Migrating a website is a complex process that can bring many benefits—improved performance, better design, updated content, and enhanced SEO. However, without careful planning, a migration can also result in broken links, lost traffic, and even a significant drop in search rankings. That’s why every successful project begins with a well-structured site migration checklist.
Whether you’re changing your CMS, moving to a new domain, redesigning your website, or updating your URL structure, this detailed site migration checklist will help you ensure nothing slips through the cracks.
What Is a Site Migration?
Before diving into the site migration checklist, let’s clarify what we mean by “site migration.” A site migration occurs when a website undergoes substantial changes that can affect its visibility in search engines. These changes may include:
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Moving to a new domain or subdomain
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Changing the URL structure
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Redesigning the layout or navigation
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Migrating to HTTPS
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Switching to a different hosting provider or CMS
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Consolidating content or restructuring the architecture
Because these changes can disrupt SEO and user experience, following a precise site migration checklist is essential.
Why You Need a Site Migration Checklist
A poorly executed migration can have serious consequences, including:
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Loss of organic traffic
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Decreased rankings on Google and Bing
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Broken links and 404 errors
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Damaged user experience
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Poor crawlability and indexability
A thorough site migration checklist acts as your roadmap for avoiding these pitfalls and ensuring a smooth transition without harming your SEO performance.
Phase 1: Pre-Migration Planning
The first section of your site migration checklist is all about preparation. Laying a solid foundation is key to a successful migration.
1. Benchmark Current Performance
Use Google Analytics and Google Search Console to record current metrics:
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Organic traffic
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Keyword rankings
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Top-performing pages
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Bounce rates
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Conversion paths
This data will help you evaluate the impact of your migration.
2. Crawl Your Current Site
Use tools like Screaming Frog, Ahrefs, or SEMrush to crawl your entire site and export:
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All current URLs
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Meta titles and descriptions
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H1 tags
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Canonical tags
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Redirect chains
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404 and 301 status codes
A site crawl is a core step in any site migration checklist because it helps you map every piece of content from old to new.
3. Create a URL Mapping Document
If you’re changing URLs, create a detailed map of all old URLs and their new destinations. This is essential for setting up 301 redirects later on.
4. Audit Your Content
Take this opportunity to evaluate your existing content. Remove outdated pages, merge duplicates, and identify content gaps. Content cleanup is a valuable yet often overlooked step in the site migration checklist.
5. Set Up a Staging Environment
Develop the new version of your site on a staging server. Make sure search engines can’t index it by blocking it via robots.txt or using noindex tags.
Phase 2: Technical Preparation
This stage of the site migration checklist is focused on getting your technical infrastructure ready for launch.
6. Set Up 301 Redirects
Implement 301 permanent redirects from old URLs to new URLs. These redirects preserve SEO value and ensure users reach the correct content after migration.
7. Update Internal Links
Check that all internal links are updated to point to the new URLs. Avoid creating redirect chains and broken links.
8. Prepare XML Sitemap
Generate a fresh XML sitemap with all the new URLs. Make sure it is clean, accurate, and ready to be submitted to search engines.
9. Review Canonical Tags
Update canonical tags to reflect new URLs and prevent duplicate content issues.
10. Update Robots.txt File
Ensure your robots.txt file allows search engines to crawl the important parts of your new site and blocks irrelevant or sensitive areas.
Phase 3: Migration Launch Day
When it’s time to go live, your site migration checklist should help ensure nothing critical is missed during the transition.
11. Perform a Final Pre-Launch Test
Test all page templates, forms, menus, media files, and scripts. Make sure everything looks and functions as expected on different devices and browsers.
12. Implement Redirects and Go Live
Push your site live and immediately implement all 301 redirects. Check that the redirects are functioning properly and that there are no loops or broken chains.
13. Unblock Crawling and Indexing
Remove any noindex tags or robots.txt blocks from your live site so search engines can begin indexing your new pages.
14. Submit Updated XML Sitemap
Submit the new sitemap to Google Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools. This helps search engines crawl and index the new content quickly.
Phase 4: Post-Migration Monitoring
Even after going live, your site migration checklist isn’t complete. Post-migration monitoring is just as critical.
15. Monitor Google Search Console
Use Google Search Console to monitor:
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Index coverage reports
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Crawl stats
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URL inspection tool
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Performance (clicks, impressions, CTR, average position)
Check frequently for crawl errors, indexing problems, or warnings.
16. Crawl the New Website
Perform a new site crawl to check for:
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Broken links (404 errors)
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Redirect chains or loops
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Missing metadata
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Canonical tag issues
Fix any technical SEO issues immediately to prevent long-term damage.
17. Check Analytics and Rankings
Compare your pre- and post-migration benchmarks. Keep a close eye on:
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Organic traffic
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Bounce rate
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Session duration
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Keyword rankings
Some fluctuation is normal, but large drops may signal deeper issues.
18. Update Backlinks Where Possible
Reach out to important backlink sources and request updates to the new URLs. Direct links are more SEO-efficient than redirected ones.
19. Test Forms, Search, and E-Commerce Functions
Make sure your lead generation forms, internal search, and checkout processes are all working correctly.
Final Step: Communicate and Document
20. Document the Process
Record each step of the migration and store it as an internal resource. This helps your team understand what was done and prepares you for future migrations.
21. Inform Stakeholders
Keep internal and external stakeholders informed about the migration, especially if they rely on your website for services or content.
Final Thoughts
A site migration doesn’t have to be risky or complicated—if you follow a detailed site migration checklist. Whether you’re migrating for performance, branding, or technical improvements, the key to success is preparation, execution, and ongoing monitoring.
From planning your redirect strategy to submitting your new sitemap, every step on this site migration checklist is designed to protect your SEO, preserve your traffic, and provide a seamless user experience. Skip a step, and you risk losing the digital equity you’ve spent years building.