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Installing Wordpress on existing domain

by barefootsusan
11 replies
  • WEB DESIGN
    • |
I want to install Wordpress on a domain that already has an existing site on it. If I install Wordpress on the domain (not in another directory), will it mess up the existing content?

The main site is using an index.html for the main page. I was thinking since WP uses index.php, it might be ok. But I'm probably wrong!

If my idea won't work, what is the best way to go about redoing the site in wordpress with the least amount of "down time"?

Thanks!
#domain #existing #installing #wordpress
  • Profile picture of the author Marketing Profits Software
    A new Wordpress installation shouldn't overwrite your existing content (unless, of course, your current site uses the same file and directory names that start with a "wp-" prefix).

    Wordpress does use "index.php" instead of "index.html".
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  • Profile picture of the author layouts4you
    well you can have a index.html and a index.php file in the same directory but the server will only pick up 1 as the main file. i personally wouldnt have a site and a blog in the same directory. id install the wp in a subdectory to be able to keep all files separate.
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    • Profile picture of the author barefootsusan
      Thanks for the responses.

      How do I know which index file will be used for the domain if someone types in the url.com?
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  • Profile picture of the author layouts4you
    that will all depend on yoru servers config. i know mine takes the .php one before the .html.

    make a index.php file and out in it the following

    <?
    echo 'hello';
    ?>

    and upload it to your root dir. if your site shows up then its .html if hello shows up on the screen then the .php is the one that takes.

    i know you can tell the site in the .htaccess what one to choose but im not sure the code to do that off hand.
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  • Profile picture of the author Aare
    i believe by default ur site will be index.html / default.html

    to know this, you'll need to contact ur hosting administrator asking about it in their apache.conf or depend on ur hosting OS.

    i didn't suggest u install the wordpress in the root dir, use folder or subdomain to manage it.
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    God bless us all!
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  • Profile picture of the author Marketing Profits Software
    To make "index.html" load by default instead of "index.php," add the following line to your .htaccess file:

    Code:
    DirectoryIndex index.html index.php
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  • Profile picture of the author wordpresstrainingpackage
    Since the main site is still installed on the server, the wordpress files you have just uploaded will not show up on the domain. You would have to delete or rename the old website files if you want the new one to show up.
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  • Profile picture of the author 24 by 7
    Actually, it will mess your current website.

    But there is a solution, you will have to newly make it's all links, so they will be attached neatly, otherwise it will be really confusing.
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  • Profile picture of the author colinph970
    why not download the existing html files and save them. Then install the wordpress files. If everything looks ok then fine otherwise delete the wordpress files and re-upload the html files?
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  • Profile picture of the author KathyK
    As layouts4you said, you can have an index.html and an index.php in the same directory but when you go to your site it will only show one of them. IE - a search engine going to yourdomain.com will only see the index.html and links from that OR the wordpress (index.php).

    See the other posts to find out which one the search engines will see. But they'll only see one at a time.

    Basically you can't run 2 sites in the same directory. Put the blog in a subdirectory or a subdomain.
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    Cheers,
    Kathy

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  • Profile picture of the author alkantenik
    I think the best choice is:
    www.yoursite.com/blog
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