Moving your website from .co.uk to .uk: a practical plan

1. Decide whether the move serves a real purpose

A shorter .uk address can fit a new brand presentation, but changing a working address creates work for customers and the people maintaining the site. Decide what problem the switch solves before buying new stationery or editing every profile. If the existing .co.uk address already serves the business well, holding an additional name and moving the main website are separate choices.

Check the exact .uk registration and its intended owner first. A matching .co.uk does not automatically include the .uk name. Treat availability, successful registration and account access as prerequisites, then plan the migration. Do not cancel the original domain because the shorter address appeared available in a search.

Sources: Nominet: .UK registration policy ↗

2. Make a page map before changing the address

List the old homepage and the pages people actually use: contact details, service pages, bookings, product pages and important downloadable files. Match each to its relevant destination on the new address. A homepage-only redirect can leave a customer with extra work when their saved link was for a specific service.

Use a small migration sheet with an old URL, new URL, responsible person and test result for each important route. Include www and non-www behaviour, and check how the hosting platform handles path and query information. If an old page genuinely has no replacement, make a deliberate decision rather than sending every unknown link to an unrelated page.

• Homepage and contact page.
• Popular services, products and bookings.
• Links from emails, QR codes and printed material.
• Important files and subdomains.
• Forms and integrations that store the old address.

3. Prepare the destination and the redirect service

Connect the new .uk address to the intended site using the host’s instructions. Confirm the site appears correctly and HTTPS works before announcing it as the main address. The old address also needs working HTTPS wherever visitors use secure links, so that they can reach a redirect without a certificate warning.

Permanent HTTP redirects such as 301 or 308 tell a client that a resource has moved. Configure them through an appropriate website or redirect service and test the actual responses. A DNS record points a name at a service; it cannot by itself express a page-to-page HTTP redirect. NameUK’s DNS controls can support the connection, but they are not a substitute for the host’s redirect configuration.

Sources: IETF: HTTP redirect semantics ↗

4. Keep email on its own checklist

Moving the website does not move a mailbox or change where messages to the old address arrive. Decide whether you will continue using the old email domain, introduce new addresses or receive on both during the transition. Check the mail provider’s supported arrangements and keep any required mailboxes and DNS authentication records active.

Update contact addresses through the normal verified process for services that use them for account recovery or billing. Test both an incoming message and a reply. An old website link reaching the new site tells you nothing about whether a supplier’s message to the old email address will arrive.

5. Rehearse a real visitor journey

For a hypothetical studio, start with an old printed QR link to its services page. Check that the secure old URL reaches the relevant new page, images load and the booking form works. Next try the old contact page from a saved bookmark and send a test enquiry through the new site. Use both a phone and a desktop browser.

Record any failed route and fix its specific mapping before removing the old arrangement. Also review internal links and settings that still refer to the previous address. Registration alone cannot promise that search systems will discover or prefer the new site; a technically correct migration still needs monitoring after launch.

• Important old pages reach their relevant new pages.
• Both addresses handle HTTPS as required.
• Forms, navigation and downloads work.
• Incoming and outgoing email behave as planned.
• The old domain and redirect service remain active.

The current registration and renewal budget

Register .co.uk for £9.99 for one year, with annual renewal currently £9.99. Or choose a new three-year .co.uk registration for £25.99. Check the selected name and term before payment. Future renewal prices can change.

The figures below show the current .co.uk comparison, and the linked .uk page shows the direct .uk purchase options. Both currently have the same approved registration and annual renewal amounts. They remain two separate registrations: budget for each while both are needed, plus any separate hosting or redirect service.

NameUK suits buyers who want a standalone domain, visible ongoing prices and dashboard DNS controls when our managed nameservers are active. This is our own recommendation for those needs, not an independent market ranking. Website hosting and mailboxes are separate services. Check the full name, selected term and final amount before paying.

6. Review continuity after the launch

Update public profiles and new printed materials to use the chosen primary address, while retaining useful old routes. Give a named person responsibility for checking failures and for renewing both domains during the transition. A low renewal amount can make keeping the old address manageable, but the decision should reflect real dependencies.

There is no single date when every old link, mailbox dependency or saved customer address disappears. Review evidence before ending the old services. If you only wanted a shorter marketing address, a planned redirect to the established site may meet the need with less change than moving the entire website. Choose the arrangement that serves visitors and that you can maintain.