How to Build a Redirect Map Before a WordPress Website Rebuild

A redirect map protects useful journeys when URLs change. It is a decision document as well as a technical file: every old resource needs an agreed outcome, and somebody must verify that the implemented result matches it. Creating the map after launch leaves avoidable gaps.

Gather more than the visible navigation

Combine a crawl, XML sitemaps, WordPress exports, Search Console landing pages, analytics and known external links. Include historic service pages, posts, downloads, PDFs and meaningful media URLs. Check redirects already in use so old entry points are not lost during the rebuild.

Record the source and date of the inventory. Keep query parameters where they change the resource or journey, and distinguish them from tracking-only variants. Normalisation should make duplicates understandable without silently discarding meaningful URLs.

Give every source an explicit decision

Useful columns include old URL, current status, content purpose, evidence of value, proposed new URL, action, reason, owner and QA result. Mark retained URLs separately from changed, merged and removed resources.

Choose the closest genuine replacement for a moved page. A service guide should not be sent to an unrelated commercial page simply because it has traffic. If no suitable replacement exists, review an appropriate removal response instead of treating the homepage as a universal destination.

Plan implementation with the developer

Use appropriate permanent server-side redirects for genuine moves. Avoid unnecessary chains and loops, and ensure the target resolves successfully with the intended canonical and indexing settings. Update internal links, sitemaps and relevant references to the final URL.

Google's site-move guidance covers inventory, mapping, redirects and monitoring. The exact implementation may sit in the server, hosting platform or a maintained WordPress tool; record who controls it and how it is backed up.

Test a representative map before launch

For an illustrative rebuild, an old hotel guide moves to a new editorial URL, two overlapping service pages merge and an obsolete campaign has no replacement. Those are three different decisions. Test the original URLs from outside the editor and confirm the complete response path, not just the final page's appearance.

Include encoded characters, trailing-slash behaviour, old host variants and links to downloads where relevant. Check that a blanket rule has not intercepted a more specific mapping. Keep a record of exceptions rather than assuming one successful sample proves the entire file.

Verify the complete set after release

Run the agreed URL checks against production, confirm targets and inspect important pages in the browser. Monitor indexing, crawl errors and relevant search journeys over time. Keep the old URL inventory and redirect rules available for future changes.

This is one part of the broader website migration plan, alongside content, measurement and release settings. Our website redesign service can make the redirect decisions reviewable before the new site goes live.