301 Redirect Map & Chain Cleanup Template

Redirect Chain Cleanup Sheet (fill-in)

When to use: One row per chained source URL: hops, final URL, desired destination, the rule to change and the QA result.

Redirect chain cleanup sheet

Sources for the list: a site crawl, your server or CDN redirect rules, URLs with backlinks, and old URLs that still get hits in your logs. Trace each one hop by hop.

Rules for each row

• Point the source straight to the desired destination with one 301 or 308.
• If the final URL is wrong (a 404, the homepage, a temporary 302), fix the destination, don't just shorten the chain.
• Mark loops separately. They never reach a page and need fixing first.
• Update internal links, canonicals and sitemaps to the final URL so they skip redirects entirely.

Completion check: every row retested at 1 hop ending in 200, no loops, internal links updated, and the date of the next crawl set: [date].

Domain Migration Redirect Map (Old URL → New URL)

When to use: Moving to a new domain and need every old URL pointed at its exact match on the new site.

Domain Migration Redirect Map

When you move domains, every indexed old URL must point to its closest equivalent on the new domain with a single 301 (permanent) redirect. Google treats 301 and 308 as permanent, so the new URL is shown in results.

302, 303 and 307 are temporary and shouldn't be used for a permanent move. Don't blanket-redirect everything to the homepage: Google may treat that as a soft 404.

Build your map as old→new pairs:

• Old URL: [https://old-domain.com/services] → New URL: [https://new-domain.com/services]
• Old URL: [https://old-domain.com/blog/post-a] → New URL: [https://new-domain.com/blog/post-a]
• Redirect type: [301]
• Status check: [200 OK at destination]

Point each redirect straight at the final live URL so there are no chains or loops, and update internal links to the new domain rather than relying on the redirects.

HTTP→HTTPS & www/non-www Consolidation

When to use: Forcing one canonical protocol and host so duplicate versions of your site collapse into a single address.

HTTP→HTTPS & www/non-www Consolidation

A site is often reachable at up to four addresses (http/https and www/non-www) which splits signals across duplicates.

Pick one canonical version and 301 the other three to it so all authority consolidates on a single host and protocol.

Map each non-canonical variant to your chosen canonical:

• Old URL: [http://example.com/page] → New URL: [https://www.example.com/page]
• Old URL: [https://example.com/page] → New URL: [https://www.example.com/page]
• Old URL: [http://www.example.com/page] → New URL: [https://www.example.com/page]

Configure this as a single server-level rule that forces the canonical host and protocol in one hop (paired with HSTS) rather than maintaining four separate path redirects.

Each URL must still land on its matching page, not the homepage, and avoid http→https→www style chains. Then update your sitemap, canonical tags, and internal links to use the canonical URLs directly.

Consolidating Duplicate or Thin Pages (Merge Then Redirect)

When to use: Merging several overlapping or thin pages into one strong page and redirecting the rest.

Consolidating Duplicate or Thin Pages

When multiple pages compete for the same topic or are too thin to rank, merge their useful content into one authoritative page, then 301 the retired URLs to that survivor.

This concentrates ranking signals instead of splitting them.

Decide which URL survives, then map the rest to it:

• Survivor URL: [/guides/email-marketing]
• Old URL: [/blog/email-tips] → New URL: [/guides/email-marketing]
• Old URL: [/blog/email-basics] → New URL: [/guides/email-marketing]

Each redirected page should land on the single most relevant section of the survivor, not a generic hub or the homepage.

Move any unique content and useful links into the survivor before retiring the source pages, and update internal links that pointed at the old URLs so they reference the survivor directly.

Retiring or Removing Pages (301 vs 410 Decision)

When to use: Deciding, page by page, whether to redirect a removed page or let it return gone.

Retiring or Removing Pages (301 vs 410)

Not every removed page deserves a redirect. Use a 301 when a close equivalent exists and you want to preserve its signals.

Use 410 Gone (or 404) when the page is genuinely gone with no replacement: redirecting it to an unrelated page or the homepage creates a soft 404.

Make the call for each URL:

• Old URL: [/promo/spring-sale] → Decision: [301] → Target: [/sales]
• Old URL: [/event/2019-webinar] → Decision: [410 Gone] → Target: [none]

Ask: does a relevant equivalent exist? If yes, 301 to it. If no, return 410 so the page is dropped cleanly. Always send the redirect to the closest match in one hop, and remove internal links pointing at any 410'd URLs.

Site Restructure / URL Change Map

When to use: Reorganizing your URL structure or folders while keeping the same domain.

Site Restructure / URL Change Map

Restructuring folders, slugs, or your URL hierarchy on the same domain still breaks every old URL. Map each changed path to its new location with a 301 so rankings and backlinks follow the content to its new address.

Capture old→new pairs for every changed URL:

• Old URL: [/products/widget] → New URL: [/shop/widgets/widget]
• Old URL: [/category/news] → New URL: [/blog/news]
• Redirect type: [301]

Map to the specific equivalent page, not a parent category or the homepage. If a page moved twice during planning, redirect the original old URL straight to the final URL so you avoid chains and loops.

Regenerate your XML sitemap with the new URLs and update internal links, navigation, and canonical tags to point at the new paths directly.

Post-Launch Redirect QA Checklist

When to use: Verifying every redirect actually works the day a URL change or migration goes live.

Post-Launch Redirect QA Checklist

Redirects are only as good as their testing. After launch, crawl your old→new map and confirm each rule behaves before you trust it with your rankings.

Check each redirect against these criteria:

• Old URL: [/old-path] → Returns: [301]
• Lands on: [/new-path] → Final status: [200 OK]
• Hops: [1] → Chain/loop: [none]

Confirm the status code is 301 or 308 (not 302/307), the destination returns 200, and each redirect resolves in a single hop with no chains or loops.

Keep the redirects live for at least a year; Google's site move guide suggests as long as possible. Verify no important page lands on the homepage as a soft 404.

Finally, submit the new sitemap, watch coverage reports for errors, and fix any internal links still pointing at old URLs.

Worked Example (fictional bakery chain)

When to use: A filled-in cleanup for an invented bakery site that moved to HTTPS and then changed its blog path.

Worked example: Crumb Street

Example only. The company, people, URLs and figures are invented to show what a usable, filled-in version looks like.

Why the last row isn't a redirect

The job ad is gone and nothing replaces it. Sending it to the homepage looks tidy but Google may read it as a soft 404. A clean 410 is the honest answer.

Next step

Paste each source into the Redirect Checker to see every hop, status code and loop, and export the trace for the ticket. Use the Backlink Analyzer to put old URLs with external links at the top of the list.

After the rules ship, run a website audit and regenerate your sitemap with the XML Sitemap Generator. Planning a full migration? Our SEO & GEO services team can own the redirect plan.