Prepare a domain and URL migration
A migration changes the addresses readers and search engines use to reach content. Prepare mappings, links and checks before switching. The project needs decisions on removed content, merged pages and equivalent destinations.
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Inventory addresses
Collect URLs from the sitemap, internal links and pages known to monitoring tools. Include documents, important images and language variants. Give each old address a destination and a reason.
Do not redirect every address to the home page. Treat a removed page with no relevant replacement explicitly. A merger requires retaining useful information in the chosen destination.
Prepare consistent signals
On the destination, check titles, canonical URLs, language alternatives and internal links. A canonical still pointing to the old domain contradicts the migration. Check URLs embedded in structured data too.
Check indexing restrictions and robots files in the new environment. A useful staging block should not remain accidentally. Verify domain ownership in the relevant tools.
Validate redirects
Test permanent redirects to final destinations without unnecessary chains. Check status, content and language, including old URLs with parameters. A successful HTTP response does not prove topic continuity.
Prepare journeys and files to check immediately after switching. Identify who can correct a rule and who decides on rollback. Retain the old domain and redirects during the transition.
Monitor gaps after launch
Compare errors, crawled pages and incoming enquiries. Update the sitemap, navigation and external references you control. Separate migration effects from simultaneous content changes.
Avoid combining domain changes, restructuring and large removals without separate tracking. Record discrepancies by URL to prioritise repairs. Do not promise a fixed search-recovery deadline.
A record to keep with the decision
| Item | Evidence |
|---|---|
| Mapping | Old URL, destination, decision |
| Checks | Status, canonical, language and content |
| Switch | Owner, monitoring and rollback |
Frequently asked questions
Can everything redirect to a category?
Only where the destination genuinely meets the previous need. An approximate mapping can lose information and confuse visitors. Review important pages individually.
Reference material
The practical checklist is an editorial synthesis to adapt to your service. It does not constitute a certification or an audit result.