How to use a custom domain?

Question

I recently created a ProPhotoBlog using WordPress for my photography business. I have been unable to successfully use my custom domain name with the new site. When I change both the Site URL and the WordPress URL, the entire site crashes (even after I have followed the tutorials provided by ProPhoto).

My custom domain is currently pointed at the blog, and the homepage does come up, but the slideshow will not play, and when any of the pages links are clicked, I am being redirected to the temporary address provided by my host, Network Solutions. This redirection happens when navigating to any part of the site, as well as navigating back to the home page after viewing something.

When being navigated back to the homepage after viewing something else, the slideshow does work, and the address is the local host address. The address I would like to use is http://www.mischaboltonphotography.com (which brings up the homepage), and the temporary address I am being redirected to is http://03525b8.netsolhost.com/WordPress/

Answer 1

In wp-config.php, try this:

define('WP_HOME','http://www.mischaboltonphotography.com'); define('WP_SITEURL','http://www.mischaboltonphotography.com');

Answer 2

I would get in touch with your hosting provider to see if they can be any use. Does ProPhotoBlog offer any support?

Why not hire somebody to do it for you? There should be local web development companies that will do this kind of thing and they shouldn't charge too much.

Answer 3

Your Site URL needs to point at your custom domain. This is why the slideshow doesn't work. Your site is trying to load stylesheets, images, etc from your temporary domain because that's what you have set up in your configuration settings.

As a result, the slideshow is trying to perform an AJAX callback to the server, but again to your temporary address. Web browsers won't allow this (code on www.mischaboltonphotography.com isn't allowed to talk to 035258.netsolhost.com for security reasons).

Part of the problem might be the "www" in your domain (I can seem to get to you site both with and without the "www" ...), but without knowing exactly how your site crashed when you changed things, all I can tell you is that yes, your Site URL needs to change.

Whether or not your WordPress URL needs to change depends more on your system setup. I frequently see the Site URL set to the pretty domain name and the WordPress URL set to a temporary domain name (035258.netsolhost.com/wordpress) ...