A redesign does not require every old web address to change. If an established service page still serves the same purpose, keeping its URL can preserve bookmarks, printed material and links from other sites. Where a page truly moves, a URL map gives the developer and owner a testable decision for each address. This is a planning template, not a recommendation to merge pages without evidence.
Make one decision for each important URL
Start with the existing site’s pages, posts, useful PDFs and campaign destinations. Add search, backlink or enquiry evidence where available. Mark each URL keep, improve in place, move to a relevant new page, or retire after review. Do not treat an old publication date or low views in a small dashboard table as sufficient reason to delete an article.
| Old URL | Current purpose and evidence | Decision | New relevant URL | Redirect and test |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| /services/ | Current service overview | Keep if its job remains | Same address | Page and enquiry path work |
| /old-boiler-repair/ | Illustrative former service page | Move if a true replacement exists | /boiler-repair/ | Permanent redirect to matching service |
| /outdated-event/ | Illustrative expired event | Review before retirement | Only if a relevant replacement exists | Record the chosen response |
The rows are examples, not real URLs from a client. A boiler-repair article should not be pushed to a generic homepage merely because the site’s design changed. Google recommends server-side permanent redirects, such as 301 or 308, for genuinely permanent moves and warns against routing many unrelated old URLs to an irrelevant destination.
Copy this row into your project spreadsheet
Old URL | Page purpose | Search/link/enquiry evidence | Keep / improve / move / retire | New URL | Redirect type | Internal links updated? | Mobile test | Desktop test | Owner
Check the launch, not just the redirect code
- Prefer unchanged URLs where the page’s identity is unchanged.
- For a real move, choose the closest useful destination and implement an appropriate permanent redirect.
- Update menus, in-body links and campaign links so visitors do not rely on redirects forever.
- Check the new page’s canonical URL and any accidental noindex rule.
- Test representative old addresses for the intended destination, then inspect the new page on phone and desktop. Check images, navigation and forms too.
- Monitor Search Console and server evidence after launch. Temporary search fluctuations are possible; do not promise rankings will be unchanged.
For the wider preparation, use our WordPress website launch checklist. If a Formby or nearby business needs a scoped redesign or migration plan, start at our web-design page and send the current-site details. Any actual consolidation of this site’s older articles still depends on query and link evidence.
Sources checked 19 September 2026: Google’s site-move guidance and redirect guidance.
