To keep your Ameba Ownd custom domain, prepare your replacement site first, then change its DNS settings through your domain provider. The official closure notice sets a deadline of December 24, 2026, at 11:00. Keeping your domain and article URLs reduces broken links, but does not guarantee unchanged search rankings. All times below are Japan Standard Time.
Custom domains and Ownd subdomains need different plans
A custom domain is an address you hold through a domain provider. DNS tells visitors' browsers which server to contact for that name. Pointing it to your replacement site lets you change hosting without changing the address.
Current address | Migration approach |
|---|---|
A domain you hold, such as | Keep the domain registration and point its DNS to the replacement site |
A subdomain supplied by Ownd | Choose a new address |
The official custom domain help explains that Ownd supports custom domains in subdomain form, such as a name prefixed with www. Keeping www.example.com avoids combining your migration with a change to example.com.
An Ownd-provided subdomain is different. The site creation help describes choosing one of Ownd's subdomains when creating a site. It is not a domain you hold, so you cannot move it through DNS. The closure notice does not mention redirects to replacement sites after closure.
Ownd no longer allows new custom domain settings from November 2, 2026. If you only have an Ownd subdomain, choose your new address and update links you control, including social profiles and directory listings.
What to save before the service closes
Following the emergency maintenance announcement, the closure notice says that only site viewing is available from November 2 at 13:00, when premium billing also stops. Do not plan on being able to edit the old site to add a migration announcement.
An export feature is scheduled to open during November, and details are due to be announced that month. Check whether your destination can load an export once those details are released. Data cannot be restored after closure.
Start an inventory of the homepage, articles, other pages, images, and downloads such as PDFs. Record page URLs, titles, and menu links as well as the text itself. When export becomes available, save the data before the deadline and check that you have the actual image files and can open the saved files.
The order for moving your custom domain
1. Build the replacement site and preserve paths
A CMS is the system used to edit and manage articles and images. Hosting is where the public pages are served. Ask prospective providers whether they can use your existing custom domain, preserve article URLs, and redirect URLs that change.
In https://www.example.com/posts/12345, /posts/12345 is the path. Keeping that part as well as the domain lets existing links reach the same article. Here is an example mapping.
Old path | New path | Behavior on the replacement host |
|---|---|---|
|
| Serve the same article directly |
|
| Permanently redirect the old path to the new one |
A retired page | No corresponding content | Return a 404 or 410 response indicating it is unavailable |
Separating a major redesign or content rewrite from the move makes problems easier to diagnose. Use a temporary address to check articles, images, mobile layouts, contact forms, and downloads. Also ask the destination provider when it can activate an HTTPS certificate for your custom domain.
2. Record the existing DNS settings and lower TTL if possible
Check how to sign in to your domain provider, when the registration expires, and the current DNS settings. TTL is how long DNS information can be cached. Google's hosting migration guide suggests considering a shorter TTL, such as a few hours, at least a week before the move.
If your provider supports this, follow its instructions. Lowering TTL does not immediately erase information that has already been cached. Ask the domain provider for help if the settings are unfamiliar, and avoid leaving the change until the deadline.
3. Change DNS when the replacement is ready
Follow the closure-specific instructions in Ownd's official help: replace the Ownd CNAME value, custom-domain.amebaowndme.com, with the settings specified by your destination provider. A CNAME is a DNS record that points one name to another. If the destination requires a different record type, follow its instructions for that setup.
You do not need to disconnect the custom domain in Ownd. If you also use the domain for email, leave email records such as MX records intact. If you are asked to replace the domain's nameservers entirely, first confirm that email and other necessary settings will be carried over.
Ownd says DNS changes can take around 24 hours to propagate. Leave time to check the site and fix problems before December 24 at 11:00. The end of Ownd does not end your domain registration, so keep renewing the domain if you intend to use it.
4. Check redirects and pages on the new host
A redirect automatically sends a visitor from an old URL to its replacement. When you keep the custom domain but change paths, configure redirects on the new host, which receives those requests after the DNS change. DNS alone cannot redirect individual articles.
Follow Google's guide to moves with URL changes: use permanent 301 or 308 redirects to the corresponding replacement pages. Avoid sending unrelated old pages to the new homepage. Point directly to the final destination instead of passing visitors through several redirects.
Open old article URLs and confirm they show the same article or reach the appropriate replacement. Check from another internet connection too, and test HTTPS, images, internal links, and forms. Google recommends keeping redirects for at least a year where possible. Settings on your new site cannot redirect requests made to an old Ownd-provided subdomain.
Check the move in Search Console
Search Console is Google's free tool for checking search visibility and page indexing. Before the move, record clicks and impressions for important pages so you have a comparison afterward.
Preserve ownership verification. If you use an HTML verification file or meta tag, include it on the replacement site. Retain DNS verification records too.
At launch, remove any testing-only
noindexdirectives or rules blocking search crawlers. Anoindexdirective asks search engines not to include a page in search results.Use URL Inspection and “Test live URL” for important pages to check whether Google can fetch them. Passing the test or requesting indexing does not guarantee inclusion in search results.
Submit your sitemap, the file listing your public page URLs, through the Sitemaps report and check whether Google can read it. Continue monitoring indexing and search performance.
Do not use the Change of Address tool when only the hosting changes and the URLs stay the same, or when only paths change within the same domain. For a move to another domain or subdomain, verify ownership of both sites with the same Google account and configure redirects on the old site before using the tool. If you cannot redirect the old address, submitting a change of address is not a substitute.
Choose the destination and check BASE separately
Ameba Blog does not support custom domains, which matters if keeping yours is a priority. It is nevertheless a migration option named in the official notice for people who prioritize continuing their blog over retaining a custom domain. For background, see headless CMS versus WordPress; the WordPress migration guide also covers URL and image inventories.
genko.me is another option for managing content, but its quickstart requires building and connecting the public-facing site; it is not a service that transfers an Ownd site unchanged.
If you connected a BASE shop, follow the closure notice and check “Settings” → “Shop information” in BASE. If “Use cart function only” is checked, clear it, and confirm that the shop publication setting is set to publish. Clearing the cart-only setting publishes the BASE shop page immediately, so review its design first. The official notice says these setting changes do not affect current transactions or orders.
FAQ
Will keeping my custom domain preserve my SEO?
Keeping addresses and content reduces broken links, but rankings are not guaranteed. Check article paths, redirects, and search engine access, then monitor indexing and search traffic after the move.
Should I disconnect my custom domain in Ownd?
The official closure instructions say this is unnecessary. Prepare the replacement site and change DNS through your domain provider. Preserve email records.
Can I redirect an Ownd-provided subdomain to my new site?
The closure notice does not mention post-closure redirects, and your replacement site cannot configure redirects for the old subdomain. Update external links you control to point to your new address.
Do I need to cancel premium or apply for a refund?
The official notice says the operator will cancel premium subscriptions and no refund application is needed. Refunds will go to the payment credit card during December. Users will receive individual guidance if a refund cannot be processed. Check your separate contract with the domain provider.