How to map old website URLs before a redesign

A redirect map connects each changed address to a relevant destination. Build it before launch so customers following old links do not land on unrelated pages or lose useful information.

Collect the old addresses

Start with the current sitemap, page list and links on the site. Include useful downloads and other assets. Add traffic or backlink evidence if you have authorised access to it. Mark important enquiry pages so they receive attention even if the whole inventory is not yet complete.

Decide what happens to each page

Use four decisions: retain the address, move the page, combine its content or remove it without a replacement. Keeping a useful address can avoid unnecessary migration work. When content is combined, check that the destination still answers the original visitor's question.

Build a simple map

These paths are illustrative. Replace them with your actual inventory. Do not copy a general redirect pattern without checking how your host matches paths.

Implement relevant redirects

Google recommends server-side permanent redirects where appropriate, avoiding irrelevant homepage destinations and unnecessary chains. Ask the developer to document the rules and their platform-specific location. Never send every missing path to the homepage simply to hide errors.

Test the map after deployment

Open each important old address and verify the final destination. Have the developer check the response code and redirect chain as well as the rendered page. Update your own links to the final URLs so visitors do not need a redirect when moving around the new site.

Keep the map with the handover. If a later edit moves a destination again, review the original rules too. A spreadsheet marked “complete” is only a plan until the public redirects have been tested.

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