Guide. Last reviewed 3 November 2026
Website migration SEO checklist
A safe website migration needs three phases. Before the move, benchmark your traffic, crawl every URL and map each old address to a new one. On launch day, set up permanent redirects and test them. Afterwards, monitor both sites, fix errors and keep the redirects for at least a year.
In this guide
- What is a website migration for SEO?
- Before you migrate: benchmarks, crawl and redirect map
- During the migration: launch day checks
- After the migration: monitoring and fixes
- Common website migration mistakes
- The checklist on one page
- What does a redirect map look like?
- When should you ask for help?
- Sources
- Website migration questions
What is a website migration for SEO?
A website migration is any change that alters how search engines find your pages. That includes a new domain, a new platform, a redesign that changes URLs, or a move from HTTP to HTTPS.
The risk is that Google loses track of pages that used to rank. Google advises that you change only one thing at a time and plan for temporary ranking changes.
Google also says that on a small to medium sized site, most pages can take a few weeks to move. Larger sites take longer, so plan for that period.
This checklist follows Google’s site move guidance and adds who does what. For help with a live project, see our SEO migration services.
Roles
Who does what in a website migration?
| Task | Owner | Phase |
|---|---|---|
| Benchmarks and URL list | SEO lead | Before |
| Redirect map | SEO lead, checked by developer | Before |
| New site build and staging | Developer | Before |
| Redirects, canonicals and sitemaps live | Developer | During |
| Launch checks | SEO lead and developer | During |
| Monitoring and fixes | SEO lead, with developer for fixes | After |
Before you migrate: benchmarks, crawl and redirect map
Most migration problems start before launch. Do the work in this order.
- Record your benchmarks. Export organic traffic, top landing pages and the keywords that bring visitors. You need these to judge the result afterwards.
- List every old URL. Google says to list them from sitemaps, server logs or your CMS. Crawl the live site as well to catch pages those sources miss.
- Build the redirect map. Map each old URL to the most relevant new page. Google warns against redirecting many old URLs to one irrelevant destination, and the home page is the usual offender.
- Build and test on staging. Keep staging out of search with a password or a noindex tag. Google states that robots.txt is not a way to keep a page out of Google.
- Carry over what ranks. Keep titles, headings, copy and internal links for pages that perform, unless you have a reason to change them.
- Update the details. Prepare canonical tags, hreflang annotations and internal links so they point to the new URLs.
- Verify Search Console. Verify the old and new sites, including all variants of the address.
- Choose the date. Pick a lower traffic period if you can. Google notes it crawls a new site more heavily after a migration, so check your server can cope.
During the migration: launch day checks
Google recommends server side permanent redirects where possible. Status codes 301 and 308 signal a permanent move.
- Switch on the 301 or 308 redirects from every old URL to its mapped destination.
- Test a sample of redirects, plus every high traffic page. Google says to avoid chaining redirects and to redirect straight to the final address.
- Remove any noindex tag or password that protected staging.
- Check robots.txt does not block the new site.
- Confirm canonical tags and hreflang annotations point to the new URLs.
- Update internal links so they do not rely on redirects.
- For an HTTPS move, confirm the TLS certificate is valid on every address.
- Submit the new sitemap in Search Console once the redirects are live, and keep the old sitemap until Google has processed the move.
- For a domain or subdomain change, submit a Change of Address for the old site. Google says you do not need it for HTTP to HTTPS moves, www changes or path changes within the same domain.
After the migration: monitoring and fixes
Launch is the middle of the project, not the end. Google advises you to monitor traffic on both old and new URLs.
- Check Search Console coverage and errors on both sites every few days at first.
- Compare organic traffic and top pages with your benchmarks, allowing for temporary dips.
- Fix 404 errors for pages that had links or traffic by adding the missing redirects.
- Crawl the new site again to find redirect chains, broken links and missing canonical tags.
- Check speed. Google’s Core Web Vitals targets are 2.5 seconds for main content, 200 milliseconds for interaction and 0.1 for layout shift.
- Keep the redirects for as long as possible. Google says generally at least one year.
Common website migration mistakes
- Sending everything to the home page. Redirects should match content, not just point somewhere.
- Leaving noindex on after launch. It is easy to forget when a staging setting carries over.
- Changing too much at once. A new domain, platform, design and URL structure together makes problems hard to trace.
- Blocking the new site in robots.txt. Check this on launch day, every time.
- Redirect chains. Old URL to a second old URL to the new URL slows crawling and loses clarity.
- Removing redirects too early. Old links keep arriving for a long time.
- Skipping benchmarks. Without them you cannot tell a normal dip from a real problem.
The checklist on one page
Work down this list in order and tick each item off as you go. It repeats the steps above in short form.
Before the move
- Export organic traffic, top landing pages and ranking keywords as benchmarks.
- List every old URL from sitemaps, server logs or your CMS, then crawl the live site to catch the rest.
- Map each old URL to the most relevant new page, not the home page.
- Build and test the new site on a staging copy that is kept out of search.
- Carry over titles, headings, copy and internal links for pages that rank.
- Prepare canonical tags, hreflang annotations and internal links that point to the new URLs.
- Verify the old and new sites in Search Console.
- Choose a lower traffic date and check your server can cope with extra crawling.
On launch day
- Switch on 301 or 308 redirects from every old URL to its mapped page.
- Test a sample of redirects and every high traffic page, and remove redirect chains.
- Remove any noindex tag or password left from staging.
- Check robots.txt does not block the new site.
- Confirm canonical tags and hreflang annotations are correct.
- Update internal links so they do not rely on redirects.
- For an HTTPS move, confirm the TLS certificate is valid on every address.
- Submit the new sitemap, and keep the old one until Google has processed the move.
- For a domain or subdomain change, submit a Change of Address for the old site.
After the move
- Check Search Console coverage and errors on both sites every few days at first.
- Compare organic traffic and top pages with your benchmarks.
- Add redirects for any 404 errors on pages that had links or traffic.
- Crawl the new site again for redirect chains, broken links and missing canonical tags.
- Check speed against the Core Web Vitals targets.
- Keep the redirects for as long as possible, generally at least one year.
Example
What does a redirect map look like?
A redirect map is a simple spreadsheet. Each old URL has one new destination and a note on why.
| Old URL | New URL | Status code | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| /services/web-design/ | /web-design-development/ | 301 | Same topic, new structure |
| /blog/old-post/ | /guides/new-guide/ | 301 | Content merged into a better page |
| /about-us/ | /about/ | 301 | Shorter address |
| /discontinued-product/ | /products/ | 301 | Closest remaining category, not the home page |
The URLs above are examples. Use your own list and check each destination matches the old page’s purpose.
When should you ask for help?
You can handle a small move yourself if the URL list is short and the structure stays similar. Ask for help when the risk grows.
- You are changing domain, platform and design at the same time.
- Your site has many pages, products or languages.
- Organic search brings in a large share of your enquiries or sales.
- You do not have a developer who can set up and test redirects on the server.
- A previous migration lost traffic and you do not know why.
A specialist can review your plan before launch, which is cheaper than fixing a loss afterwards. You can talk to our SEO migration team about reviewing your plan.
Sources
Every figure or rule on this page comes from a public page we opened and read. Last reviewed 3 November 2026.
- Google Search Central: Site move with URL changes, for the steps, redirects, sitemaps, Change of Address, timing and keeping redirects for at least a year.
- Google Search Central: Redirects and Google Search, for permanent server side redirects and status codes.
- Google Search Central: Introduction to robots.txt, for why robots.txt does not keep pages out of Google.
- web.dev: Web Vitals, for the Core Web Vitals thresholds.
FAQ
Website migration questions
What should be on a website migration SEO checklist?
Benchmarks, a full URL list, a redirect map, a tested staging site, permanent redirects, updated canonicals and sitemaps, and monitoring afterwards. The sections above give the order.
How long should I monitor a site after migrating?
Google says a small to medium site can take a few weeks for most pages to move, and larger sites take longer. Monitor closely for that period and keep checking after it.
Will I lose rankings after a migration?
Google tells site owners to plan for temporary ranking changes. A clean redirect map and unchanged content on key pages reduce the risk of a lasting loss.
What is a 301 redirect map?
It is a list that pairs every old URL with the new page that replaces it. A 301 is a permanent redirect, and the map decides where each one points.
Do I need to tell Google when I move my website?
For a change of domain or subdomain, yes, through the Change of Address tool in Search Console. You do not need it for HTTP to HTTPS, www or path changes within a domain.
Can I migrate my site myself?
Often yes, for a small site with a clear URL list, if you follow Google’s guidance and test properly. Ask for help if you change domain or platform, or have many URLs.
Related service
SEO migration services from Zemash
If you want a team to plan and run the move, see our SEO migration service. Budgeting a redesign too? Read our website redesign cost guide and learn what AI search optimisation is.
Last reviewed 3 November 2026. Written by Zemash Ltd.
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