How to Audit Redirects Before and After a Website Migration

How to Audit Redirects Before and After a Website MigrationRedirects are one of the most important technical elements of a website migration because they connect old URLs with their new destinations. Incorrect redirects can create lost traffic, redirect chains, irrelevant destinations, and crawl problems. A structured audit should happen both before and after launch.

1. Build the Old URL InventoryExport URLs from the current website, XML sitemaps, analytics, Search Console, backlink tools, and historical crawls. Include important URLs that may not be actively linked today.

2. Create the Redirect MapMap each important old URL to the most relevant new destination. Prioritize pages with traffic, rankings, conversions, backlinks, and strategic importance.

3. Check Redirect Status CodesVerify that permanent URL changes use the appropriate permanent redirect mechanism. Avoid chains and unnecessary intermediate URLs.

4. Test Redirect DestinationsEvery redirect should lead to a valid, relevant page. Avoid redirecting unrelated content to the homepage simply because a direct replacement does not exist.

5. Identify Chains and LoopsRun automated tests to detect old URL → intermediate URL → final URL chains and redirect loops. Simplify chains so old URLs reach their final destinations efficiently.

6. Test Canonical and Internal LinksNew pages should generally use their final URLs in canonical tags and internal links. Continuing to link to redirected URLs creates unnecessary hops.

7. Audit After LaunchRun the same redirect tests against the live website immediately after migration. Compare results with the planned redirect map.

8. Check Search ConsoleMonitor indexing, crawl errors, pages receiving impressions, and other migration signals. Unexpected changes can reveal missing redirects or incorrect destinations.

9. Monitor Traffic and RankingsCompare important pages against the pre-migration baseline. Investigate declines alongside redirect errors rather than assuming every traffic change is caused by redirects.

10. Maintain the Redirect InventoryKeep a record of active redirects and review them during future migrations. This prevents multiple generations of redirect chains from accumulating.

Conclusion

A redirect audit should validate both the plan and the live implementation. Build a complete URL inventory, map relevant destinations, test status codes and chains, verify canonical and internal-link behavior, and monitor Search Console and organic performance after launch.