How to properly change your website's address in Webmaster Tools?

[cmscss]

Hi There,We've launched a new website and as part of the update have changed our domain name - now we need to tell Google of the changes:

• Both sites were verified in Webmaster Tools
• From the old site's gear icon, we chose "Change of address"
• As part of the "Change of address" checklist Google presented, we added 301 redirects to redirect the old domain to the new one
• But now that the 301 redirects are in place, Google can no longer verify the old site
• And because it can no longer verify the old site, Google won't let us complete the change of address form

How do we tell Google of the change of address in this instance - and has anyone else encountered this?CheersBen

[Shakur]

Hi there,

1. On the Webmaster Tools Home page, click the site you want to move from.
2. Click the gear icon; then click Change of Address.
3. Follow the instructions in the **Change of site address **tool.
4. Monitor your traffic as indicated in Move a site with URL changes.

You can ffollow the guidelines here https://support.google.com/webmasters/answer/83106?hl=en

Hope it helps you.

[cmscss]

Thanks for the answer but the steps you posted are the same steps we've tried (and posted).

The issue is that the instructions/checks in the change of address form require:

• A 301 redirect on the old site to redirect traffic to the new one
• Valid verification of the old site

But as soon as the 301 redirect is in place, Google can no longer verify the old site because it's redirecting to the new one - the old site is essentially unreachable.

Has anyone else seen this or are we doing something wrong?

Cheers

[cmscss]

Must've been a Webmaster tools issue - tried the whole process again and this time Webmatser Tools verifies the site with the 301 redirects in place