Website migration is complex process requiring careful planning, technical expertise, SEO preservation, and thorough testing. Research shows well-executed migrations maintain 90-95% of traffic and rankings, while poorly planned migrations can lose 30-50% of organic traffic. This comprehensive website migration guide provides 180 essential checklist items covering every aspect of successful migration from pre-migration planning through post-migration optimization.
Whether migrating domains, changing CMS, switching hosting, or redesigning completely, systematic approach prevents costly mistakes, preserves SEO value, minimizes downtime, and ensures smooth transition. Each checklist item addresses specific tasks proven critical for migration success through industry best practices and real-world experience.
Pre-migration planning establishes foundation for successful migration. Rushing into migration without thorough preparation is leading cause of migration failures and SEO disasters.
Define migration goals and objectives clearly. Are you improving performance, redesigning for better UX, changing platforms for better functionality, or migrating domains for better branding? Clear goals guide every decision and help measure success. Identify migration type: domain migration (changing URL), CMS migration (changing platform), platform migration (changing technology), or hosting migration (changing servers). Each type requires different approach and considerations.
Establish migration timeline and milestones with realistic deadlines. Build in buffer time for unexpected issues - research shows migrations with 20% buffer time have 40% fewer critical incidents. Assemble migration team and assign responsibilities: project manager, developer, designer, SEO specialist, content manager, and QA tester. Clear roles prevent tasks falling through cracks.
Set migration budget and allocate resources. Factor in hosting costs, developer fees, design services, tools and software, and contingency funds. Budget overruns common in migrations - allocate 15-20% contingency. Backup current website files and database completely. Full backup is safety net and mandatory before any migration work begins.
Content inventory ensures nothing gets lost during migration. Incomplete inventory leads to lost content, broken links, and frustrated users. Systematic documentation reveals scope and complexity.
Inventory all website pages and URLs. Use crawling tools like Screaming Frog or Sitebulb to generate complete URL list. Categorize pages by type: core pages, blog posts, product pages, landing pages, and administrative pages. Catalog images, videos, and media assets. Document file names, locations, and usage. Large sites have thousands of assets requiring careful tracking.
Document all blog posts and articles. Export content with metadata including publication dates, categories, tags, and authors. List product pages and e-commerce data including SKUs, prices, descriptions, images, and inventory. Identify user accounts and database structures - passwords, user roles, and order history all need migration.
Map existing content to new content structure. New CMS may organize content differently. Plan how each content type maps to new structure. Identify duplicate or outdated content for removal - migration is perfect opportunity to clean up. Document forms and submission data including form fields, validation rules, and stored submissions.
SEO preservation is critical during migration. Poorly executed migrations can destroy years of SEO work. Proper planning and execution preserves rankings, traffic, and link equity.
Crawl current site and generate complete URL list. This crawl becomes master list for redirects and mapping. Create 301 redirect mapping for all pages. 301 redirects tell search engines pages moved permanently and preserve 90-99% of link equity. Map old URLs to new URLs systematically.
Preserve meta titles and descriptions. These are critical for SEO and should migrate unchanged unless optimization is planned. Maintain heading structure (H1, H2, H3) - proper heading hierarchy helps SEO and accessibility. Document internal linking structure to recreate important link networks.
Identify and preserve backlink targets. Sites linking to your pages contribute SEO value. Ensure those links redirect properly to maintain link equity. Export Google Analytics data and goals - historical data provides baseline for comparison. Document Search Console performance data including rankings, impressions, and clicks.
Preserve structured data and schema markup. Rich results enhance SEO and user experience. Maintain XML sitemap structure - submit new sitemap to search engines post-migration. Document canonical URL configurations to prevent duplicate content issues.
Technical setup creates foundation for new site. Proper technical configuration ensures performance, security, and reliability. Rushing technical setup leads to performance issues and security vulnerabilities.
Set up new hosting environment and server. Choose hosting plan meeting performance requirements: shared hosting for small sites, VPS for growing sites, dedicated server for high-traffic sites. Configure domain DNS settings for migration - this step triggers actual migration to new server.
Install and configure new CMS or platform. Popular platforms include WordPress, Drupal, Shopify, and custom solutions. Configure database connections and credentials securely. Set up SSL certificate and HTTPS - modern security requirement and ranking factor. HTTPS encryption builds trust and protects data.
Set up email accounts and mail servers. Email continuity is critical for business. Configure CDN and caching solutions for performance. Install and configure necessary plugins or extensions - choose plugins carefully for security and compatibility.
Set up development and staging environments. Test thoroughly before production launch. Configure automated backup systems - regular backups protect against data loss. Set up monitoring and analytics tools to track performance and issues.
Content migration transfers all digital assets to new platform. Careful migration preserves content integrity, formatting, and relationships. Migrating content manually or with scripts requires attention to detail.
Migrate database content and user data. Database contains core site data: content, users, settings, and relationships. Export database carefully and import to new system. Transfer images, videos, and media assets. Large media libraries require careful organization and optimization.
Import pages and blog posts to new platform. Content management systems provide import/export tools. Use tools when available to save time. Migrate product data and e-commerce content including products, categories, prices, inventory, and images.
Preserve form submissions and collected data. User data may be critical for business operations. Recreate custom post types and taxonomies - new CMS requires matching content types. Implement content relationships and associations - linked content must maintain connections.
Verify all content migrated successfully. Random sample testing reveals missing or broken content. Check content formatting and layout integrity - different CMS may render content differently. Validate embedded media and external links - broken media and links frustrate users.
Testing and quality assurance catch issues before launch. Thorough testing prevents post-launch disasters, user frustration, and SEO damage. Testing must be comprehensive across all functionality.
Test all page links and navigation. Every link must work correctly. Verify 301 redirects are working correctly - use tools to test redirect chains and ensure proper destination. Test contact forms and submission process - form submissions should work and be received.
Validate e-commerce functionality and checkout process. Test shopping cart, payment processing, and order confirmation. Test user authentication and login - users must access accounts. Check website speed and performance - slow sites hurt user experience and SEO.
Verify mobile responsiveness across devices. Test on phones, tablets, and various screen sizes. Test cross-browser compatibility - Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge all render differently. Validate SEO elements and metadata - titles, descriptions, and alt tags must be present.
Test structured data and schema markup - use Google's Structured Data Testing Tool. Verify analytics tracking is functioning - data must flow to analytics platform. Test security features and SSL certificate - HTTPS must work correctly.
Launch execution is moment when migration becomes live. Careful execution minimizes downtime and issues. Follow established plan and be prepared to address problems immediately.
Execute final backup of old site - final safety net before going live. Switch DNS to point to new server - this triggers actual migration. Monitor DNS propagation across regions - global propagation takes 24-48 hours.
Verify website accessibility globally - different regions may see different DNS during propagation. Test website functionality post-launch - critical functionality must work immediately. Monitor server performance and error logs - watch for issues as users access new site.
Check analytics tracking and data flow - ensure data collection continues. Verify email delivery and notifications - email must not be interrupted. Test forms and user submissions - form submissions must be received.
Monitor search engine crawling and indexing - search engines need to discover new site. Address any immediate issues or errors - fix critical problems immediately. Confirm 301 redirects functioning properly - redirects are critical for SEO preservation.
Successful website migration transforms digital presence while preserving SEO value, maintaining functionality, and improving user experience. By following this comprehensive website migration checklist with 180 essential items, you approach migration with systematic approach ensuring success at every stage. Remember that thorough planning, careful execution, and diligent monitoring directly impact migration outcomes - research shows well-planned migrations with proper testing maintain 90-95% of traffic and rankings. For additional guidance, explore our website launch preparation guide, website design principles, SEO optimization strategies, and web development best practices.
Discover more helpful checklists from different categories that might interest you.
The following sources were referenced in the creation of this checklist: