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Freedom251 › Blog › 301 redirects

How to Set Up 301 Redirects for a Domain Migration

By Freedom251 Team · · 11 min read

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For a permanent move to a new domain, create a complete old-to-new URL map, serve a direct server-side 301 (or 308) from every old URL to its most relevant new equivalent, test the responses, submit the move in Google Search Console, and keep the redirects active for at least one year. A domain migration is different from changing hosts while keeping the same URLs, and treating those two projects alike can create avoidable crawling and indexing problems.

What a 301 redirect does in a domain migration

A 301 tells browsers, crawlers and search engines that a URL has moved permanently. Google also recognizes 308 as a permanent redirect. A 302 or 307 indicates a temporary move, so the old URL may remain eligible to appear in search results. Use a permanent response only when the move is genuinely permanent; use a temporary response when you expect to move back or change the destination later. Google’s guidance is explained in Redirects and Google Search.

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A redirect is a signal, not a guarantee that rankings will remain unchanged or that every URL will switch instantly. Processing time depends on the number of URLs and server speed, and Google warns that visibility can fluctuate temporarily during a move. Small-to-medium sites may see most pages move in a few weeks; larger sites generally take longer.

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Domain migration versus a hosting-only change

If visitors will see a different domain, subdomain, protocol or path, you are performing a URL move. Google’s URL-change guidance covers domain and subdomain changes, HTTP-to-HTTPS changes and path changes. If the domain and visible URLs stay exactly the same and only the hosting infrastructure changes, do not create domain redirects. Instead, prepare and test the new infrastructure, change DNS, monitor both hosts, and retire the old host only after the new one serves users and Googlebot correctly. See Changing Your Web Hosting and SEO.

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Choose the migration shape before changing DNS

Write down what is changing and what is not. This decision determines whether one broad rule is safe or whether every URL needs an explicit mapping.

Migration type Typical redirect approach Important checks
New domain, identical paths A domain-wide rule can preserve each path and query string when the platform supports it. Confirm that every old path has a meaningful equivalent on the new host; test representative URLs, parameters and trailing-slash variants.
New domain plus changed paths Use individual mappings or tightly defined patterns based on a URL inventory. Check renamed directories, file extensions, pagination, language folders and parameter handling.
Content consolidation Redirect each retired page to the closest surviving page, not automatically to the home page. Pages with no replacement should return a real 404 or 410 response.
Hosting change with no URL change No URL migration redirects are needed. Test the new host, DNS, TLS, robots.txt and Googlebot access before shutting down the old host.

Google recommends simultaneous moves for small and medium sites. A large site may be moved in sections so that crawling, errors and traffic can be monitored and corrected in stages. Whichever approach you choose, keep the URL rules and launch timing documented.

Prepare the new site before launch

Build and test the destination site before redirecting production traffic. The new pages should be complete enough for users and crawlers to follow the move without encountering temporary launch controls.

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  • Transfer the page content and hosted resources that are meant to remain available.
  • Install and test the TLS certificate if the new site uses HTTPS.
  • Confirm that the new site’s robots.txt permits intended crawling.
  • Find temporary noindex directives, password protection and crawl blocks used during development; remove them when the migration starts.
  • Set canonical annotations on the new pages so they point to the new URLs, not the old domain.
  • Verify the relevant old and new properties in Search Console, including HTTP/HTTPS and www/non-www variants that exist for the move.
  • Prepare a new XML sitemap containing the canonical new URLs.

Do not make the old site inaccessible before redirects are active. Google needs to recrawl the old URLs and receive the permanent responses.

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Build an old-to-new URL map

Create a table before writing redirect rules. At minimum, include the old URL, its intended new URL and the expected response. Add columns for status code, redirect pattern, owner, test result and launch notes if several teams will be involved.

Find the URLs that matter

Start the inventory with every available source:

  • Current and historical XML sitemaps.
  • Search Console data, including indexed pages and links that receive impressions.
  • Analytics landing-page reports.
  • Server logs showing requests and crawler activity.
  • Known high-value inbound links and bookmarked URLs.
  • Important assets or endpoints that users request directly.

Include URL variants that can behave differently: uppercase and lowercase paths, trailing slashes, extensions, query strings, language directories, mobile subdomains and old campaign URLs. Deduplicate the list, then classify each row.

Assign one of three outcomes

  1. Redirect to a replacement: Send the old URL to the closest equivalent page on the new domain.
  2. Redirect by a verified pattern: Use a wildcard or regular-expression rule only when the path relationship is consistent and tested.
  3. Return 404 or 410: Use a real not-found or gone response when content was removed and no relevant replacement exists.

Do not send a large group of unrelated pages to the new home page. Google says this can confuse users and may be treated as a soft 404. Its migration guidance specifically warns: "Don’t redirect many old URLs to one irrelevant single URL destination, such as the home page of the new site." Read the related troubleshooting advice in Troubleshoot Google Search Crawling Errors.

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Select the implementation point and status code

Use a server-side permanent redirect whenever the environment permits it. Server configuration, a reverse proxy, a CMS routing layer or a server-side script can issue the response. Google’s documentation discusses Apache configuration or rewrite rules, NGINX configuration and server-side PHP examples; those examples are syntax illustrations, not universal drop-in rules. The correct expression depends on the old and new hostnames, path structure, query-string policy and platform.

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Response Use it when Migration implication
301 Moved Permanently The URL has permanently moved. Preferred permanent signal for most migrations.
308 Permanent Redirect The URL has permanently moved and your stack supports 308 correctly. Also recognized by Google as permanent; test client and server compatibility.
302 Found The destination is temporary. May leave the original URL eligible in search results.
307 Temporary Redirect The destination is temporary and method preservation matters. Temporary signal; not a substitute for a permanent migration redirect.

Ask your server administrator or hosting company which layer should own the rule and which syntax is supported. Keep the redirect as close to the old request as possible so it can return a direct response without application errors or an unnecessary chain.

Implement direct redirects that match the map

For a path-preserving domain move

If old.example and new.example use the same paths, a host-level rule may send each request to the same path on the new domain. Before enabling a wildcard rule, verify that the destination site contains corresponding pages and decide whether query strings should be retained, rewritten or discarded. A broad rule that preserves paths blindly can create thousands of irrelevant destinations if the new information architecture differs.

For changed paths or consolidated content

Create explicit rules or narrowly scoped patterns from the URL map. Redirect an old product, article or directory to its direct successor. When several old pages are merged, choose the one new page that genuinely covers their intent. Record exceptions before the broad rule so a general pattern cannot override a carefully selected destination.

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For removed content

Do not manufacture a destination merely to avoid a 404. If there is no replacement, serve a true 404 or 410 response and provide useful navigation on the error page. This avoids telling users and crawlers that unrelated content is equivalent.

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Avoid redirect chains and loops

Each old URL should normally go straight to its final canonical URL. A chain such as old domain to an intermediate path and then to the new domain adds latency and creates more points of failure. A loop, in which two rules send requests back and forth, prevents the page from loading. After every rule change, test both the source and destination and inspect the full redirect path.

Launch sequence: a repeatable procedure

  1. Freeze the map. Export the final old-URL list, destination URLs and expected status for every row. Mark exceptions and content that will return 404 or 410.
  2. Stage the new site. Load representative pages, assets, canonical tags, robots.txt and sitemap on a non-public or controlled environment. Make sure migration-only blocks can be removed at launch.
  3. Configure TLS and hosts. Ensure the new hostname serves a valid certificate and that both www/non-www or other variants have an intentional canonical policy.
  4. Install server-side rules. Put permanent redirects at the web server, proxy or application layer selected with your administrator. Place specific exceptions before broad patterns.
  5. Test before DNS or cutover. Request samples from every rule family, including a page that should be 404 or 410. Confirm the status, Location header, final URL and response body.
  6. Switch traffic. Change DNS or the relevant routing only after the new host can serve users and Googlebot. Keep the old host available to issue redirects.
  7. Remove launch blocks. Delete temporary noindex directives, robots.txt disallows and access restrictions from the public new site.
  8. Submit the move signals. After redirects are active, submit a Change of Address request for a domain or subdomain change and submit the new sitemap.
  9. Monitor continuously. Review crawl activity, not-found errors, redirect errors, traffic and server capacity on both domains.
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Test redirects before and after launch

What every test must prove

  • The old URL returns a permanent status, normally 301 or an intentionally supported 308.
  • The Location header names the intended new URL.
  • The destination responds successfully and is not blocked, noindexed by mistake or canonicalized back to the old domain.
  • The request reaches the final destination without an unnecessary chain.
  • Query strings, fragments and encoded characters behave according to the migration specification.
  • URLs with no replacement return the planned 404 or 410.

For a quick command-line check, request only the headers with a tool such as curl -I https://old.example/path, then repeat with redirect following enabled when you need to inspect the final destination. For a large inventory, use a script or crawler to record each source URL, every response in the chain, the final URL and any error. Preserve the results so a later regression can be compared with the launch baseline.

Google recommends URL Inspection for individual pages and command-line tools or scripts for larger groups. Test a sample before launch, then test the complete old-URL list as soon as the production switch is complete. Include URLs from logs and inbound links, not just the pages listed in the sitemap.

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Validate the destination pages

Open the new URLs in a browser and inspect their HTML and response headers. Canonical tags should identify the new URL. The page should not contain a migration-only noindex, and robots.txt should not block resources required for rendering or crawling. Check internal links, hreflang or structured data references if your site uses them, and update links that still point to the old domain.

Use Search Console correctly

When Change of Address applies

For a domain or subdomain change, verify the relevant old and new properties and submit the Change of Address request for the old site after redirects are live. This gives Google an additional migration signal; it does not replace the redirects, sitemap or technical testing.

When it is not required

Do not submit Change of Address for a simple HTTP-to-HTTPS change, a www/non-www switch on the same domain or a path-only change within the same domain. Those moves still require correct redirects, canonicals, internal links, sitemap updates and monitoring.

Submit and inspect the new sitemap

Submit an XML sitemap containing the new canonical URLs. Use URL Inspection on representative old URLs to confirm that Google can fetch the redirect, and inspect new URLs for indexing, canonical selection and crawl errors. Search Console reports are not instantaneous, so continue checking server logs and live responses rather than waiting for a report to update.

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Keep redirects and maintain the migration

Google Search Central says: "Keep the redirects for as long as possible, generally at least 1 year." This is a recommendation, not a measured expiration date. Keeping them indefinitely is often sensible when old links, bookmarks, printed materials or offline references may continue to send visitors.

During the retention period:

  • Update navigation, templates, sitemaps, feeds and internal links to use the new URLs directly.
  • Ask owners of important external links to update them, while leaving the old redirects in place.
  • Monitor requests to the old domain so you can identify forgotten high-value URLs and malicious or accidental traffic.
  • Watch crawl volume, HTTP errors, indexing reports, organic traffic and conversion paths on both domains.
  • Plan server capacity for a temporary increase in crawling; Google says it may crawl the new site more heavily after a move.
  • Keep DNS, certificates and the old hosting path functioning for as long as the redirects are needed.

Search visibility can move unevenly. A few weeks may be enough for most pages on a small or medium site, while a large site can take longer. Investigate sustained errors or traffic loss rather than assuming every fluctuation is normal.

Troubleshoot common migration failures

Symptom Likely cause Corrective action
Old URLs return 200, 404 or 500 instead of a redirect The rule is on the wrong server, host variant or application route. Check DNS and virtual-host configuration, then test each old hostname and protocol separately.
Many pages land on the new home page A catch-all rule was used where paths changed or content was removed. Replace it with mapped destinations; return 404 or 410 for pages without a relevant replacement.
Redirect loop Old and new host rules conflict, or HTTP/HTTPS and www rules point at each other. Define one canonical host and inspect every hop until the loop is removed.
Long redirect chain Several historical migrations or slash/protocol rules run sequentially. Change the old URL to point directly to the final canonical URL.
New pages are not indexed Robots.txt, noindex, authentication or canonical tags still reference the migration environment or old domain. Remove temporary blocks, correct canonicals, verify access and inspect the URL in Search Console.
Traffic drops after launch Missing mappings, wrong destinations, crawl errors, slow responses or an incomplete content transfer. Compare the URL map with logs and Search Console, repair the highest-value failures first, and continue monitoring as Google recrawls.
Change of Address cannot be submitted The old or new property is not verified, or the move is not a domain/subdomain change. Verify all relevant properties; use the tool only for eligible domain or subdomain moves.

Practical decision checklist

  • Is the move permanent? If yes, use 301 or 308; if not, use 302 or 307.
  • Are paths unchanged? A tested domain-wide rule may work. If paths or content changed, build explicit mappings.
  • Does every redirected page have a relevant successor? If not, return 404 or 410 instead of forcing an unrelated destination.
  • Can the server issue redirects directly? Prefer that method over client-side fallbacks when technically possible.
  • Are old and new properties verified in Search Console, and is Change of Address appropriate?
  • Are canonical tags, robots.txt, noindex directives, internal links and the new sitemap ready?
  • Have you tested every redirect pattern, representative variants and the full URL list?
  • Will the old host, DNS and certificates remain available for at least one year?

A successful domain migration is not one rule pasted into a configuration file. It is a controlled sequence: inventory the URLs, map destinations, issue direct permanent responses, validate the new site, notify Google where appropriate, and keep measuring until the old URLs no longer generate meaningful requests.

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