Your website has moved. What happens to old links?

A business card, an old quotation, a bookmark or a search result may point directly to a product page. If it disappears during a redesign, the visitor does not automatically reach your new homepage.

Before switching, retain a list of important pages and match each to a relevant destination. An old service page will often need a new service page rather than an indiscriminate link to the homepage.

A planned route for returning visitors

That is where a redirect comes in: it tells a browser to visit another web page address (URL). Google distinguishes permanent redirects, including 301 and 308, from temporary ones, including 302 and 307. The choice also provides an indexing signal and should reflect the actual situation.

A redirect does not guarantee unchanged search rankings. It does not replace migration planning or checks on destination pages.

To make that route work on launch day, establish who maps the pages, installs the rules and maintains them, and for how long. If the domain changes too, the old one needs to remain under control to direct visits.

Treat website and email separately. Redirecting a web page does not forward email addressed to the old domain.

After the switch, open five important old links: a service, a product, a contact page, a printed link and a bookmark. Check the destination and whether the intended action still works.

Keep checking after launch. Customer feedback and errors reported by your tools may reveal links that were overlooked.