Before the build: record what exists
Export the current URL list and note important landing pages, known links and enquiry paths. Review Search Console and analytics where access is available. Save titles, descriptions and page content so the new version can be compared.
Mark each page as keep, improve, merge or remove. For a changed URL, identify the closest relevant destination. Avoid sending every removed page to the homepage: the homepage may not answer the original request.
- Inventory public URLs and useful assets
- Record important queries and landing pages
- Confirm access to hosting, DNS and analytics
- Map changes and redirect destinations
- Keep a restorable copy of the existing release
Before launch: test the release as a visitor
Check the new pages on a phone and desktop. Submit enquiries, open confirmation states, follow navigation and test download links. Verify that the public HTML contains the intended title, heading and content.
Check canonical URLs, robots directives and the sitemap. Staging restrictions must not accidentally remain on the live public site. Private account and document routes must keep their intended protections.
After launch: verify the live host
A build passing locally does not prove redirects and server rules work in production. Test old and new URLs on the actual domain, including HTTPS and your chosen www preference.
Monitor crawl errors, index coverage, important landing-page traffic and enquiry reporting. If a valuable page disappears, investigate the response, redirects and canonical signals before rewriting the content again.
Keep a release record with what changed and when. It helps separate the effects of the migration from later content work or tracking changes.
Common questions
Should all URLs change during a redesign?
No. Keep useful, accurate URLs where possible. Change them when the improved structure justifies the migration work.
Can a removed page return 404?
Yes. Where there is no relevant replacement, a proper not-found response can be more appropriate than an unrelated redirect.