Website Migration Checklist: 11 Steps for Success
Migrating a website involves moving it from one environment to another—whether that’s a new domain, server, CMS, or design upgrade. While website migration can improve site performance and SEO, it also carries risks like broken links, downtime, and lost search rankings. Without a structured plan, migration mistakes can cost traffic and revenue.
To ensure a smooth transition, follow this 11-step website migration checklist. This guide will help you plan, execute, and monitor your migration to avoid common pitfalls and maximize success.
1. Define the Scope and Objectives of the Migration
Before diving into technical tasks, define the reason for the migration and its scope. There are several types of migrations:
- Moving to a new domain
- Changing hosting providers or servers
- Switching to a new content management system (CMS)
- Redesigning or restructuring your site
- Moving from HTTP to HTTPS
Pro Tip: Clearly outline your goals—whether it’s improving site speed, SEO performance, or user experience. Having specific objectives will help you stay focused throughout the process.
2. Create a Complete Backup of Your Site
Before making any changes, back up your website to ensure you have a restore point in case anything goes wrong. Include:
- Databases
- Website files (HTML, CSS, images, etc.)
- CMS content, plugins, and themes
Pro Tip: Use automated backup tools like UpdraftPlus (for WordPress) or cPanel backups for other hosting platforms. Store your backup on the cloud or a local hard drive.
3. Crawl the Website for a Pre-Migration Audit
Conduct a full crawl of your website to create a snapshot of your current URLs, structure, and SEO performance. Use tools like Screaming Frog SEO Spider or Sitebulb to identify:
- Current URLs and metadata (titles, descriptions)
- Broken links or 404 errors
- Pages with the most traffic or backlinks
Pro Tip: Save this crawl report—it will serve as a reference for comparing the old site with the new version after migration.
4. Set Up a Temporary Staging Environment
Before making changes live, build a staging environment. This is a duplicate of your website where you can test the migration without disrupting users or search engines.
- Use your web host’s staging tools or a local development environment.
- Ensure the staging site is password-protected to prevent it from being indexed by Google.
Pro Tip: Test any design, code, or CMS changes here to spot issues early.
5. Create a 301 Redirect Plan
A critical part of any migration is setting up 301 redirects to ensure users and search engines are directed to the correct pages on the new site. A well-executed 301 redirect plan will:
- Transfer SEO value from old URLs to new ones.
- Prevent users from encountering 404 errors.
Pro Tip: Map out every old URL to its new version. If a one-to-one match isn’t possible, redirect old URLs to the most relevant page. Use tools like Redirection (WordPress plugin) or your web host’s redirect management tools.
6. Test the New Site for Performance and SEO Issues
Before going live, thoroughly test the new site for performance, user experience, and SEO issues.
- Check page speed with tools like Google PageSpeed Insights or GTmetrix.
- Ensure mobile-friendliness using Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test.
- Validate structured data with Google’s Rich Results Test.
- Test for broken internal links and ensure all 301 redirects work properly.
Pro Tip: Use SEO tools like Ahrefs or SEMrush to run an SEO audit on the new site and identify missing meta tags or broken pages.
7. Inform Stakeholders and Schedule the Migration During Off-Peak Hours
Website migrations often cause temporary downtime or glitches. Inform all relevant stakeholders—developers, marketers, SEO teams, and business owners—about the migration timeline.
- Schedule the migration during low-traffic periods to minimize disruptions.
- Have a communication plan in case anything goes wrong.
Pro Tip: Use a maintenance mode plugin (for WordPress) or a notification banner to inform visitors of any downtime.
8. Implement the Migration and Monitor in Real-Time
Once you’ve tested everything on the staging site, it’s time to make the migration live. This step includes:
- Switching DNS records if you’re migrating to a new host or domain.
- Publishing the new site and replacing old URLs with new ones.
- Implementing the 301 redirect plan to preserve traffic and SEO.
Pro Tip: Use monitoring tools like Pingdom to track uptime and ensure there’s no unexpected downtime during the migration.
9. Verify the New Site with Google Search Console
After the migration, update your Google Search Console account to ensure Google can crawl and index the new site.
- Submit your XML sitemap for the new site.
- Use the URL Inspection Tool to check if important pages are being indexed correctly.
- Monitor for crawl errors and fix any issues promptly.
Pro Tip: If you’re switching to HTTPS, update your Search Console property to reflect the new HTTPS version.
10. Monitor Traffic, Rankings, and Conversions Post-Migration
Monitor your site closely for the first few weeks after the migration. Look for any drops in traffic, keyword rankings, or conversions.
- Compare pre-migration and post-migration data using Google Analytics.
- Use Ahrefs or SEMrush to track keyword rankings.
- Identify any 404 errors or broken redirects and fix them immediately.
Pro Tip: Small fluctuations in traffic are normal after migration, but large, prolonged drops indicate deeper issues that need fixing.
11. Inform Search Engines and Update Backlinks
Once the migration is complete and stable, inform search engines and update external links.
- Reach out to websites with high-value backlinks to update URLs to the new site.
- Submit a change of address request in Google Search Console if you’ve migrated to a new domain.
- Update your business listings and social media profiles with the new URL.
Pro Tip: Use tools like Moz Link Explorer to find high-priority backlinks that need updating.
Conclusion
Website migration doesn’t have to be stressful—if you follow a structured process, you can migrate your site smoothly while minimizing downtime, SEO impact, and errors. From pre-migration audits and redirect planning to post-migration monitoring, every step in this checklist ensures that your migration is successful.
At DigitLeap, we’ve helped many businesses navigate complex website migrations. With careful planning and execution, you can maintain your traffic, rankings, and user experience throughout the process.
FAQs
1. How long does a website migration take?
The timeline varies based on the complexity of the migration but typically takes a few days to a couple of weeks, including planning and testing.
2. Will I lose SEO rankings after migration?
There may be temporary fluctuations in rankings, but with proper redirects and SEO monitoring, the impact should be minimal.
3. What is a 301 redirect, and why is it important?
A 301 redirect is a permanent redirect from one URL to another. It ensures SEO value is transferred to the new URL, preventing ranking drops.
4. When should I schedule a website migration?
It’s best to schedule migrations during off-peak hours or low-traffic periods to minimize disruptions for users.
5. What should I do if I notice a drop in traffic post-migration?
Check for broken links, missing redirects, or indexing issues. Use tools like Google Search Console and crawl reports to identify and fix any problems quickly.