Website Migration Workflow
Estimated time: 20-30 minutes | Best for: Web developers, SEO managers, and site owners planning a domain change, CMS migration, or URL restructure
Prepare for a website migration in six steps. Clean up your URL lists, build redirect maps from old to new URLs, generate server-specific redirect rules (.htaccess and Nginx), verify the redirects work, and generate an updated XML sitemap — all with free tools.
Step-by-Step Tools
Bulk URL Cleaner
Deduplicate, sort, filter, and clean large lists of URLs for migration preparation.
Redirect Map Builder
Map old URLs to new URLs and build a structured redirect mapping table.
.htaccess Redirect Generator
Generate Apache .htaccess 301 redirect rules from your URL mapping.
Nginx Redirect Generator
Generate Nginx rewrite and redirect snippets from your URL mapping.
Redirect Checker
Verify your redirects are working correctly and confirm the right final destination.
XML Sitemap Generator
Generate a fresh XML sitemap listing all your new URLs for search engine submission.
How This Workflow Works
Website migrations are one of the riskiest SEO projects, but a well-prepared redirect plan minimizes traffic loss. This workflow starts by cleaning your URL inventory — removing duplicates, sorting, and ensuring a clean redirect base.
Once your URL list is clean, you build a structured redirect map matching old URLs to new URLs. The workflow then generates server-specific redirect rules — Apache .htaccess or Nginx server blocks — so you can deploy them directly. Steps 5 and 6 verify your redirects actually work and generate an updated sitemap for search engines.
All tools are free and browser-based. The URL cleaning, redirect mapping, and rule generation happen instantly in your browser. The Redirect Checker and XML Sitemap Generator run server-side checks to verify everything is correct. Plan for 20–30 minutes for a typical site with 50–200 URLs.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the biggest risk during a website migration?
The biggest risk is losing organic traffic due to broken or missing redirects. If old URLs return 404 errors instead of redirecting to the new equivalents, you lose both users and search rankings. This workflow ensures every old URL maps to a working new URL.
.htaccess vs Nginx — which redirect format should I generate?
It depends on your web server. Most shared hosting and cPanel servers use Apache (.htaccess). Many cloud servers and modern stacks use Nginx. Check with your hosting provider or run our CMS Detector to identify your stack, then generate the matching format.
How do I know my redirects are working correctly?
After deploying your redirect rules, use our Redirect Checker to test individual URLs. It shows the full redirect chain — from the old URL through any intermediate hops to the final destination — along with HTTP status codes. Test a sample of 10–20 URLs to verify the pattern.
Should I update the sitemap after migration?
Yes — always generate and submit a fresh XML sitemap after migration listing your new URLs. Our XML Sitemap Generator converts your new URL list into a properly formatted sitemap file ready for submission to Google Search Console.
Related Workflows
Continue improving your SEO with these related workflows.