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WordPress temporary URL to the actual domain in the database

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Updated on August 27, 2026
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If your control panel has no WordPress tool, the site address can be changed directly in the database with phpMyAdmin. Two values control it: siteurl and home.

1. Back up the database first #

This is not optional. A wrong value here can lock you out of wp-admin completely. Take a backup from the control panel Backup / Restore section before touching anything.

Backup and restore in the control panel

2. Open phpMyAdmin #

  • Log in to your control panel.
  • Go to Web Tools and open phpMyAdmin.
  • If you are not sure which database belongs to the site, open wp-config.php in File Manager and look at the DB_NAME line.

3. Edit the two values #

  • Select your database in the left-hand list.
  • Open the options table. It usually ends in _options, for example wp_options. If the site was installed with a custom prefix, the start of the name will differ.
  • Find the rows where option_name is siteurl and home. They are normally on the first page; if not, use the search tab.
  • Edit each one and replace the temporary address with your real domain, then save.

Get the format right #

Both values must be written exactly like this:

https://example.com

No trailing slash, no /wp-admin, and no www unless your site genuinely uses it. Use https only if the certificate is already active. Both rows must match each other.

4. Check the site #

Load the site and then /wp-admin. If you are redirected in a loop or see a blank page, the value is wrong — go back into phpMyAdmin and correct it, or restore the backup.

Links inside your content #

Changing these two rows fixes the site address, but old links and image paths saved inside posts still point at the temporary domain. Those need a search and replace across the database. A plugin such as Better Search Replace handles it safely, and you should take another backup before running it.