Preserving search traffic during a redesign: a redirect checklist

A new design is exciting, but changing URL structures can quickly affect search visibility. This checklist helps make the transition safer.

Inventory your old URLs

Export all existing page addresses into a spreadsheet. Pages with the most clicks in your search console deserve the highest priority.

Find a destination for each old URL

Put the new URL in the second column. Merged pages can point to the closest topic, while removed pages can point to a relevant parent category. Avoid redirecting everything to the homepage.

Use permanent redirects

Use 301 permanent redirects for moved pages. Keep redirect chains short: each old URL should go straight to its final destination.

Launch-day checks

• Update your sitemap and submit it to the search console
• Check that robots.txt does not block the new site
• Check canonical tags and page titles
• Test a sample of old URLs individually

The first two weeks

Monitor crawl errors and 404 reports daily in the search console. Add redirects for any addresses you missed.

This article is for general information and does not replace legal or financial advice.