Website redesign discussions quickly fill with layouts, colours and new copy. The old page addresses are easier to overlook. That becomes a problem when someone follows a saved bookmark, an old email or a link from another website and lands on an error page.
A website redirect plan records where each useful old address should send people after the new site goes live. It is not glamorous work, but it protects journeys that already exist and makes the launch much less frantic.
Start with a list of the old URLs
Build the list before pages are deleted or the old website is replaced. The current XML sitemap is a sensible starting point, but it may not contain everything. Add URLs found in the content management system, analytics, Search Console and server logs where those records are available. Check campaign emails, downloadable documents and business profiles too. They often contain links that nobody remembered were still in use.
For each URL, record the page title, its purpose and any evidence that people still visit it. A modest website can use a spreadsheet. Larger sites may need an export from the content management system and some help from a crawler. The format matters less than having one agreed list.
Give every old page a clear decision
Work through the inventory and choose what happens to each page:
- Keep the page and its existing URL.
- Keep the subject but move it to a new URL.
- Merge it into a stronger page covering the same need.
- Remove it because the information or service no longer exists.
Add the chosen new destination beside every page that is moving or merging. This old-to-new map becomes the build list for whoever configures the redirects, and the test list for launch day.
Send people to the closest useful replacement
An old service page should usually lead to the corresponding new service page, not the homepage. A blanket redirect to the homepage may avoid an obvious error screen, but it leaves the visitor wondering where the information went. Match the purpose of the old page as closely as the new structure allows.
If several thin pages become one thorough guide, each old URL can point to that guide. Record the reason for the decision so a reviewer can spot mismatches before launch.
Let genuinely removed content be removed
Sometimes there is no honest replacement. Redirecting a discontinued service or obsolete article to an unrelated page only creates confusion. Google’s guidance for site moves says URLs for content that is not being moved should return an HTTP 404 or 410 response. Agree these cases deliberately rather than treating every old address in the same way.
Keep a good URL when there is no reason to change it
A new page title, layout or design does not automatically require a new address. WordPress describes permalinks as the permanent URLs of posts, pages and archives. Existing links, bookmarks and references may depend on them.
Changing an awkward URL can be worthwhile when the page purpose has changed or the old structure no longer makes sense. Tidying every URL simply because the site is being redesigned creates work and risk without necessarily helping the visitor.
Prepare the redirects before launch
Do not leave the redirect file until the new website is already public. Configure it in the staging or launch plan, then test against the agreed map. Update internal links so the new site points directly to its final URLs rather than relying on redirects to tidy up its own navigation.
The new XML sitemap should contain the new URLs. Canonical references, buttons, menus and links inside page copy should also use the final addresses. If a domain is changing, the plan needs to cover the domain variants and any media or downloadable files that are moving as well.
Test the route, not merely the rule
A redirect can exist and still send people to the wrong place. Test the old address in a browser and confirm that it reaches the intended live page. Check a sample on mobile, test pages that were merged, and look for loops or several redirects chained together.
After launch, review not-found reports, analytics and Search Console for old URLs that were missed. Customer messages can reveal broken journeys too. Keep the inventory available so a newly discovered old link can be assigned to the right destination without guesswork.
Keep the redirects in place
Redirects are part of the new site’s operating setup, not temporary launch clutter. Google recommends keeping site-move redirects for as long as possible, generally for at least one year, and notes that keeping them indefinitely can still help users. Update important links you control, but remember that bookmarks, old documents and links on other websites may stay unchanged for years.
Put the redirect plan in the website brief
A redirect plan needs an owner, a deadline and a test method. Include it alongside content migration, form testing, backups and rollback arrangements. Our guide to deciding between a website redesign and a rebuild covers the wider project decision. Mighty Digital Studio also plans and builds WordPress websites for small businesses, with information structure and search foundations considered as part of the work.
If an existing site has years of pages and nobody is quite sure which links matter, begin with the inventory. It will show what can stay, what needs a new home and what the redesign must preserve. You can then tell us about the website with a much clearer picture of the job.