Create a web address plan
Give every old important web address a kept page, a direct route to a new page or a documented removal decision.
Before design work, record the current search surface.
- List every important web address and record its status, title and links
- Export reliable Search Console landing-page and query data where available
- Identify links from other websites and referrals using evidence you can actually access
- Map content that will stay, merge, move, noindex or be removed
- Document forms, available website data and the routes visitors take
Do not delete a page merely because its layout is dated. Decide whether its topic, links, traffic or customer value belongs in the new website.
Keep URLs unchanged when there is no meaningful reason to move them. That reduces both technical risk and unnecessary work.
Migration control
One map, one launch gate, one direct route.
Update the website
Use the final web address in navigation and links instead of sending visitors through old addresses.
Check the live site
Check pages, links, missing images, forms and important landing pages after release.
What a careful migration still cannot guarantee.
A clean migration reduces avoidable loss but cannot freeze rankings. Search systems re-evaluate content, competition and relevance, and an intentional content change can alter visibility.
Where historic account data is unavailable, state that limitation. A website review can still find migration risks, but it cannot recreate missing history.
Frequently asked questions
What to confirm before deciding.
Should every old URL redirect to the homepage?
No. That loses topic relevance and can behave like a soft 404. Redirect only to the closest genuinely useful replacement; otherwise use an honest removal response.
How long should redirects remain?
Keep important permanent redirects for as long as old links and references may be used. Do not remove them simply because a launch is no longer recent.