Description
Ethereal Link Replacer is a lightweight, focused tool for changing links, URLs, and other text throughout your WordPress database. It is built for the common migration jobs: moving from HTTP to HTTPS, switching domains, or cleaning up an old CDN or media URL.
Unlike a plain SQL find-and-replace, this plugin correctly handles serialized data. It unpacks serialized arrays and objects (the format many themes and plugins use to store settings and page-builder content), replaces the text inside, and repacks it so your data stays valid.
Key features
- A safe two-step flow: Preview every change first, then Apply — the apply step is locked until you confirm you have a backup.
- Whole word only and Match case options, so searching “Unlock” need not touch “Unlocked”.
- Serialized-data aware, so page-builder and theme option data is not corrupted.
- A heads-up warning when matches are found inside page-builder or serialized data (e.g. Elementor), where a replacement could affect your layout.
- Search across posts, post meta, options, terms, term meta, and comments — you choose which.
- Optional regular-expression matching (the unsafe
/emodifier is blocked). - Batched processing to keep memory use low on large sites.
- Automatically clears caches after a change — for every major page builder and caching plugin — so edits show on the front end.
- A downloadable CSV log of every change.
- A WP-CLI command for scripted or large migrations.
- No tracking, no external requests, no ads, no upsells.
Who makes this
Ethereal Link Replacer is developed by Manuel Zela at Ethereal Web Solution. Plugin home page: etherealwebsolution.com/ethereal-link-replacer.
Important: back up first
This plugin edits your live database. Changes made in a real (non-dry-run) pass cannot be undone from within the plugin. Always take a complete database backup before running a live replacement, and preview with a dry run first.
Installation
- Upload the
ethereal-link-replacerfolder to the/wp-content/plugins/directory, or install the plugin through the WordPress Plugins screen. - Activate the plugin through the Plugins screen in WordPress.
- Go to Link Replacer in the admin menu.
- Enter your search and replacement values, choose the tables, run a dry run, then run for real once you are satisfied.
FAQ
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Does it handle serialized data?
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Yes. Serialized arrays and objects are unpacked, edited, and repacked so string lengths stay correct and the data remains valid.
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Can I undo a replacement?
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Not from the plugin. Because it writes directly to the database, you should always keep a backup and preview with a dry run before running for real.
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Can I use it from the command line?
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Yes. Example:
wp ethlr replace --search="https://old.com" --replace="https://new.com" --dryRemove
--dryto apply the changes. Add--regexto treat the search value as a regular expression. -
Will it change my site URL?
-
The
siteurlandhomeoptions are skipped on purpose to avoid locking you out. Change those from Settings General.
Reviews
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Contributors & Developers
“Ethereal Link Replacer” is open source software. The following people have contributed to this plugin.
Contributors
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Interested in development?
Browse the code, check out the SVN repository, or subscribe to the development log by RSS.
Changelog
1.0.1
- Redesigned, friendlier admin screen with a clear Preview Apply flow.
- New “Whole word only” and “Match case” options.
- New warning when matches are inside page-builder or serialized data (e.g. Elementor).
- Automatically clears caches after applying — every major page builder (Elementor, Beaver Builder, Divi, Avada, Bricks, Oxygen) and the popular caching plugins.
- Removed the header logo and made styling load reliably.
- Clearer labels, results summary, and log wording.
1.0.0
- Initial release.