Website migration redirect map checklist

Before a developer installs redirects, review the proposed mapping of old URLs to new destinations. A tidy CSV makes decisions visible: which pages move, which stay, and which need a separate removal decision.

This checklist is for agency project leads reviewing literal URL maps. It separates problems you can find in a plan from problems you can only confirm once a server is configured.

1. Build the source inventory

Collect the old URLs relevant to your migration from your existing sitemap, an authorized site crawl and your own traffic or backlink records. Keep a copy outside this tool. A sitemap alone may miss older URLs that still receive visits.

Decide which URLs move and which remain at the same address. Do not create a redirect to the identical URL. Record intentional removals separately; an uncovered inventory URL is a review question, not automatically an error.

2. Prepare a redirect CSV

Use one proposed mapping per row with absolute HTTP(S) URLs. Redirect Preflight accepts old_url,new_url,status; status is optional and defaults to 301. The tool accepts permanent 301 and 308 redirects.

old_url,new_url,status
https://example.com/old-service,https://example.com/services,301
https://example.com/old-about,https://example.com/about,301

Download the two-row CSV template. Replace the synthetic example.com URLs with your own public URLs. Quote CSV fields that contain commas.

Preserve meaningful differences in path case, query strings and trailing slashes. This checker compares literal URL identities; it does not model your server's normalization rules, wildcard patterns or regular expressions.

3. Review the map before staging

• Conflicting destinations: one old URL points to different new URLs. Choose the intended destination before implementation.
• Self redirects: a URL redirects to itself. Remove the rule or choose the correct destination.
• Loops: following proposed rules returns to an earlier URL. Break the cycle and review any rules that lead into it.
• Chains: A points to B and B points to C. Review whether A can go directly to the intended final destination. Do not collapse a chain without checking that destination's meaning.
• Duplicates: the same mapping appears repeatedly. Remove redundant records so the handoff is easier to inspect.
• Inventory gaps: an old URL has no proposed rule. Confirm whether it remains unchanged, needs a redirect or is intentionally removed.

Check up to 100 mappings free →

The checker never fetches URLs. Use public or synthetic URL lists only. Its report cannot establish that a destination exists, is relevant or is indexable, and cannot guarantee a search ranking outcome.

4. Review exports with your developer

Download all findings to preserve the review trail. The nonblocking-map export omits invalid, conflicting and cyclic sources, including paths into those sources, and keeps identical sources once. Chains remain for manual review. A clean export is still a proposed plan, not a verified server configuration.

5. Verify on staging and after launch

Once redirects are implemented, check actual HTTP responses, final destinations and unexpected redirect chains with your developer or a live crawler. Review destination content, crawl access, canonical URLs, internal links and the new sitemap. Recheck important old URLs after launch and monitor indexing in Search Console.

For the wider migration process, use Google's official site-move guidance. Redirect planning is only one part of that process.

Common questions

Can I check a redirect map before the new site is live?

Yes. You can detect structural problems in the proposed CSV before staging exists. Live HTTP behavior and destination quality require later verification.

Will this generate the right destination for every page?

No. Bring an existing proposed map. A person familiar with the pages must decide whether each destination is appropriate.

What does the free checker include?

Up to 100 mapping records per run, full findings and CSV exports. The larger-map project pass is currently a Stripe test-mode experiment, not a live purchase.