6 Essential WordPress SQL Search and Replace Commands

I have a txt file with this list of 6 SQL search and replace commands (the same commands used at Custom WordPress SQL Search and Replace Commands):

1. SQL Search & Replace of Post Content
update wp_posts set post_content = replace(post_content,'http://example.com','https://example.com');

2. SQL Search & Replace of Comment Content
update wp_comments set comment_content = replace(comment_content,’http://example.com’,’https://example.com’);

3. SQL Search & Replace of Comment Author URL
update wp_comments set comment_author_url = replace(comment_author_url,'http://example.com','https://example.com');

4. SQL Search & Replace of Post Meta Data Content
update wp_postmeta set meta_value = replace(meta_value,’http://example.com’,’https://example.com’);

5. SQL Search & Replace of Category Meta Data Content
update wp_termmeta set meta_value = replace(meta_value,’http://example.com’,’https://example.com’);

6. SQL Search & Replace of WordPress GUID URL
update wp_posts set guid = replace(guid,’http://example.com’,’https://example.com’);

First I make a backup the entire website or at least the WordPress database in case something goes wrong.

I log into Virtualmin and go to the edit database screen and check what I set the WordPress table prefix to (the wp_ bit). I change all the instances of wp_ above to whatever the database I’m modifying is using. I change all instances of example.com to whatever the domain I’m converting to https.

I go to the relevant databases SQL execute screen and copy and paste the first SQL command above (the Post Content one) into the SQL execute form and click the execute button. I check a WordPress Posts content I know was using http URLs to confirm it’s updated, if it worked I go back to the SQL execute form and copy and paste the second SQL command above and repeat the process until all 6 SQL commands have been run.

I browse through the WordPress site looking for problems, unsecure webpages and if I got them all I’m done.

In practice it takes around 30 minutes to update all http links this way. Could speed the process up, but better safe than sorry.

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