How to Fix Image Links After WordPress Migration

Migrating a WordPress website--whether to a new hosting provider like Go4hosting or a different server environment--is a common task. However, after migration, many website owners face a frustrating issue: broken or missing image links. This happens because WordPress stores the full URL of images and other media files in the database, and when the domain or directory structure changes, those URLs may no longer be valid.

In this knowledgebase article, we'll explore why image links break after migration and provide step-by-step instructions to fix them efficiently. Whether you've migrated manually or used a migration plugin, this guide will help you restore your site's images and keep it looking professional.

Why Do Image Links Break After WordPress Migration?

1. Absolute URLs Stored in Database

WordPress stores media files (images, videos) with absolute URLs in:

• Post content
  

• Post meta fields
  

• Widgets
  

• Menus
  

• Theme options
  

• Serialized data
  

For example, an image URL might be:

bash

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https://oldsite.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/sample-image.jpg

If you move to a new domain or change your WordPress directory, those URLs become invalid, leading to broken image links.

2. Hardcoded URLs in Theme or Plugins

Some themes or plugins may include hardcoded URLs pointing to your old site or directory, causing images not to load correctly.

3. Media Files Not Properly Transferred

In some cases, the actual media files (wp-content/uploads) are not copied correctly, causing missing images even if the URLs are correct.

How to Fix Broken Image Links After WordPress Migration

Here's a detailed approach to fix your image URLs and restore your media files.

Step 1: Verify Media Files Are Transferred

Before fixing URLs, ensure all media files are properly migrated.

• Connect to your old and new server via FTP/SFTP or your hosting file manager.
  

• Navigate to /wp-content/uploads/.
  

• Check that all year/month folders and images exist on the new server.
  

If files are missing:

• Upload the missing media files to the correct /wp-content/uploads/ folder.
  

• Ensure folder permissions are set correctly (usually 755 for folders, 644 for files).
  

Step 2: Update URLs Using Search and Replace

Because WordPress stores URLs in the database, you need to update all occurrences of the old site URL to the new one.

Important: Directly editing the database can break serialized data if not done carefully. Serialized data stores length info which changes with URL length, so a simple text replacement can corrupt data.

Recommended Tools for Safe Search and Replace

• Better Search Replace (WordPress Plugin)
  

• WP-CLI search-replace command
  

• Search Replace DB script by interconnectit
  

Using Better Search Replace Plugin

1. Login to your WordPress dashboard.
   

2. Install and activate the Better Search Replace plugin.
   

3. Go to Tools > Better Search Replace.
   

4. In the Search for field, enter your old site URL (e.g., https://oldsite.com).
   

5. In the Replace with field, enter your new site URL (e.g., https://newsite.com).
   

6. Select all tables (usually you want to update all).
   

7. Important: First, run a dry run by checking the "Run as dry run?" option.
   

8. Review the number of changes found.
   

9. If everything looks good, uncheck "Run as dry run?" and run the real update.
   

10. Clear any caches if you use caching plugins.
    

Using WP-CLI

If you have SSH access on your Go4hosting server, WP-CLI is a powerful command-line tool.

Run:

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wp search-replace 'https://oldsite.com' 'https://newsite.com' --all-tables

WP-CLI handles serialized data safely.

Step 3: Fix URLs in Theme Options or Widgets

Sometimes theme options and widgets store URLs separately.

• Navigate to Appearance > Widgets, and manually check for image URLs.
  

• Go to your theme�s customizer or theme options page, check for any image URLs, and update them manually.
  

Step 4: Regenerate Thumbnails

After migration and URL fix, regenerate thumbnails to ensure all image sizes are correctly created.

Use the Regenerate Thumbnails plugin:

1. Install and activate Regenerate Thumbnails.
   

2. Go to Tools > Regenerate Thumbnails.
   

3. Click Regenerate All Thumbnails.
   

4. Wait for the process to complete.
   

This fixes cases where thumbnails are missing or not loading properly.

Step 5: Clear Cache and CDN

If you use caching plugins like WP Super Cache, W3 Total Cache, or a CDN (Cloudflare, AWS CloudFront), clear all caches to make sure the new URLs are properly served.

Step 6: Check and Fix Mixed Content Issues

If your new site uses HTTPS and some images still load with HTTP, browsers may block these "mixed content" images.

• Use a plugin like Really Simple SSL to fix mixed content automatically.
  

• Or run a search and replace from HTTP to HTTPS on your URLs as well.
  

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Images Still Not Showing?

• Double-check the actual files exist on the server.
  

• Check file permissions.
  

• Inspect the image URL in browser's developer tools (F12) to see errors.
  

Serialized Data Corruption

• Avoid manual SQL queries for search and replace unless you handle serialized data carefully.
  

• Always use tools designed to handle serialization.
  

Hotlink Protection or Security Plugins

• If you have security or hotlink protection enabled, ensure it's not blocking images.
  

• Temporarily disable these plugins to test.
  

Pro Tips for Smooth Migration

• Always backup your database and files before starting.
  

• Test migration in a staging environment.
  

• Use reliable migration plugins like All-in-One WP Migration, Duplicator, or Go4hosting's migration services.
  

• Update your permalinks by visiting Settings > Permalinks and clicking Save Changes (this flushes rewrite rules).
  

How Go4hosting Helps with WordPress Migration

Migrating WordPress can be complex, but at Go4hosting, we offer:

• Expert migration services with minimal downtime.
  

• Automated migration tools.
  

• Post-migration support to fix issues like broken image links.
  

• Fully managed WordPress hosting optimized for performance and security.
  

Conclusion

Broken image links are one of the most common post-migration headaches for WordPress users. The good news is, with the right approach, you can restore all your images quickly and safely.

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