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I developed a site locally with /%postname%/ permalink structure. I did some sample posts locally and wanted to move this entire local setup to a temporary subdomain like http://review.clientsite.com.

1.) I exported the local sql table and imported it on the real database

2.) I changed the two fields inside the wp-options table to fit the new url http://review.clientside.com

3.) I uploaded all files to the real server and got rid of the "wp-config.php" and installed wordpress on the real server.

4.) If I launch http://review.clientside.com I see the site running and everything seems to work just fine. The stylesheets, the js, everything.

However only thing that does not work are my permalinks! Every link ends in a 404 -> e.g. http://review.clientside.com/projects

I also copied the .htaccess file from my local server to the real one. I even tried dropping the entire "permalinks" field in the wp-options table and reset the permalink-structure in the permalink settings inside wp.

Any ideas on that matter?

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You have to change other URLs in the database, not just in the wp_options tables. Use these queries in phpmyadmin to change post links and metadata within post and page content:

UPDATE wp_posts SET guid = replace(guid, 'http://www.olddomain.com/','http://www.newdomain.com/');

UPDATE wp_posts SET post_content = replace(post_content, 'http://www.olddomain.com/', 'http://www.newdomain.com/');

UPDATE wp_postmeta SET meta_value = replace(meta_value, 'http://www.olddomain.com/', 'http://www.newdomain.com/');

Reset permalinks again after those changes. And also use the full search in phpmyadmin to check if your old domain is anywhere else, such as in widget or plugin data.

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  • DO NOT change the guids. Those are NOT permalinks and are meant to be static once created. – EAMann Aug 14 '12 at 17:20
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    I've used those queries for innumerable domain and localhost to domain moves and they work fine. The queries do not change the whole GUID, only the domain part of the GUID. – markratledge Aug 14 '12 at 17:24
  • I'm not saying they won't work, I'm saying you shouldn't be changing the GUID at all even when you're moving domains. – EAMann Aug 14 '12 at 18:51
  • Thank you. But it seems the problem is somewhere else on the server. I did a clean install of wordpress on the subdomain and again – no page or post i create works - always a 404. – mathiregister Aug 14 '12 at 20:32
  • Looks like a server config problem; talk to the host administrator. Is mod_rewrite enabled on server? There's a placeholder page at the main domain. But the subdomain review.clientside.com doesn't even resolve for me; it is on a LAN or accessable from the internet? – markratledge Aug 14 '12 at 20:49
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My checklist for such cases is as follow:

  1. .htaccess, did I plug it in the prod website?
  2. Did I scrub the database properly?

  3. As a last resort, can I modify it in wp-config.php?

    1. -- htaccess -- One thing that is important to consider is the existance of a .htaccess file. It seems to be the most common issue.

    2. -- DB Scrub -- When migrating data local->development->staging, I personally use the following tool to "scrub" the database. Interconnect/IT (https://interconnectit.com/products/search-and-replace-for-wordpress-databases/) -- Not paid, just awesome for DB scrubbing.

    3. wp-config.php -- Alternatively, you can do the following in your wp-config.php file:

!defined('WP_SITEURL') && define('WP_SITEURL', 'http://review.clientside.com');
!defined('WP_HOME') && define('WP_HOME', "http://review.clientside.com");

In all cases, make sure to reset permalinks from WP admin, after you complete the setup.

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