Before the new site goes live, account for the old one.

A redirect map is one part of a migration. This checklist helps a small agency turn that map into a review record with explicit decisions, owners, and verification evidence.

Start with the free redirect map checker. It checks supplied rules, not the live site. Complete the live checks below separately.

Download the review checklist

Start your mapping with the free redirect CSV template, or review a worked chain example.

1. Agree on the inventory

Collect old URLs from your crawler, sitemap, analytics landing pages, and server logs where available. Include valuable downloads and other indexed resources. Record the collection date and known gaps. A crawl alone can miss orphaned pages.

Keep URL identity consistent. A relative path and a full URL are different entries in MoveLedger. Preserve query strings if they affect page identity. Do not merge distinct hosts or strip slashes unless your platform’s behavior justifies it.

2. Record one decision for each old URL

• Keep: the URL and useful content still exist. No redirect may be needed.
• Redirect: a relevant replacement exists. Record the intended destination and status.
• Retire: there is no relevant replacement. Have the team review an appropriate 404 or 410 response.
• Investigate: ownership or destination remains unresolved. Assign an owner before launch.

Do not send unrelated retired pages to the homepage merely to make an audit green. A coverage warning is a question to answer, not proof that a redirect is required.

3. Review the rule graph

Check for duplicate sources, conflicting targets, self-redirects, loops, and chains. For each chain, verify the intended final page before shortening it. Prefix and regex rules need separate platform-specific tests; an exact-match CSV check cannot simulate them.

4. Test real responses

1. Apply the reviewed rules in the intended environment.
2. Use a crawler or HTTP checking tool to request old URLs and record status, hops, and final URL.
3. Verify final destinations return the expected content and HTTP status.
4. Check canonical tags, robots directives, internal links, sitemap URLs, and analytics.
5. Test important forms, purchases, and other user journeys with appropriate test data.

5. Make the launch decision explicit

Keep the original map, reviewed map, tool findings, live response results, and an exception list together. Record the reviewer, date, release identifier, unresolved issues, and rollback owner. Tool output is evidence for a decision; it is not approval.

6. Check again after launch

Watch crawl errors, important landing pages, indexing, and business conversion events. Define who checks them and when. Search visibility can fluctuate during a migration; do not promise that any checklist prevents all traffic loss.

Further reading

Google’s official site move guidance covers mapping, redirects, and post-move monitoring. Your hosting or CMS documentation is the authority on rule syntax and precedence.