Inventory
Map the current URLs
Identify important pages, existing redirects, indexed content and URLs with search or referral value before changing structure.
Mapping
Choose the destination
Decide which new URL replaces each important old URL instead of sending everything to the homepage.
Redirects
Use direct one-step redirects
Avoid long redirect chains and loops that add friction for users and crawlers.
Internal Links
Update the site itself
Change navigation and internal links to point directly to the new URLs rather than relying on redirects forever.
Canonicals
Confirm preferred URLs
Check that canonical tags point to the intended new pages after migration.
Verification
Review after launch
Crawl important paths, check sitemap output, test redirects and watch for unexpected 404s after the new structure is public.
