Treat a relaunch as a controlled migration.
The visual redesign is only one part. Existing URLs, internal links, metadata, structured data, analytics and search visibility all need a migration plan.
This guide is written to support real implementation decisions rather than provide a generic checklist.
Key points to understand
Every important old URL should be assessed and mapped to the closest relevant new page instead of redirecting everything to the homepage.
Permanent redirects preserve navigation and transfer signals when URLs genuinely move to new locations.
Search Console, analytics, crawl checks and server responses help reveal migration problems quickly after launch.
Launch with checks and rollback awareness.
The safest relaunches have clear pre-launch validation and a short feedback loop immediately after deployment.
Before launchExport important existing URLs · Create redirect mapping · Validate metadata and canonicalsA signal that identifies the preferred URL for duplicate or similar content.More in the glossary · Test forms, trackingThe technical measurement of user actions and campaign outcomes.More in the glossary and mobile behaviour
After launchCrawl the new site · Check redirects and 404s · Submit and verify sitemapA machine-readable list of important URLs that can support crawlingAutomated retrieval of web pages by search-engine bots.More in the glossary.More in the glossary · Monitor Search Console and analytics