Guide
Migrate a business website with a URL and verification plan
A website migration needs an inventory of the existing site, a tested replacement and a plan for every URL that changes. Confirm domain access and integrations before switching traffic. After launch, verify the public pages, redirects, forms and search configuration. A new site that looks correct in preview is not enough to establish that the migration succeeded.
Migration verification sequence
Each old address needs an intentional outcome.
- 1
Inventory
URLs, assets, integrations and domain access.
- 2
Map
Keep, redirect to a relevant page or remove.
- 3
Test
Destination pages and contact delivery.
- 4
Switch and verify
Public redirects, sitemap and search monitoring.
Identify what is changing
A domain move, a platform change and a redesign can happen together, but each adds different work. Write down the current and future domain, the system serving each site and the person who controls DNS. Identify email records and other services using the domain. Do not replace unrelated domain records while connecting a website.
Create an old-to-new URL map
Export or list the existing URLs, including important landing pages and linked files. For each, decide whether the address stays the same, redirects to a relevant replacement or is intentionally removed. A service page should lead to the corresponding service, not automatically to the homepage. Google’s migration documentation recommends preparing a mapping and using appropriate permanent redirects for moved URLs.
Check the destination platform before committing
Confirm that the destination can implement your required URLs and redirect behavior. Workroom can build the replacement marketing pages, but do not assume every legacy platform feature or redirect rule transfers automatically. Test booking links, forms, downloadable files and tracking separately. If a necessary function is unsupported, resolve it before changing DNS rather than promising a later repair.
Run a launch checklist with a recovery owner
Keep a copy of the original content and configuration. On the replacement, check canonical URLs, mobile navigation, form delivery and indexability. Record who can restore the previous configuration if a critical problem appears. Schedule the change when that person is available. A registrar transfer is not the same operation as pointing an existing domain at new hosting.
Verify after the switch
Request the public URLs as a visitor. Check important old addresses, the final destination of redirects and whether the replacement contains the intended content. Submit a labeled form test and inspect the recipient’s result. Update the sitemap and monitor Search Console for crawl or indexing problems. Temporary search fluctuations can occur; a successful technical move is not a guarantee of unchanged rankings.