# Give each old link a sensible destination > Build a redirect map that connects each old URL to a relevant new page and checks links, assets, canonicals, and post-launch errors. Source: https://scayverstaging.1wp.site/resources/site-operations/redirect-mapping/ ![Two large white arrows painted on asphalt point in opposite left and right directions.](https://scayverstaging.1wp.site/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/sg-resources-146878-hero.webp) A redirect map tells browsers and search engines where an old URL should lead after a site changes. It also forces a content decision. [Talk to a Specialist](https://scayverstaging.1wp.site/talk-to-a-specialist/?form=book) [Every resource](https://scayverstaging.1wp.site/resources/) **Format** [Guide](https://scayverstaging.1wp.site/resources/type/guide/) **In this format** 92 ## Which URLs belong in the redirect map? Start with a current URL inventory from the CMS, sitemap, crawl, analytics, and link records. Include pages, product categories, important downloads, and media that people may access directly. Record each URL’s current status and purpose. Some old URLs are not visible in navigation but still receive search or referral traffic. Add the intended new route, redirect type, and reason. A simple table gives reviewers a way to catch a mistake before launch. Google advises [mapping old to new URLs](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/crawling-indexing/site-move-with-url-changes), updating internal links, and avoiding unrelated mass redirects during a site move. ## How do you choose a destination? If a page moved, the destination is usually the same page at its new address. If several pages were consolidated, the destination should answer the old visitor’s question. Sending every old URL to the homepage avoids the work but rarely helps the person who clicked the link. Ask what a visitor expected at the old address. A retired service page may point to an updated equivalent if the offer still exists. A discontinued product may point to a close replacement only if it truly serves the same need. If no relevant page exists, a clear not-found or gone response can be more honest than an unrelated redirect. Do not treat a category page as a universal replacement for specific articles or products. Someone following a link to a technical answer should not have to search a broad archive again. If content is consolidated, make sure the new page contains the substance that made the old link useful. ## What else needs to change? Update internal links so the new site points directly to the new URL. Review canonical references, XML sitemap entries, navigation, buttons, campaign links, and downloaded files. A redirect is a safety net for old links, not a reason to keep building new links through an avoidable hop. Test the map for loops and chains. Check a sample of high-value URLs from the old domain or path and confirm the final destination loads. Test on mobile and verify that important forms or product actions remain available there. If multiple site changes happen at once, preserve the map as evidence of why each route moved. ## What happens after launch? Watch not-found reports, search coverage, referrals, and conversion paths. New 404s may reveal old URLs the inventory missed. Review where those links came from before adding a redirect. A typo in an internal link should be fixed at the source. A genuinely retired page may not need a replacement. Assign an owner for the map and a review trigger when pages move again. Old rules should not accumulate into a hidden chain that future editors cannot understand. ## Draft the first ten rows of the map. Create the first ten rows with old URL, new destination, redirect reason, and reviewer. See [technical SEO](https://scayverstaging.1wp.site/services/optimization/technical-seo/) for the related service path. [Talk to a Specialist](https://scayverstaging.1wp.site/talk-to-a-specialist/) to make URL changes part of a planned migration rather than a launch-day surprise. [Explore the site-operations guides](https://scayverstaging.1wp.site/resources/site-operations/). Guides ## Guides beside Give each old link a sensible destination. 1. ### [Define the website before you price the build](https://scayverstaging.1wp.site/resources/site-operations/website-requirements-checklist/) Site operations · 4 min read 2. ### [Choose a CMS around the work your team does](https://scayverstaging.1wp.site/resources/site-operations/choosing-a-cms/) Site operations · 3 min read 3. ### [Use the smallest build that solves the real problem](https://scayverstaging.1wp.site/resources/site-operations/plugin-vs-custom-development/) 4. ### [Map the handoff between tools before you automate it](https://scayverstaging.1wp.site/resources/site-operations/integration-data-map/) 5. ### [Check the dependency before it becomes invisible](https://scayverstaging.1wp.site/resources/site-operations/api-vendor-due-diligence/) 6. ### [Plan checkout as a business process, not a button](https://scayverstaging.1wp.site/resources/site-operations/checkout-flow-planning/) 7. ### [Give the product catalog a structure that can grow](https://scayverstaging.1wp.site/resources/site-operations/ecommerce-catalog-structure/) 8. ### [Decide the order rules before you configure checkout](https://scayverstaging.1wp.site/resources/site-operations/shipping-and-tax-workflow/) 9. ### [Make the return path clear before someone needs it](https://scayverstaging.1wp.site/resources/site-operations/returns-content-structure/) 10. ### [Define access rules before the member dashboard](https://scayverstaging.1wp.site/resources/site-operations/membership-access-model/) 11. ### [Design the learning workflow before choosing the LMS](https://scayverstaging.1wp.site/resources/site-operations/lms-delivery-requirements/) 12. ### [Ask for what the appointment actually needs](https://scayverstaging.1wp.site/resources/site-operations/appointment-booking-fields/) 13. ### [Make website leads usable inside the CRM](https://scayverstaging.1wp.site/resources/site-operations/crm-field-mapping/) 14. ### [Stop form spam without punishing real visitors](https://scayverstaging.1wp.site/resources/site-operations/form-spam-and-privacy/) 15. ### [Every automation needs an owner when it stops](https://scayverstaging.1wp.site/resources/site-operations/automation-failure-handling/) 16. ### [Give the chatbot a smaller, trustworthy job](https://scayverstaging.1wp.site/resources/site-operations/ai-chatbot-knowledge-boundaries/) 17. ### [The handoff is part of the answer](https://scayverstaging.1wp.site/resources/site-operations/ai-human-handoff/) 18. ### [Name the action before you tag the button](https://scayverstaging.1wp.site/resources/site-operations/analytics-event-naming/) 19. ### [Test the conversion, not just the dashboard](https://scayverstaging.1wp.site/resources/site-operations/conversion-event-validation/) 20. ### [Make measurement follow the choice a visitor makes](https://scayverstaging.1wp.site/resources/site-operations/consent-and-analytics-planning/) 21. ### [Spend page weight on things visitors can use](https://scayverstaging.1wp.site/resources/site-operations/website-performance-budget/) 22. ### [Accessibility continues every time someone publishes](https://scayverstaging.1wp.site/resources/site-operations/accessibility-content-operations/) 23. ### [Test the backup before you need it](https://scayverstaging.1wp.site/resources/site-operations/backup-restore-drill/) 24. ### [Update the plugin, then prove the journey still works](https://scayverstaging.1wp.site/resources/site-operations/plugin-update-staging/) 25. ### [An alert needs a person and a next action](https://scayverstaging.1wp.site/resources/site-operations/monitoring-ownership/) 26. ### [Know what ongoing website care actually covers](https://scayverstaging.1wp.site/resources/site-operations/website-care-scope/) 27. ### [Keep the domain and its connected services in view](https://scayverstaging.1wp.site/resources/site-operations/domain-dns-transfer/) 28. ### [Decide what to carry before you rebuild](https://scayverstaging.1wp.site/resources/site-operations/content-migration-inventory/) 29. ### [Decide how to reverse a bad launch before launch day](https://scayverstaging.1wp.site/resources/site-operations/website-launch-rollback/) No other guides in this group yet. Keep reading ## Read after Give each old link a sensible destination. The rest of the resources, newest first. - [2 July 2026 Customer Persona Worksheet](https://scayverstaging.1wp.site/resources/customer-persona-worksheet/) - [2 July 2026 The Social Content Sprint Playbook](https://scayverstaging.1wp.site/resources/the-social-content-sprint-playbook/) - [2 July 2026 AI Prompt Pack for Blog Post Outlines](https://scayverstaging.1wp.site/resources/ai-prompt-pack-for-blog-post-outlines/) - [2 July 2026 Email Welcome Sequence Template](https://scayverstaging.1wp.site/resources/email-welcome-sequence-template/) - [2 July 2026 Website Pre Handoff QA Checklist](https://scayverstaging.1wp.site/resources/website-pre-handoff-qa-checklist/) - [2 July 2026 The SEO Content Audit Guide](https://scayverstaging.1wp.site/resources/the-seo-content-audit-guide/) - [2 July 2026 Positioning Statement Worksheet](https://scayverstaging.1wp.site/resources/positioning-statement-worksheet/) - [2 July 2026 The Client Onboarding Playbook](https://scayverstaging.1wp.site/resources/the-client-onboarding-playbook/) - [2 July 2026 AI Prompt Pack for Ad Headline Variations](https://scayverstaging.1wp.site/resources/ai-prompt-pack-for-ad-headline-variations/) - [2 July 2026 The One Page Creative Brief Template](https://scayverstaging.1wp.site/resources/the-one-page-creative-brief-template/) - [2 July 2026 Brand Launch Readiness Checklist](https://scayverstaging.1wp.site/resources/brand-launch-readiness-checklist/) - [2 July 2026 The Landing Page Teardown Guide](https://scayverstaging.1wp.site/resources/the-landing-page-teardown-guide/)