Rebranding a business: name, domain and email
Your business name, domain and primary email address in one plan, in the order banks and customers need.
Saves the combined checklist in this browser with typical answers. You can refine each change afterwards.
A rebrand touches registrations, banking, the website, email and every customer-facing account. Done in the wrong order, payments fail and mail bounces.
This plan combines the legal name change with the new domain and email.
Doing these together: read this first
Set up the new domain before moving email to it
Register the new domain and set up its DNS and mail records first. Keep the old domain and its mail working for at least a year so nothing sent to the old addresses is lost.
Change one way of signing in at a time
More than one of these changes affects how you sign in or recover accounts. On each account, update one sign-in or recovery method, check you can still sign in and receive codes, then update the next. Never remove an old method before the new one works.
Register the new business name before you change the domain
Banks, payment processors and app stores often check that your business name matches your registration. Do the legal name change first, then move the website and email.
The combined checklist
88 tasks from typical answers, with 4 shared tasks merged. Yours will match your answers.
Before the change36
Domain registrar and DNS host: update the account email Do once for 3 changesBusiness nameDomain nameBusiness email addresscritical
Do this: Update the email on your registrar and DNS host accounts and on each domain's registrant contact. Some registrars ask you to confirm the change from the old address.
For the other change: Update the organization name on the registrant contact for each domain. Some registrars treat a registrant change like an ownership change and add extra checks, so read your registrar's process first.
For the other change: Register the new domain in an account owned by the business, with two-factor sign-in, the registrar lock on, auto-renew on and a registrant email you read. Register common variants (with and without hyphens, other key extensions) if confusion or impersonation is a concern.
Why: Your registrar sends renewal notices and verification requests to the contact details on file.
Check it worked: Check the account profile and the domain's contact record.
Check the new name is available and clear to useBusiness namehigh
Do this: Search your business registry, the trademark database where you trade, and the domain and social handles you want. For anything beyond a basic search, ask a trademark lawyer or agent for a clearance opinion before you commit.
Why: Someone else may already use or own the name as a registered business name, a trademark, a domain or a social handle. Finding out after you've filed paperwork and printed signs is the expensive way.
Check it worked: You've saved your search results (or a lawyer's opinion), and the domain and handles you need are available or already yours.
Register the legal name changeBusiness namehigh
Do this: File the name change with the registry where the business is incorporated or registered. For a company this is often an amendment to its articles or a change-of-name filing. Keep the certificate or confirmation, since the bank and others will ask for a copy. Check the official registry or your lawyer for the exact process.
Why: Your legal name is whatever your business registry says it is. Banks, tax agencies and payment processors usually ask for the registry's confirmation before they change their records.
Check it worked: Search the public registry, confirm it shows the new name, and save the confirmation document.
Canada Revenue Agency: update the name on your business numberBusiness namehigh
Do this: Update the name on your business number and its program accounts. The CRA lets you change an operating name in My Business Account, by phone or by mail. For a legal name change, register it with your corporate registry first, then check what the CRA needs. Ask your accountant if you're unsure.
Why: Tax agencies match filings, payments and payroll remittances to the name and number on file. Sales tax and payroll accounts may need updating separately from income tax.
Check it worked: Your online business tax account, or the next notice you receive, shows the new name.
Business bank accounts, cheques and cardsBusiness namehigh
Do this: Ask the bank to update the account name (bring the registry confirmation), order new cheques, and ask how long it will accept payments made out to the old name. Update business credit cards and loans at the same time.
Why: Customers will start paying the new name. Banks check the payee name on cheques against the account, and some check names on transfers too.
Check it worked: Online banking and your next statement show the new name, and a test payment made out to the new name goes through.
Payment processors: update the legal business detailsBusiness namehigh
Do this: Update the legal business name in each processor's account settings and upload the registry confirmation if asked. Do this before switch day so any review finishes while payments are still flowing.
Why: Payment processors verify the legal entity behind each account. A legal-name change usually has to be reported, sometimes with supporting documents.
Check it worked: The account shows no open verification requests or payout holds.
Licences, permits and professional registrationsBusiness namehigh
Do this: Contact each licensing body (business licence, trade or professional licences, industry permits) and ask how to update the name. Some reissue the licence; others ask for a new application.
Why: Licences are issued to a named business, and clients, inspectors and landlords check that the name matches who they're dealing with.
Check it worked: You have updated licence documents or written confirmation from each issuer.
Business insurance: update the named insuredBusiness namehigh
Do this: Tell your broker or insurer about the new name, and ask them to update every policy and reissue any certificates of insurance you've given to clients or landlords.
Why: The named insured on each policy should match the business. Clients and landlords may also hold certificates of insurance in your old name.
Check it worked: Your policy documents and certificates show the new name.
Logo, brand files and templatesBusiness namelow
Do this: Gather every template and brand file in one place, replace the old name and logo, and remove the old versions from shared drives so nobody reuses them.
Why: The old name lives in dozens of files: logos, document and slide templates, email templates and social images.
Check it worked: Search shared drives for the old name and old logo files.
Build the DNS zone for the new domainDomain namecritical
Do this: Use the old domain's zone export as a checklist and recreate what the new domain needs, adapting names and values. DKIM keys and verification tokens are usually new for a new domain, so generate them at each service rather than copying them.
Why: The new domain needs its own records for the website, www, subdomains, email (MX, SPF, DKIM, DMARC), service verification and certificate authorities (CAA) before anything moves.
Check it worked: Query the new domain's nameservers directly for each important record, for example `dig newsite.com MX +short`, `dig newsite.com TXT +short` and `dig www.newsite.com +short`.
Certificates for the new domain and every subdomainDomain namecritical
Do this: Issue certificates covering the new apex domain, www and every subdomain you'll use (or a wildcard through DNS validation). Check CAA records allow your certificate authority, and confirm automatic renewal is on.
Why: Browsers, apps and webhook senders refuse connections without a valid certificate for the exact hostname, including www and each subdomain.
Check it worked: Run `curl -vI https://newsite.com` and `curl -vI https://www.newsite.com` and confirm a valid certificate with an expiry date well in the future.
Google Workspace: add the new domain and switch primary addressesDomain namecritical
Do this: Add and verify the new domain in the Google Admin console. Either add it as a secondary domain and give users new addresses, or follow Google's process to change the primary domain, which switches everyone's primary address and lets you keep the old domain as an alias. Then publish the new domain's MX records.
Why: Mailboxes don't change domains by themselves. The new domain has to be added and verified at your email provider and given MX records.
Check it worked: Run `dig newsite.com MX +short`, then from an outside account send one message to a new address and one to an old address; both should arrive in the same mailbox.
Site and app settings that hold the domainDomain namecritical
Do this: Update server names, base-URL variables (for example APP_URL or SITE_URL), allowed-host lists, cookie domain settings and the CMS site and home URL. In WordPress, use a serialization-safe search and replace (such as WP-CLI) rather than editing the database by hand.
Why: Web servers, frameworks and CMSs store the site's own address: virtual host names, base-URL environment variables, allowed-host lists and the CMS site URL.
Check it worked: Load the site on the new domain and view the page source: links, scripts and form actions should use the new domain. Check server logs for host-header errors.
OAuth and social sign-in redirect URIsDomain namecritical
Do this: In each OAuth client, add the new domain's redirect URIs and JavaScript origins alongside the old ones before switch day, switch the app config to use them, and remove the old ones after the move.
Why: Sign in with Google, Apple, Microsoft or GitHub only returns users to redirect URIs registered in advance, and they must match exactly (scheme, host, path and trailing slash).
Check it worked: Sign in with each provider on the new domain in a private window.
Inbound webhooks and API callbacksDomain namecritical
Do this: List every service that calls your domain. Register the new webhook URLs (keeping signing secrets in sync), keep the old endpoints answering directly rather than redirecting until each provider has switched, then remove the old URLs.
Why: Payment processors, Git hosts, CRMs and messaging services send webhooks to URLs you registered with them. Many don't follow redirects; Stripe, for example, treats a redirect response as a failed delivery.
Check it worked: Send a test event from each provider's dashboard and check its delivery log shows a 2xx response from the new URL.
Payment processor: wallet domains, return URLs and business websiteDomain namecritical
Do this: Register the new domain for wallet payment methods, update return and cancel URLs, update the business website and support details on the account, and update links in receipts.
Why: Payment providers store your web address in several places: the business website on the account, checkout success and cancel URLs, and domains registered for wallets like Apple Pay and Google Pay.
Check it worked: On the new domain, check Apple Pay or Google Pay buttons appear, then complete a low-value live payment end to end.
Inventory everything that uses the old domainDomain namehigh
Do this: Export the old domain's DNS zone, search your code, CMS and config for the old domain name, and list every service, email address, subdomain and integration that uses it. Keep the list as the tracking sheet for this plan.
Why: A domain is wired into far more than the website: email addresses, DNS records, app settings, third-party accounts, printed material and links you don't control.
Check it worked: Search your codebase and CMS database for the old domain (for example `grep -ri oldsite.com .`) and confirm every hit is on your list.
Keep the old domain registered and auto-renewing for yearsDomain namehigh
Do this: Turn on auto-renew for the old domain, renew it for several years if you can, keep the registrar lock on, and make sure the renewal card and contact email won't expire.
Why: Old links, bookmarks, QR codes, backlinks and email to old addresses keep arriving for years, and only the old domain can redirect or receive them.
Check it worked: Look up the old domain in ICANN Lookup or your registrar, and confirm the expiry date is years away and auto-renew is on.
Map every old URL to its new URLDomain namehigh
Do this: Collect old URLs from your sitemap, CMS, analytics landing pages, Search Console and backlink reports. Where paths stay the same, one rule that keeps the path and query string covers them all; list any exceptions separately.
Why: Visitors and search engines arrive on deep pages, not just the home page, so each old URL needs a specific destination.
Check it worked: Your map covers every URL in the old sitemap plus your top landing pages from analytics.
SPF, DKIM and DMARC for the new domain (and keep the old one's)Domain namehigh
Do this: Publish an SPF record for the new domain that lists every service sending as it, turn on DKIM signing for the new domain at each sender, and add a DMARC record (start with p=none and reporting, then tighten). Leave the old domain's records in place while anything still sends from it.
Why: Mailbox providers check SPF, DKIM and DMARC to decide whether mail really comes from your domain. Gmail requires SPF or DKIM from all senders, and all three from bulk senders.
Check it worked: Send from the new domain to a Gmail account, open Show original, and confirm SPF, DKIM and DMARC all show PASS.
Transactional email: verify the new sending domainDomain namehigh
Do this: Add the new domain at your sending service, publish its DKIM and return-path (bounce) records, update link-tracking domains, then change From addresses and templates. A new domain has no sending history, so increase volume gradually where you can.
Why: Receipts, password resets and notifications usually go through a sending service (such as SendGrid, Mailgun, Amazon SES or Postmark) that has to verify each sending domain.
Check it worked: Trigger a password reset and an order email, and check the headers show DKIM passing for the new domain and links pointing at the new domain.
Canonical tags, internal links and structured dataDomain namehigh
Do this: Update rel=canonical, hreflang, Open Graph and social card URLs, structured data and internal links to the new domain, and replace hard-coded absolute URLs in content and templates.
Why: Canonical tags, hreflang, Open Graph URLs and internal links tell search engines and social platforms which URL is the real one.
Check it worked: Crawl the new site (or spot-check page source) and confirm canonical and og:url values use the new domain and return 200.
CDN hostnames, asset domains and cloud storageDomain namehigh
Do this: Add the new hostnames and certificates at your CDN, update origin host headers and asset domains, and check storage bucket CORS rules and any bucket names that include the old domain.
Why: CDNs, image services and storage buckets are configured with your hostnames, certificates and allowed origins, and asset URLs may be stored in your content.
Check it worked: Load pages on the new domain with the browser's network panel open and confirm assets return 200 from the expected hosts.
Signed-in users, saved passwords and passkeysDomain namehigh
Do this: Plan for a one-time sign-out and tell users in advance. Check session cookie domain settings. If you support passkeys, check what your sign-in provider offers for a domain change and expect users to add a new passkey. Keep password reset working throughout.
Why: Browser cookies belong to a single domain, password managers fill passwords by domain, and passkeys are bound to the domain they were created on.
Check it worked: Sign in on the new domain in a clean browser, check the session cookie is set for the new domain, and test a password reset and a passkey sign-in.
CORS, Content Security Policy and allowed originsDomain namehigh
Do this: Add the new origin to CORS allowlists, CSP and frame-ancestors, and to allowed-origin settings on third-party services. Keep the old origin until the switch is complete.
Why: Browsers enforce allowlists by origin: CORS headers on your APIs, Content-Security-Policy, frame-ancestors for embeds, and allowed-origin settings on services you call from the browser.
Check it worked: Load key pages on the new domain with the browser console open and confirm there are no CORS or CSP errors.
Lower TTLs on the old domain's web records before switch dayDomain namemoderate
Do this: At least one full TTL ahead (usually a day or two), lower the TTL on the old domain's apex, www and other web records to around 300 seconds. Raise them again once everything is stable.
Why: On switch day you'll repoint the old domain's web records at your redirect setup. Resolvers keep cached answers for each record's TTL (time to live).
Check it worked: Run `dig oldsite.com A` and check the TTL in the answer has dropped.
Sitemap and robots.txt on both domainsDomain namemoderate
Do this: Publish a sitemap of new URLs on the new domain and reference it in the new robots.txt. Remove staging noindex or disallow rules. Don't block the old domain in robots.txt; crawlers need to follow its redirects.
Why: Sitemaps tell search engines which new URLs exist, and robots.txt controls what they may crawl on each domain.
Check it worked: Open https://newsite.com/robots.txt and the sitemap in a browser and check the listed URLs return 200.
Set up and secure the new address before anything points to itBusiness email addresscritical
Do this: Create the new address, turn on multi-factor sign-in for the mailbox, and confirm it receives mail from outside your organization before changing any accounts.
Why: Every account you update will send its codes and resets to the new address. If it isn't working and protected, you're moving your keys somewhere unsafe.
Check it worked: A test from an outside mailbox arrives, and signing in to the new mailbox asks for a second factor.
Accounts you sign in to with Google or Microsoft using this addressBusiness email addresscritical
Do this: For each one, add the new address as a second owner or admin, or add a password sign-in, before you stop using the old identity. If an app can't change its sign-in method, ask the vendor how to move the account.
Why: These accounts are tied to the Google or Microsoft identity, not an email field, so changing the email often isn't possible.
Check it worked: Sign in to each listed app using the new method.
Accounts that email you sign-in codesBusiness email addresscritical
Do this: Change the email on these accounts while the old address still works. Where possible, add an authenticator app or passkey so sign-in doesn't depend on email.
Why: Many services send verification codes to the account email, and some only let you change the email after confirming a code sent to the old one.
Check it worked: Sign out and back in to each account and confirm the code arrives at the new address.
Forward the old address to the new oneBusiness email addresshigh
Do this: Set up automatic forwarding, or keep checking the old inbox, for at least a few months. Keep the old address working until the verify steps are done.
Why: You'll miss some accounts no matter how careful you are. Forwarding catches the stragglers while you finish.
Check it worked: Send a test to the old address and confirm it arrives at the new one.
Find every account that uses the current address Do once for 3 changesBusiness email addressBusiness email addressBusiness email addresshigh
Do this: Search the current inbox for welcome, receipt, renewal and password-reset emails to build a list of accounts that use this address. Start with your domain, email, bank and payment accounts.
For the other change: Update the owner, billing and notification emails in your accounting, payroll and invoicing software, including the reply-to address on invoices.
For the other change: In each subscription, change the owner or admin email and the billing contact. Where the owner is a person who's leaving, transfer ownership rather than changing their email.
Why: Software subscriptions use the owner's email for sign-in, billing, renewals and security notices, and many keep the owner and billing contacts as separate settings.
Check it worked: You have a written list of accounts, ordered by how much damage losing each one would cause.
Web hosting and cloud accounts: update account, billing and security contactsBusiness email addresshigh
Do this: Update the account, billing and security contact email on your hosting and cloud accounts, including the root or owner account of AWS, Google Cloud or Azure.
Why: Hosting accounts send billing, abuse and outage notices to your contact details.
Check it worked: Check account settings and billing contacts.
Avoid recovery loops on your domain and email accountsBusiness email addresshigh
Do this: For the registrar, DNS host and email admin accounts, add a recovery email on a different domain and a second recovery method, such as an authenticator or recovery codes stored safely.
Why: If your domain registrar or email admin account uses an address on the same domain for recovery, a lapsed domain or broken mail setup locks you out of the very accounts you'd need to fix it.
Check it worked: Each of these accounts lists a recovery method that doesn't depend on your own domain.
Business bank: update the contact emailBusiness email addresshigh
Do this: Update the business contact email in online banking. Some banks need an authorized signer to call or visit for security contact changes.
Why: Banks use your contact details for security codes, fraud alerts and statements.
Check it worked: Trigger a low-risk action (like viewing statements after a fresh sign-in) and confirm the code or alert reaches you.
Payment processor and payout notificationsBusiness email addresshigh
Do this: Update the account email and the notification addresses for disputes, payouts and security. Some processors ask you to confirm the change from the old address.
Why: Payment processors send dispute, payout and security notices to the account email, often with short response deadlines.
Check it worked: Review the notification settings and confirm a recent notice reached the new address.
During the change15
Tell customers before the name changesBusiness namehigh
Do this: Announce the change by email, on your website and on social profiles before it takes effect. Use "formerly known as" wording for several months, and say clearly what isn't changing, such as contacts, contracts and how customers pay.
Why: Emails, invoices and charges from a name customers don't recognize look like phishing. A clear announcement turns a surprise into something they expected.
Check it worked: Watch replies and support requests in the first few weeks for confusion, and add answers to the announcement.
Keep the name change separate from any bank-detail changeBusiness namehigh
Do this: Don't change bank details in the same announcement. Tell customers your bank details are not changing and that you'll never change them by email alone, and ask them to call a number they already have if they get a message saying otherwise.
Why: "We've changed our name and bank details" is a common line in invoice fraud. A genuine name change can make customers less suspicious of a fake follow-up.
Check it worked: Your announcement and new invoice footer both say bank details are unchanged.
Stripe: update the business name and statement descriptorBusiness namehigh
Do this: On switch day, update the public business name, statement descriptor and customer support details in the processor account. Mention the old name on receipts for a few months so customers can connect the two.
Why: The statement descriptor is the name customers see on their card statement. Clear, accurate descriptors help reduce disputes, and processors such as Stripe expect them to reflect the name you trade under.
Check it worked: Make a small test purchase and check how the charge appears on your own card statement.
Google Business Profile: update the business nameBusiness namehigh
Do this: Change the name once the new name is on your signage and website, so it can be confirmed. Don't add keywords, taglines or locations to the name. If Google asks you to verify again, do it promptly.
Why: Your Business Profile is what people see in Google Search and Maps. Google's guidelines say the name should reflect your real-world name, used consistently on your storefront, website and stationery.
Check it worked: Search for the business on Google Maps, and check the edit shows as accepted in your profile.
Invoices, quotes, receipts and payment instructionsBusiness namemoderate
Do this: Update the name on invoice, quote and receipt templates in your accounting or billing software, including the payee name in bank-transfer instructions. Add "formerly [old name]" for the first few months.
Why: Customers' finance teams match invoices to a supplier record by name. An invoice from an unfamiliar name gets held or questioned.
Check it worked: Send a test invoice and receipt to yourself and read them as a customer would.
Website, legal pages and structured dataBusiness namemoderate
Do this: Update the logo, header, footer, About and Contact pages, page titles, and the business named in your privacy policy, terms and cookie notice. Update structured data (Organization or LocalBusiness markup) too, and add a "formerly known as" line to the About page.
Why: Customers check your website to confirm a new name is legitimate. Your privacy policy and terms also name the business responsible for customer data and contracts.
Check it worked: Search your site for the old name and check the legal pages name the right business.
Email sender name on mailboxes and newslettersBusiness namemoderate
Do this: Update the display name on shared mailboxes, your email marketing tool, and automated emails from your booking, billing and support tools.
Why: The sender name is the first thing customers see in their inbox, and newsletters and automated emails each have their own sender settings.
Check it worked: Send yourself an email from each tool and check the sender name.
Social media names and handlesBusiness namemoderate
Do this: Reserve the new handle on each platform before you announce, then change display names, handles, bios and profile images on switch day. Mention the old name in your bio for a few months.
Why: Handles are first come, first served, and customers will search for the new name on each platform.
Check it worked: Search for the new name on each platform and confirm your account is the one that appears.
Brief staff and update email signaturesBusiness namelow
Do this: Brief staff before the announcement and give them a short answer for customers who ask. Update email signatures, voicemail and phone greetings, and shared templates.
Why: Staff are the first people customers ask about the change, and their signatures, greetings and templates carry the old name.
Check it worked: Email yourself from a few staff accounts and call the main number to hear the greeting.
Path-preserving 301 redirects from every old URLDomain namecritical
Do this: Serve a server-side 301 (or 308) from every old hostname (apex, www and old subdomains, over HTTP and HTTPS) straight to the matching URL on the new domain in one hop, keeping the path and query string. Use 308 or a proxy for API paths so POST requests aren't turned into GETs.
Why: A permanent (301 or 308) redirect from each old URL to its exact new counterpart tells browsers and search engines the move is permanent and carries ranking signals with it.
Check it worked: Run `curl -sI https://oldsite.com/some/page?x=1` and check for a 301 with `Location: https://newsite.com/some/page?x=1`. Repeat for www and http:// and confirm there's only one hop.
Keep email to the old addresses arrivingDomain namecritical
Do this: Keep the old domain's MX records and mail service working, with old addresses as aliases (or forwards) to the new mailboxes, for as long as you own the old domain.
Why: Customers, suppliers, banks and automated systems will keep writing to old addresses for years, and many of your own accounts are registered to them.
Check it worked: From an outside account, send a message to an old address and confirm it arrives in the right mailbox.
Keep HTTPS working on the old domain (and its HSTS policy)Domain namehigh
Do this: Keep a valid, auto-renewing certificate on the old apex, www and old subdomains for as long as redirects run. If the old domain is on the HSTS preload list, plan to keep HTTPS on it indefinitely.
Why: Most old links are https:// links, and if the old site sent an HSTS header, browsers will only ever connect to it over HTTPS. The redirect itself has to be served with a valid certificate.
Check it worked: Run `curl -sI https://oldsite.com/` and `curl -sI https://www.oldsite.com/` and confirm a 301 with no certificate error. Check hstspreload.org to see whether the old domain is preloaded.
Analytics, tag manager and cookie consentDomain namehigh
Do this: Update the website URL on analytics data streams, add the new domain to cross-domain and referral settings, check tag manager triggers that match on hostname, and add the new domain to your consent tool's allowed domains. Note the switch date in your reports.
Why: Analytics data streams, tag manager triggers, cross-domain settings and cookie-consent tools are often configured per domain.
Check it worked: Open the new site in a private window, confirm the consent banner appears, and watch the visit show up in your analytics real-time view.
Ad accounts: final URLs, tracking and domain verificationDomain namehigh
Do this: Update final URLs, sitelinks and tracking templates in Google Ads and other ad platforms, update conversion tags, and re-verify the new domain wherever a platform requires it.
Why: Ads point at final URLs on your domain, and ad platforms check that the domain people land on matches the ad.
Check it worked: Check the ads list for disapprovals and confirm a test conversion records on the new domain.
Email signatures, templates and auto-repliesDomain namemoderate
Do this: Update staff signatures (or your central signature tool), help-desk and CRM templates, auto-replies and newsletter footers with the new addresses and links.
Why: Signatures, saved replies, help-desk and CRM templates and newsletter footers contain the old domain in addresses, links and image URLs.
Check it worked: Send a test from a few staff accounts and the help desk, and check links and images point at the new domain.
Immediately after23
Your customers' supplier recordsBusiness namemoderate
Do this: Send regular customers a short letter with the new name and a note that your bank details are unchanged, and offer the registry confirmation if they need it. Ask them to update their supplier record.
Why: Larger customers keep you on file as an approved supplier with your name and bank details. Their system may not pay an invoice from a name it doesn't recognize.
Check it worked: The next payment from each large customer arrives without questions.
Contracts, leases, loans and suppliersBusiness namemoderate
Do this: List active contracts, leases, loans and supplier accounts and send each a written notice of the new name. Ask your lawyer whether any contract needs a formal amendment rather than a notice.
Why: Contracts name the parties. Suppliers, landlords and lenders need the new name so their records, invoices and notices match.
Check it worked: Each supplier's next invoice or statement uses the new name.
Payroll, pay stubs and benefit plansBusiness namemoderate
Do this: Update the employer name in your payroll software, benefit and pension plans, and workplace insurance accounts. Ask your payroll provider how the change will appear on year-end forms.
Why: The employer name appears on pay stubs, year-end tax forms, and benefit and pension plans.
Check it worked: The next pay stub shows the new name.
Directories, review sites and map listingsBusiness namemoderate
Do this: Update Apple Business (formerly Apple Business Connect), Bing Places, review sites, industry directories and association listings. Keep a list so you can check them again later.
Why: Customers and search engines compare your name, address and phone number across directories. Inconsistent listings make it harder to tell the old and new names are the same business.
Check it worked: Search for the old name a few weeks later and fix any listing that still shows it.
Business cards and printed materials: replace the old nameBusiness namelow
Do this: Order replacements early, since production can take weeks. For exterior signs, check whether your landlord or local authority needs to approve them.
Why: Physical items take the longest to replace and are what local customers notice first.
Check it worked: Walk or drive past and check every sign, vehicle and display.
Signage: replace the old nameBusiness namelow
Do this: Order replacements early, since production can take weeks. For exterior signs, check whether your landlord or local authority needs to approve them.
Why: Physical items take the longest to replace and are what local customers notice first.
Check it worked: Walk or drive past and check every sign, vehicle and display.
Google Search Console: verify both domains and use Change of AddressDomain namehigh
Do this: Verify the new domain in Search Console (a DNS-verified domain property covers every variant). Be an owner of both the old and new properties with the same Google account, then submit Change of Address for the old site, including its www and non-www variants, and submit the new sitemap.
Why: Google's Change of Address tool helps move search signals from the old domain to the new one, alongside your redirects.
Check it worked: Search Console shows the Change of Address in progress and the new sitemap as processed.
Accounts registered with old-domain email addressesDomain namehigh
Do this: Change the login and recovery email on important accounts to the new addresses while the old ones still work, starting with the domain registrar, email admin, password manager, banking and payment accounts.
Why: Your registrar, bank, cloud, payment, tax and software accounts probably use an old-domain address as the login or recovery email.
Check it worked: Search the old mailbox for sign-up and security emails to find stragglers, and check each account's settings show the new address.
Bing Webmaster Tools: add the new siteDomain namemoderate
Do this: Add and verify the new domain in Bing Webmaster Tools, submit the new sitemap, and use its site move option for the old site if it's offered for your setup.
Why: Bing tracks your site separately from Google and also powers other search experiences.
Check it worked: Bing Webmaster Tools shows the new site verified and its sitemap processed.
Social profiles, handles and app store listingsDomain namemoderate
Do this: Update the website field, and where the brand changes the profile name and handle, on every social profile. Claim the new handles early, update link-in-bio pages and video descriptions, and update app store names, support and privacy-policy URLs.
Why: Profiles on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and others, plus app store listings and their privacy-policy links, show your website.
Check it worked: Open each profile while signed out and click the website link.
Google Business Profile and directory listingsDomain namemoderate
Do this: Update the website on your Google Business Profile, Apple Business (formerly Apple Business Connect), Bing Places, review sites, industry directories and association listings.
Why: Map and directory listings send customers straight to your website and feed local search results.
Check it worked: Search for your business on Google Maps and Apple Maps and check the website link.
Invoices, contracts, legal pages and documentationDomain namemoderate
Do this: Update invoice and quote templates in your accounting tool, contract templates, terms and privacy policy, help-centre articles, developer docs and package or app metadata.
Why: Invoice and quote templates, contracts, terms and privacy pages, help articles and developer docs all reference your web address and email.
Check it worked: Generate a test invoice and read through your terms and privacy pages for the old domain.
Connected tools that store your website addressDomain namemoderate
Do this: Work through your inventory and update the website URL, verified sending domain and callback URLs in each tool.
Why: CRMs, form builders, automation tools, booking pages, email-marketing platforms and review sites store your website URL or a verified domain.
Check it worked: Submit a test lead through each form and confirm it reaches your CRM.
Tell customers, partners and suppliersDomain namemoderate
Do this: Announce the new domain from the old address, on the site and on social profiles. Spell out the exact new domain so people can recognise it, and say that old addresses still work.
Why: People need to know the new domain is really you, especially when email starts arriving from an unfamiliar address.
Check it worked: Watch replies and support tickets for confusion in the first few weeks.
Brief your team: new addresses, signatures and bookmarksDomain namemoderate
Do this: Tell the team the switch date, their new email address, which links and bookmarks change and what to tell customers. Update shared password-manager entries to the new domain.
Why: Staff send email and share links every day, and they'll be the first to hear from confused customers.
Check it worked: Ask a few people to send you a message from their new address and open a bookmarked internal tool.
Google Business Profile, Search Console and AnalyticsBusiness email addresshigh
Do this: Add the Google account for the new address as an owner in each service, confirm it works, then remove the old account.
Why: These services are tied to Google accounts rather than an email field, so changing your address usually means adding the new account as an owner.
Check it worked: Each service lists the new account as an owner.
Website forms and system notificationsBusiness email addresshigh
Do this: Update the recipient on every website form, shop notification and monitoring alert, and check the address they send from.
Why: Contact forms, order notifications and server alerts are usually set up once and forgotten.
Check it worked: Submit each form and place a test order, and confirm the notification arrives.
Business social pages and ad accounts: update admin and contact emailBusiness email addressmoderate
Do this: Update the admin and contact email on each business page and ad account, and make sure at least two people you trust are admins.
Why: Social accounts use your contact details for sign-in codes and account recovery.
Check it worked: Check each account's settings page shows the new details.
Email marketing sender address and domain authenticationBusiness email addressmoderate
Do this: Change the sender and reply-to address in the platform, and complete its domain authentication (SPF or DKIM) for the new address's domain.
Why: Newsletter platforms send as your address. If the new address is on a different domain, that domain needs authenticating on the platform for mail to pass DMARC.
Check it worked: Send a test campaign and check the headers show SPF or DKIM passing for your domain.
Invoices, quotes and receiptsBusiness email addressmoderate
Do this: Update the address on invoice and quote templates and receipts, and the reply-to setting in your accounting or invoicing software.
Why: Accounting and invoicing tools print your address on documents and use it as the reply-to.
Check it worked: Send yourself a test invoice and reply to it.
Privacy policy, terms and other legal contactsBusiness email addressmoderate
Do this: Update the contact address in your privacy policy, terms, cookie notice and any data protection registrations.
Why: Privacy policies and terms often name a contact address for requests and complaints, and some privacy laws expect that address to be monitored.
Check it worked: Search your website for the old address.
Support tools, listings and public profilesBusiness email addressmoderate
Do this: Update the address in your help desk or support tool, directory and marketplace listings, and the contact sections of your social profiles.
Why: Your address appears in help desk settings, directory listings, review sites and social profiles.
Check it worked: Search the web for the old address and check your main listings.
Signatures, business cards and team directoriesBusiness email addresslow
Do this: Update email signatures (on phones too), business cards, letterhead and anywhere your team lists contact addresses.
Why: Signatures and auto-replies are settings on the mail account and don't move with the mail.
Check it worked: Send a message from a phone and a computer and check the signature.
Verify6
Check the new name shows the same everywhereBusiness namemoderate
Do this: Search for the business on Google and Maps, open your website and legal pages, read a new invoice and receipt, and check how a test card payment appears on a statement.
Why: Customers, banks and search engines all compare the name across places. One stray old name raises questions.
Check it worked: The same new name appears everywhere you checked.
Test the site, sign-in and checkout on the new domainDomain namecritical
Do this: In a private window on the new domain, click through home, top landing pages, contact forms, sign-up and sign-in, password reset, checkout and account pages.
Why: Most domain-change problems only show up on real pages: forms, logins, payments and embedded tools.
Check it worked: Each journey completes, and the browser console shows no mixed-content, CORS or certificate errors.
Crawl the old URLs and check every redirectDomain namehigh
Do this: Run your list of old URLs (from the redirect map and old sitemap) through a crawler or a short script and record the status and Location header for each.
Why: Redirect rules have edge cases: trailing slashes, query strings, uppercase paths, old subdomains and http:// versions.
Check it worked: Every old URL returns a single 301 (or 308) to a new URL that returns 200, and nothing lands on a 404 or the home page by accident.
Test email in both directions on both domainsDomain namehigh
Do this: Send to and from new and old addresses using outside accounts (for example Gmail and Outlook.com), and trigger each automated email: password reset, receipt and notification.
Why: Email problems are invisible from the inside: you never see the messages that don't reach you.
Check it worked: Every message arrives, headers show SPF, DKIM and DMARC passing for the new domain, and nothing lands in spam.
Monitoring for both domainsDomain namemoderate
Do this: Add uptime checks for the new site and for a few old URLs (checking they redirect), plus certificate-expiry and domain-expiry alerts for both domains.
Why: You now depend on two domains: the new one for the site and the old one for redirects and email.
Check it worked: Every monitor is green and a test alert reaches someone who will act on it.
Test a password reset on your most important accountsBusiness email addresscritical
Do this: On your registrar, email admin, bank and payment processor, start a password reset or sign-in from a private browser window and confirm the message arrives at the new address.
Why: Seeing the new address in settings isn't the same as recovery working. Some services keep a separate recovery or security email.
Check it worked: Each critical account delivers its reset or code to the new address.
Clean up2
Lock down the old domain against spoofingDomain namehigh
Do this: Once nothing legitimately sends as the old domain (check DMARC reports), change its SPF record to `v=spf1 -all` and move its DMARC policy to p=reject. Keep its MX records if old addresses still receive mail, and keep the registrar lock and auto-renew on.
Why: A domain that no longer sends email is attractive to spoofers, because people still recognise it.
Check it worked: Run `dig oldsite.com TXT +short` and `dig _dmarc.oldsite.com TXT +short` to confirm the policies, and check DMARC reports show no legitimate senders failing.
Retire the old address safelyBusiness email addresshigh
Do this: Keep forwarding for several months. If you're dropping an old domain, keep it registered for a good while rather than letting it lapse, and remove the old address from every account before closing it.
Why: An old address that's deleted, or a domain that's allowed to lapse, could later be taken over by someone else, who would then receive your password resets.
Check it worked: Nothing has arrived at the old address for a few weeks, and it's no longer listed on any important account.
Later6
Watch for mail, payments and searches using the old nameBusiness namelow
Do this: Keep a list of anything that still arrives under the old name and update the sender. Check with your bank before it stops accepting payments made out to the old name, and search for the old name now and then to see where it still appears.
Why: Cheques, official letters and customer payments keep arriving under the old name for months, and people keep searching for it.
Check it worked: Nothing new has arrived under the old name for a couple of months, and searching it leads to your current listings.
Keep redirects running for at least a year, ideally for goodDomain namehigh
Do this: Keep the old domain's DNS, certificate and redirect hosting paid for and monitored. Note in your documentation why it must stay, so nobody tidies it away.
Why: Google recommends keeping site-move redirects for at least a year, and links in old emails, documents and QR codes never update themselves.
Check it worked: Each quarter, spot-check a few old URLs still redirect to the right new pages.
Watch search traffic, indexing and 404sDomain namemoderate
Do this: For a few months, compare indexed pages and search clicks for both domains in Search Console, and check server logs on the old domain for 404s.
Why: Google says it can take a few weeks or more for a medium-sized site's new URLs to replace the old ones in search.
Check it worked: Indexed pages for the old domain fall while the new domain's rise, and 404s from old URLs are fixed.
Printed material, signs and QR codesDomain namemoderate
Do this: Keep a redirect for every printed path, including each QR code's exact target URL. Update artwork for the next print run and replace high-visibility signage on a schedule.
Why: Business cards, vehicles, signage, packaging, menus and QR codes carry the old domain and specific URLs for years.
Check it worked: Scan every QR code you've printed and confirm it lands on the right new page.
Ask key sites to update their linksDomain namelow
Do this: Export your top referring sites and ask partners, directories and publications to update their links to the new domain.
Why: Redirects pass links on, but direct links are faster and don't depend on the old domain staying up.
Check it worked: Recheck your top referrers after a couple of months.
Check the old address for stragglersBusiness email addresslow
Do this: For a few months, review what still arrives at the old address, through forwarding or the old inbox, and update each sender.
Why: Forgotten integrations and addresses usually reveal themselves only when they fail.
Check it worked: Nothing new has turned up for two weeks.