# Change of Address tool

Category: [Relaunch & Migration](https://seo-geo-glossary.com/en/glossary/category/relaunch-migration/) › [Types of migration](https://seo-geo-glossary.com/en/glossary/category/relaunch-migration/types-of-migration/)

The **Change of Address tool** is a feature in Google Search Console for telling Google that a website has moved to a different domain, for example from `example.com` to `example.org`. It is used after the redirects are in place.

## 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.

## Related terms

- [Domain migration](https://seo-geo-glossary.com/en/glossary/domain-migration/index.md)
- [301 redirect](https://seo-geo-glossary.com/en/glossary/301-redirect/index.md)
- [Google Search Console](https://seo-geo-glossary.com/en/glossary/google-search-console/index.md)

## Sources

- [Change of Address tool – Search Console Help](https://support.google.com/webmasters/answer/9370220)
- [Site moves with URL changes – Google Search Central](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/crawling-indexing/site-move-with-url-changes)

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Last updated: October 7, 2026
URL: https://seo-geo-glossary.com/en/glossary/change-of-address-tool/