How to Plan Redirects During a Website Migration

A redirect plan connects the old website to the new one. It is most useful when it explains what happens to each important page, rather than sending every visitor to the homepage. Prepare the mapping before launch so the developer, content owner and reviewer can agree the destinations.

Start with a URL inventory

Collect the current sitemap, crawled pages and useful landing pages from available search and analytics reports. Include pages used in campaigns, customer emails or external links. Keep the original address, page purpose and intended action together. A rarely visited support page may still matter to existing customers.

Separate a hosting move that preserves addresses from a rebuild that changes them. If URLs remain the same, the main task may be making sure those addresses still work on the new server. Do not create redirects merely to make a migration spreadsheet look complete.

Assign a decision to each address

Use four practical decisions: retain, redirect, consolidate or retire. A retained page keeps its address and purpose. A redirect points a changed address to the corresponding new page. A consolidation combines overlapping material into a useful destination. Retirement needs an explicit decision when no suitable replacement exists.

For example, if an old maintenance page becomes a more complete care page, a direct mapping can preserve the visitor's task. If an outdated offer has no replacement, redirecting it to an unrelated homepage can confuse the visitor. Record the reason, not just the technical rule.

Define destinations before writing rules

The new page should exist, answer the expected question and use the intended canonical URL. Check the scheme, hostname, capitalization and trailing-slash conventions. Avoid building a map against temporary staging addresses.

Ask who approves changes to commercially important pages. A developer can implement a redirect correctly while mapping it to the wrong service. Content and business review belong in the plan before the rules are activated.

Test the map in both directions

Request each important old address and confirm it reaches the intended destination. Look for loops, unnecessary intermediate hops and final pages that return errors. Then open the new page directly and test its navigation, media and inquiry link.

Use representative edge cases: an address with a query string, an old campaign link, an image URL and a page with an external backlink. Decide explicitly which parameters must be retained. Do not blindly carry a staging token or private information into a public destination.

Review the live release

Keep a copy of the approved map and the implementation date. After launch, repeat the checks on the production domain and review available search and error reports. New internal links should point directly to the destination rather than relying on redirects.

Google's site-move guidance is a reference for URL changes; it does not guarantee preserved rankings. Your acceptance criteria should include working destinations, documented exceptions and a recovery contact. For a scoped implementation, review StartMyWeb's migration service.

Reference: Google Search Central: site moves.