Website Migration Checklist: Moving Without the Mess

Migrating a website — to a new host, a new platform, or a rebuilt version — is one of those jobs that goes perfectly when planned and painfully when rushed. The risks are real: lost content, broken links, downtime, and SEO damage that takes months to recover from.

This checklist covers the essentials so a migration is a smooth handover rather than a stressful gamble.

Before you move

Start with a complete backup of everything — files, database, emails if relevant. Make a full record of the current setup, including DNS records, redirects, and any custom configuration, so nothing is lost in translation.

Map out your URLs. If addresses are changing, you need a plan for redirecting old links to new ones, or you will lose the SEO value built up over years and frustrate anyone following an old bookmark or search result.

During the move

Set the new site up fully and test it before you switch anything over. Check pages, forms, images, links, and any functions like booking or checkout. A staging copy or temporary address lets you confirm everything works before going live.

Plan the switch for a quiet time, lower your DNS settings in advance so the change propagates quickly, and keep the old site available until the new one is confirmed working. Never delete the old site the moment you launch the new one.

After you launch

Once live, test everything again on the real domain — caching and DNS quirks sometimes only show up at this stage. Confirm your redirects work, your SSL certificate is valid, and your contact forms reach your inbox.

Then watch closely. Check your analytics and search tools over the following weeks for broken links, missing pages, or traffic dips, and fix anything that surfaces. A migration is not finished at launch — it is finished once you have confirmed the new site is performing as well as the old one.