Change of Address tool

When is it used?

The tool is meant for moves between domains. Google says it is not needed in these cases:

• switching from HTTP to HTTPS
• switching between www and non-www
• moving pages within the same site
• changing hosting while the URLs stay the same

What is required?

The user needs to be an owner of both the old and the new site in Search Console, and the tool works at domain level, not for a path such as example.com/section/. Permanent 301 redirects from the old to the new site must be set up first. Subdomains below the specified domain are not moved by the tool and need their own submissions.

How long does it apply?

According to the Search Console Help page, Google tracks the move for 180 days, so redirects should stay at least that long. The site-move documentation recommends keeping redirects as long as possible, generally at least one year. To meet both, keep redirects in place for at least one year. Old URLs can still appear in results for a while after the move.

Example

Redirect configuration on the old domain before the move is reported (nginx):

server {
  server_name old.example;
  return 301 https://new.example$request_uri;
}

Common questions

Is the tool needed for HTTPS? No, Google does not provide it for that case.

Last updated: October 7, 2026