Inventory what already exists

Collect the current pages and important downloadable files, then record their purpose and intended future. Include material reached through older menus or shared links, not just the homepage navigation. Identify pages with useful traffic or references and ask who owns their content. A simple inventory reveals whether a proposed redesign is preserving, improving, merging, or intentionally retiring each part of the existing site.

Map old addresses to relevant destinations

When URLs change, Google’s migration guidance recommends an explicit old-to-new mapping and appropriate permanent server-side redirects. Match each old page to its genuine successor where one exists. Avoid treating the homepage as the automatic destination for every removed topic. Where content has no replacement, choose the appropriate removal behaviour instead of implying that unrelated material answers the original request.

Update the references within the new site

Review internal links, canonical addresses, sitemaps, and any language annotations that the project uses. They should point to the intended final URLs. Check downloads and images as well as HTML pages. A functioning redirect can help an old incoming link, but it does not remove the need to update navigation and other references that the team directly controls.

Prepare an operational launch record

Write down who handles the release, who can resolve a hosting or domain issue, and how the previous working version can be recovered if necessary. Preserve approved source files and configuration securely. Use a short set of representative visitor journeys for the final review. If the site includes enquiries, verify the full receiving process rather than assuming an unchanged-looking form still reaches the right team.

Monitor after the visible launch

Check important old addresses, new pages, and any reported errors after release. Review indexing information and traffic with the understanding that a migration can cause temporary changes; do not promise an instant or guaranteed search outcome. Assign responsibility for maintaining redirects and responding to missed cases. A redesign is easier to evaluate when the team can distinguish a content change from a broken route or delivery problem.

From reading to doing

Put it into practice

  • Inventory current pages and important files.
  • Map changed URLs to relevant replacements.
  • Update navigation, canonicals, and sitemaps.
  • Assign launch, recovery, and monitoring owners.

Reference points: Google Search Central, “Site moves and migrations”; MDN Web Docs, “Redirections in HTTP.” Operational planning examples are editorial guidance; results depend on the actual site and implementation. Reviewed September 30, 2026.

General editorial guidance. Assess technical and professional requirements for the actual website, audience, and jurisdiction.