Website Migration Checklist for Smooth Transitions

Website Migration Checklist for Smooth Transitions

SEO Checklists
60 Items
Step-by-step website migration checklist to ensure seamless transition, proper redirects, testing, SEO preservation, and performance monitoring after launch.

Essential Steps for a Successful Website Migration

A successful website migration requires meticulous planning, technical preparation, and testing to maintain performance and SEO rankings. This comprehensive checklist guides you through every phase—from pre-migration audits and server setup to implementing redirects, testing user experience, and monitoring performance post-launch to ensure a flawless transition.

1. Pre-Migration Planning & Audit

1Define migration goals, scope, timeline, and roles
2Audit current site: content inventory, URL list, metadata, internal links
3Benchmark current performance: traffic, rankings, conversion, speed
4Audit backlink profile & top landing pages
5Create URL mapping / redirect plan (old → new URLs)
6Identify content that needs updating, removing, consolidating
7Review SEO elements (title tags, meta descriptions, heading structure, structured data)
8Check technical issues (broken links, duplicate content, crawlability)
9Prepare staging / test environment (mirror of production)
10Take full backups (files, database, assets)

2. Infrastructure & Environment Setup

1Choose / provision new hosting / server / environment
2Configure and test DNS, SSL / HTTPS setup
3Set up environment (PHP, database, dependencies, services)
4Configure CDN, caching, performance optimizations
5Migrate or install necessary plugins, integrations, API connections
6Set up email, forms, and back-end services (mail servers, transactional email)
7Install analytics, tracking scripts (GA, tag manager, etc.)
8Import assets (images, media, documents)
9Load initial content into staging (via import or copy)
10Disable indexing on staging (robots.txt, noindex)

3. Redirects, URL & SEO Migration

1Implement 301 redirects based on mapping plan
2Update internal links to point to new URLs
3Preserve canonical tags and hreflang (if applicable)
4Migrate meta titles, descriptions, heading tags, alt text
5Migrate structured data / schema markup
6Update XML sitemap and submit to search consoles
7Update robots.txt (disallow/include rules)
8Ensure URL consistency (trailing slash, case, www vs non-www)
9Handle pagination, faceted navigation, query strings properly
10Test redirects & check for redirect loops or chains

4. Functional & QA Testing

1Test all pages for correct rendering, styling, responsive design
2Test navigation, menus, links, buttons, forms
3Test login, registration, search, e-commerce flow (if applicable)
4Test media, image loading, video embeds
5Test on multiple browsers, devices, screen sizes
6Test site speed, performance, caching, TTFB
7Verify error pages (404, 500) behave correctly
8Check security settings: permissions, access, SSL, headers (HSTS, CSP)
9Test analytics, conversion tracking, event tracking
10Monitor server logs, error logs, and fix issues

5. Launch / Go-Live Steps

1Put site into maintenance mode / announce downtime (if needed)
2Switch DNS to new host (lower TTL before switch)
3Recheck SSL, certificates, HTTPS redirection
4Enable staging → production configuration
5Enable indexing (remove noindex, allow bots)
6Submit new sitemap to search engines
7Monitor 301 redirects and ensure they're functioning
8Monitor traffic, server performance, error logs
9Validate analytics, conversion tracking, funnels
10Communicate launch internally and externally as needed

6. Post-Migration Monitoring & Troubleshooting

1Crawl new site to detect broken links, 404s, redirect issues
2Monitor Google Search Console for indexing errors, coverage issues
3Monitor traffic and rankings vs benchmark
4Monitor site speed, Core Web Vitals, performance metrics
5Watch for drop in conversions or user engagement
6Fix errors (broken links, missing metadata, redirect loops)
7Request backlink update (ask important linking sites to update URLs)
8Update internal / external references to new URLs
9Document all changes and lessons learned
10Keep the old site / server for a fallback (for a safe period)
Checklist Progress0 of 60 items completed

0% complete - Ready to download!

Browse More Checklists

Related Checklists

Explore more checklists in the SEO Checklists category

SEO Audit Checklist | Boost Rankings Step-by-Step

Comprehensive SEO audit checklist covering crawlability, content optimization, performance, and technical SEO to improve search rankings.

100 Items
SEO Checklists

Ultimate Technical SEO Checklist 2025: Fix Errors & Improve Speed

Comprehensive technical SEO checklist covering crawlability, site architecture, performance, mobile optimization, security, structured data, and monitoring.

100 Items
SEO Checklists

Practical Local SEO Checklist for Visibility

Comprehensive local SEO checklist covering Google Business Profile optimization, local keywords, citations, reviews, and local search visibility.

100 Items
SEO Checklists

On-Page SEO Checklist: Complete Guide to Higher Rankings

Comprehensive on-page SEO optimization covering keywords, content, technical elements, and performance for improved search rankings.

100 Items
SEO Checklists

International SEO Checklist for Global Reach

Step-by-step international SEO checklist to optimize your website for global audiences with localization, hreflang tags, and multilingual strategy.

100 Items
SEO Checklists

Popular Categories

Most downloaded checklist categories

1

Audit Checklists

Ensure accuracy and compliance with audit checklists for business, finance, and safety. Organized tools for efficient auditing.

9 Downloads
6 Checklists
2

Assessment Checklists

Streamline evaluations with detailed assessment checklists. Ensure accuracy, consistency, and efficiency in academic, workplace, and project reviews.

4 Downloads
6 Checklists
3

Car Checklists

Find essential car checklists for maintenance, safety, road trips, and inspections. Stay prepared and keep your vehicle in top shape.

3 Downloads
6 Checklists
4

Planning Checklists

Get planning checklists for events, projects, and personal goals. Organize tasks and achieve success step by step.

2 Downloads
6 Checklists
5

Safety Checklists

Stay safe with checklists for workplace, home, and emergency preparedness. Reduce risks and stay ready for any situation.

2 Downloads
6 Checklists
6

Home Checklists

Explore home checklists for cleaning, organization, safety, and maintenance. Keep your home efficient, safe, and clutter-free.

1 Downloads
6 Checklists