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There is no single WordPress “domain masking” switch. The right method depends on the result you want: redirect visitors to a new URL, make a second domain the real address of the same WordPress site, or show an external site inside a page while the outer WordPress permalink stays visible. Those choices differ in address-bar behavior, path handling, SEO, SSL, navigation, and maintenance.
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Choose the outcome before choosing a masking method
“Masking” is commonly used for several unrelated configurations. Decide which statement best describes your goal:
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|---|---|---|---|
| Send one domain to another URL permanently | 301 forwarding or a 301 redirect | The destination domain appears in the address bar | Search engines and browsers receive a permanent-move signal |
| Send one domain to another URL temporarily | 307 forwarding or a 302 redirect | The destination domain appears in the address bar | The original URL is treated as a temporary route |
| Make a second domain the actual WordPress address | Connect the domain through DNS and hosting | The connected domain remains visible | DNS, certificates, server configuration, and canonical URLs must all agree |
| Keep the WordPress permalink around externally hosted content | Iframe or content-masking implementation | The outer WordPress URL can remain visible | The external site is still separate and may block framing or break inside the frame |
A redirect never keeps the old domain in the browser. If retaining the outer URL is essential, only a frame-based presentation can attempt that, and it is not equivalent to moving or hosting the site on WordPress.
Method 1: Forward a domain in WordPress.com
WordPress.com describes forwarding as a web-server function that automatically redirects visitors from one domain URL to another. This is the simplest option when a custom domain or subdomain should send people to a different website or page.
Set up forwarding
- Open the WordPress.com Hosting Dashboard.
- Open Domains and select the domain or subdomain you want to forward.
- Choose Domain forwarding.
- Enter the complete target URL.
- Open the advanced settings if you need a specific redirect type or path behavior.
- Choose Permanent redirect (301) or Temporary redirect (307), enable optional path forwarding when appropriate, and save.
WordPress.com says changes can take a few hours to propagate across its servers and internet service providers. Test after that propagation window rather than assuming an immediate failure.
Choose 301 or 307 deliberately
A 301 communicates that the move is permanent. It is suitable when the old address should hand its long-term destination to the new one, and it may be cached longer by browsers and intermediaries. A 307 is intended for temporary forwarding and preserves the temporary nature of the route. Both redirect types ultimately send the browser to the target, so neither is an address-bar mask.
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Without appropriate path handling, forwarding may send only the domain root to the target. WordPress.com exposes optional path forwarding in its advanced settings. Decide whether a request such as example-old.com/about should become the corresponding path on the destination or always land at one fixed page, then test several deep links after saving.
Method 2: Use a WordPress.com site redirect when leaving a .wordpress.com address
WordPress.com’s site redirect is designed for leaving a .wordpress.com site address and sending traffic, including permalinks, to another site. It is a different product from forwarding a custom domain or subdomain.
When site redirect fits
- The source is the standard
.wordpress.comaddress of a WordPress.com site. - You are moving the whole site and want old post and page permalinks to lead to the new site.
- You accept that the destination URL becomes visible.
Restrictions and common confusion
WordPress.com says site redirects are unavailable on sites with plugins installed or hosting features activated. If the source is a custom domain or subdomain, use domain forwarding instead. Selecting the wrong redirect product can leave the intended domain unconfigured even though the site itself is working.
Method 3: Connect the second domain through DNS and hosting
If the second domain should be the real public address of the WordPress installation, connect it to the host rather than placing the site in an iframe. This is the correct approach for a canonical domain change or for operating a site on a newly chosen domain.
Prepare the DNS change
- Confirm that the WordPress host accepts the domain and identify the DNS records it requires, such as the host’s A record values.
- Leave DNS management at the registrar if that is how your setup is organized; WordPress.com’s A-record guidance notes that the registrar can remain authoritative.
- Back up the complete existing DNS zone before editing it.
- Record mail-related entries, including the records used by your email service, and preserve them unless the mail provider explicitly tells you to change them.
- Replace or add the web records required by the WordPress host, then wait for DNS propagation.
Changing web records without preserving mail records can stop incoming or outgoing email even when the website loads correctly. Keep a copy of the old zone so you can restore it if another service disappears.
Complete the WordPress and host side
Use the host’s domain-connection workflow to associate the new domain with the existing site, then make sure the site’s public URL, certificate, redirects, and asset URLs all use the connected domain. WordPress.com states that the former .wordpress.com address redirects to the newly connected domain. On a self-hosted installation, the equivalent old-domain redirect must be configured deliberately; DNS alone does not decide how WordPress handles every URL.
Preserve permalink behavior
Pretty and Almost Pretty permalinks depend on suitable web-server configuration. WordPress’s official permalink documentation places that configuration responsibility with the hosting provider. If the home page works but post or page URLs return server errors or 404 responses after the domain change, ask the host to verify the rewrite configuration before changing individual slugs.
Method 4: Create a self-hosted redirect with wp_redirect()
On a self-hosted WordPress site, code can redirect a request when a condition is met. WordPress documents the function signature as wp_redirect( $location, $status = 302, $x_redirect_by = 'WordPress' ). The default status is 302, so a permanent move must pass 301 explicitly.
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Minimal pattern
if ( wp_redirect( $url, 301 ) ) { exit; }The WordPress developer reference warns that wp_redirect() does not exit automatically and should almost always be followed by exit;. Without it, WordPress may continue rendering the original request after sending redirect headers.
Use conditions that cannot loop
- Define exactly which host, path, query, or request type should redirect.
- Exclude the destination host and destination path from the condition.
- Use 301 only when the move is genuinely permanent; use a temporary status while testing or for a short-lived route.
- Test the home page, representative deep URLs, login, and administrative URLs before deploying the rule broadly.
A redirect loop usually means the destination request also matches the source condition, or that another layer—such as a proxy, host rule, or HTTPS setting—is redirecting in the opposite direction. Remove the ambiguity before adding more rules.
Method 5: Keep the outer URL with an iframe or content-masking tool
An iframe can display an externally hosted page inside a WordPress page while the browser continues to show the WordPress permalink of the outer page. This is the only approach in this guide that attempts to preserve the outer address bar, but it is a presentation layer, not a domain migration.
Content Mask modes
The WordPress.org Content Mask plugin documents three modes:
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- Iframe: places the host URL in a full-width, full-height iframe.
- Download: fetches and caches external content.
- Redirect (301): sends the visitor to the host URL.
The plugin listing says the page permalink remains integrated into the WordPress site. Its documentation also states: “Do NOT use Content Mask on any content you aren’t explicitly authorized to share or use.” Obtain permission from the external owner before framing, fetching, caching, or redistributing its content.
What an iframe cannot guarantee
- The external server can send frame-blocking policies, preventing the page from loading.
- Scripts, styles, cookies, login flows, and payment steps may behave differently in a frame.
- Links can navigate the top window or escape the frame.
- The framed site can change its markup or URL without your WordPress page changing.
- A full-height frame does not automatically adapt to every external page’s content height or mobile layout.
Because the external site remains hosted elsewhere, an iframe should be treated as a way to present permitted content, not as a canonical replacement for the WordPress site. Use a connected domain or a proper redirect when the alternate domain is supposed to be the indexed, authoritative site.
Use the block editor for supported embeds, not for domain migration
Since WordPress 5.0, the block editor can embed supported third-party content by pasting its URL into an Embed block. The content remains hosted externally. This is often safer than attempting to reproduce an entire site inside a frame, but it does not make the external domain part of WordPress, change DNS, or preserve a complete external navigation experience under your domain.
Address-bar, paths, SEO, and navigation: the practical differences
| Question | Forwarding or redirect | DNS-connected domain | Iframe or masking plugin |
|---|---|---|---|
| Does the browser URL change? | Yes, to the destination | No; it shows the connected domain | The outer WordPress URL can remain visible |
| Can deep paths be preserved? | WordPress.com offers optional path forwarding; code rules must map paths explicitly | WordPress handles paths when the host and permalink rewrites are configured correctly | Often represents one framed destination unless the implementation adds navigation handling |
| Is it suitable for a canonical domain move? | Yes, with the appropriate permanent redirect | Yes | No; it is a presentation technique |
| What can break? | Wrong status, path mapping, or redirect loops | DNS, certificates, mail records, or server rewrites | Frame blocking, scripts, cookies, navigation, or responsive layout |
| Who controls the displayed content? | The destination site | Your WordPress installation and host | The external site, subject to its availability and policies |
HTTPS and reverse-proxy checks
HTTPS problems are especially common when a reverse proxy terminates SSL while the WordPress origin is configured differently. WordPress’s HTTPS administration guidance warns that this mismatch can create an infinite redirect loop.
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- The public domain has a certificate that covers the exact hostname visitors use.
- The proxy forwards the correct host and protocol information to the origin.
- The origin and WordPress agree on whether the incoming request is HTTP or HTTPS.
- Only one layer is responsible for each intended redirect.
- Both the bare domain and the chosen
wwwor non-wwwform have an intentional outcome.
If a browser reports “too many redirects,” temporarily disable extra redirect layers and inspect the first response from the proxy and the origin. Correct the host/protocol signal before changing content URLs.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Test a masked or newly connected domain before announcing it
- Open the home page over both HTTP and HTTPS and record the final URL.
- Open several post, page, category, and other deep paths; check whether each reaches the intended destination rather than only the home page.
- Test the login and administrative URLs separately. A broad redirect can accidentally make administration inaccessible.
- Inspect canonical links and confirm they point to the intended public domain for a connected-site or permanent-move setup.
- Check images, stylesheets, scripts, fonts, and other assets for old-domain or mixed-content references.
- Test the layout and navigation on a phone as well as a desktop browser.
- If using an iframe, test frame loading, internal links, cookies, forms, scrolling, and any action that opens a new window.
- Verify that DNS records for email and other services still exist and resolve correctly.
- Repeat the checks after propagation has completed from more than one network or resolver.
Troubleshooting by symptom
The old domain changes to the new one immediately
That is normal for a 301, 307, 302, or site redirect. Redirects cannot preserve the old address bar. If the old URL must remain visible, use a permitted frame-based presentation instead of forwarding.
Only the home page works
Check whether path forwarding was enabled on WordPress.com, whether a code redirect maps the requested path, and whether the host has configured Pretty or Almost Pretty permalink rewrites. A root-level DNS record does not create path mappings by itself.
The iframe is blank or shows an error
Ask the external owner whether framing is allowed and inspect the response for frame-blocking controls. If the destination blocks framing, no WordPress page setting can reliably override that policy. Also test whether the external page requires cookies, scripts, or a login context unavailable inside the frame.
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The site enters a redirect loop
Compare the proxy’s public protocol and host headers with the origin’s view of the request. Remove duplicate HTTP-to-HTTPS or host-normalization rules, and make sure the destination of a WordPress code redirect does not satisfy its own source condition.
Email stopped after connecting the domain
Restore the backed-up mail records or re-enter the exact records required by the mail provider. Web A-record changes and mail routing are separate concerns; changing one does not safely replace the other.
The new domain is not reachable everywhere
Allow time for DNS and forwarding changes to propagate across servers and internet service providers. Compare results from multiple networks, and check that the edited records are at the authoritative registrar or DNS provider rather than at an inactive zone.
A safe decision sequence
- Write down whether the move is permanent, temporary, canonical, or merely presentational.
- For a permanent or temporary move, choose 301 or 307/302 forwarding and plan the path mapping.
- For a true second-domain site, connect DNS and hosting, preserve mail records, configure certificates, and verify permalink rewrites.
- For externally hosted content that must appear under a WordPress permalink, confirm authorization and frame compatibility before using an iframe or masking plugin.
- Run the full URL, path, SSL, asset, mobile, administration, and DNS checklist before publishing links to the new address.
The key distinction is simple: redirects change where the browser goes, DNS connection changes which domain is the site, and framing changes only how permitted external content is presented inside a WordPress page.
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