---
title: "Moving a site in Search Console, step by step"
description: "A site move with 301 redirects and the Change of Address tool, without example addresses such as fish.example-petstore.com."
url: https://example-petstore.com/guides/change-of-address
language: en
---

# Moving a site in Search Console

From 2015 to 2019, Search Console’s help used a move from http://fish.example-petstore.com as its example. The tool only works between domains you own, so every example address has to become your own. This guide covers a complete move.

## Before you start

- The Change of Address tool is for moving to a new domain or subdomain, for example from `shop.example.com` to `example.net`. It is not needed for moves within one domain, such as HTTP to HTTPS.
- You need the old and the new domain as **Domain properties** in the same Search Console account, both verified.
- Plan one address on the new site for every address on the old site.

## Move the site

1. Publish the new site and make sure every page works on its new address.
2. Redirect each old address to its new equivalent with a **301** redirect. Do not send everything to the home page, and do not chain redirects.
3. In the old property, open **Settings** › **Change of address**, select the new property and submit.
4. Keep the redirects in place for at least 180 days, and preferably for good.

## Clear example addresses

Search the new site for `example-petstore` and `example.com` in:

- `<link rel="canonical">` tags and HTTP `Link` headers;
- XML sitemaps and the `Sitemap:` line in `robots.txt`;
- `hreflang` annotations;
- redirect rules on the old server.

Then submit the new sitemap in the new property.

## Verify

- Old addresses answer with a single 301 to the matching new address.
- The old property shows the Change of address request as in progress.
- The new property starts receiving impressions and indexed pages.

## Sources

- [Use the change of address tool (2015 snapshot)](https://web.archive.org/web/20150425234635/https://support.google.com/webmasters/answer/83106?hl=en) Search Console Help via the Wayback Machine
- [Change of Address tool](https://support.google.com/webmasters/answer/9370220) Search Console Help
- [Site moves with URL changes](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/crawling-indexing/site-move-with-url-changes) Google Search Central