Keep a useful URL when the redesigned page still serves the same purpose. If the address must change, map the old URL directly to the best equivalent. If a page is gone and there is no relevant replacement, let it return a genuine 404 or 410. Make these decisions before launch, while you can still compare the two sites.
Start with the pages people already use
A redesign often changes navigation labels, page titles and section structure. Those changes do not automatically require a new URL. If a consulting page has a clear address and still explains the same service, keeping that address avoids creating a redirect and preserves familiar links. Conversely, a new page with a similar title may serve a different audience. Compare the job each page does before pairing them.
Build the old URL list from the current sitemap and CMS, then add priority pages found in Search Console, analytics, linked PDFs and external links if those sources are available. Flag pages with recorded enquiries, search traffic or links. If those measurements are missing, start with the main customer routes and record what you cannot assess.
Give every old address a decision
A simple mapping sheet needs the old address, its purpose and language, the proposed destination, the decision and the person responsible for checking it. Add a test result after launch. Separate the redirect decision from the evidence that the redirect actually works.
Imagine a consultancy with three changes. The old /services/audit/ page is still the audit offer, so keep it if possible. If the same offer moves to /website-audit/, point the old address directly there. A retired event with no replacement can return 404 or 410. If two old guides have been substantively combined, both can point to the combined guide if it still answers each original question.
Check the destination from a visitor’s point of view
Open the new page and ask whether someone following the old link will find what they expected. A generic homepage is a poor substitute for a specific service or download. For multilingual sites, pair each old URL with its equivalent in the same language where available, and review exceptions individually. Update menus and contextual links to point to the final address directly.
Agree on a launch test you can repeat
Take a sample from every decision type. For a permanent move, check that the old URL returns a permanent redirect, ordinarily 301 or 308, and that the destination loads without another hop. For a retained page, confirm it still loads at the old address. For a removed page, check the actual response code even if a friendly error template appears. Review priority destinations for the intended canonical, robots directives and sitemap inclusion.
After launch, compare the redirect map with what is actually served. Recheck important URLs linked from old brochures or profiles. Use Search Console for follow-up once data is available, and record crawl or visibility changes with dates. For a path-only redesign on the same domain, Google’s Change of Address tool is unnecessary.
If a redesign is planned, bring your priority old URLs and language versions to the planning conversation. The mapping is easier to agree when you decide which content the redesign keeps, combines or removes. Explore website redesign support.
Sources
Google Search Central site-move guide and Google’s redirect documentation.
