configuration change (may take up to an hour). During this time, the website may be unavailable.
Renaming Webhosting will change the login names for email mailboxes. Update the login credentials in your mail clients.
Common problems
Common problems with renaming the Webhosting service include:
- Existing name or alias
- The domain cannot be added to the Let’s Encrypt certificate
- The domain is in a different account
- The old website does not appear on the new domain
Existing service name, or alias
Problem: The following error message is shown: A (order, service) for the same domain already exists in the system.
Cause: A service with the given name already exists for the domain or subdomain to which you want to rename the webhosting, or the (sub)domain is used as an alias at another webhosting.
Solution: Change the name of the conflicting service, or remove its alias. Note that this will stop the original service from responding to that domain. If it is another person’s webhosting that you do not have access to, fill out the contact form ⧉ according to the example below – if you are the domain holder, or the domain is in your customer account, we will allow the rename.
I request the removal of the service name or alias (replace this bracketed text with the new name of your webhosting) in another account due to renaming.
Problem adding to the Let‘s Encrypt certificate
Problem: The following error message is shown: A problem was detected when adding the following domains to the Let‘s Encrypt certificate: …
Cause: DNS records are not pointed to the webhosting, or the changes have not yet propagated sufficiently.
Solution: Create the certificate later according to the guide Webhosting – Manual HTTPS setup.
Domain in a different account
Problem: The following error message is shown: The domain is located in another customer account.
Cause: For security reasons, the domain and the webhosting must be in the same customer account during renaming.
Solution: Make sure both services are at least temporarily in the same account. You can achieve this by moving the domain according to the guide Transfer services between accounts, or Transfer domains between accounts using the authorization password. After renaming, you can return the domain to the original account.
The old website does not work on the new domain
Problem: After renaming an existing website, the website does not appear on the new domain.
Cause: The original website was not renamed in its administration, or on FTP.
Solution: Verify that the website is in the www/domains/novadomena.tld folder, where the folder name novadomena.tld matches the new name of the webhosting. If you forgot to rename the website in its content management system (e.g. WordPress administration), the easiest solution is to rename the website back to the original name (make the administration accessible) and proceed carefully according to the chapter Renaming an existing website.
Frequently asked questions
I need to free up the Webhosting name for another service. What name should I give the current hosting?
If you need to free up the name domena.tld, we recommend renaming the webhosting, for example to staryweb.domena.tld. If you want to remove the hosting name completely, log in to the customer account containing that webhosting and fill out the contact form ⧉ according to the example:
I request the removal of the service name or alias (replace this bracketed text with the name of your webhosting).
What should I do with a new domain that uses WEDOS Protection?
Correct the domain IP address settings in the WEDOS Protection administration ⧉.