Site owners migrating to a new domain must now submit address change requests for every subdomain, including both www and non-www versions. Google’s updated guidance aims to prevent indexing issues during domain moves.
Google has revised its official site move documentation, instructing webmasters to use the "Change of Address" tool for every subdomain and domain variant-such as www and non-www-when migrating a website to a new domain. The update, published in the company's developer documentation, clarifies that even inactive or rarely used subdomains must be included in the process.
According to Google, when transferring a site from one domain to another, owners should submit separate address change requests for each subdomain and for both www and non-www versions of the old domain. This includes examples like en.example.com, www.example.com, and example.com moving to new-example.net. Google emphasizes that all these variants must be verified in Search Console before initiating the change.
This expanded requirement is designed to help ensure a smooth transition and avoid potential indexing or visibility problems that can arise if certain domain versions are overlooked. The move reflects Google's ongoing efforts to provide clearer, more comprehensive guidance for site migrations, which are often complex and prone to technical errors.
