Map important old Weebly URLs to their useful replacement pages before publishing a rebuilt website. Redirects help visitors and search engines reach the new destinations, but they require control of the old address or the server handling its requests.
01 Create and test the URL map
- Collect the old page addresses from navigation, exports, analytics and available search-performance records. Include pages linked from customer emails, adverts and printed material.
- Assign each old URL to its closest useful replacement. Keep the same paths where the new platform supports them and they remain meaningful.
- Mark content that has been deliberately retired. Do not send every unrelated old page to the home page simply to avoid an error response.
- Identify where redirects can be configured for the old hostname. If the old address is a provider-owned subdomain, ask the provider what control remains available.
- Configure supported permanent redirects for the approved mapping. Avoid loops and unnecessary chains by pointing directly to the final destination.
- Update internal links, canonical references and the new site's sitemap through the destination platform's supported controls.
- Test representative old URLs and monitor missing-page reports after launch. Keep the old domain and redirect service under renewal control.
Common questions
Can DNS redirect each old page?
DNS directs a hostname to a service. Page-by-page redirects are handled by an HTTP service or platform feature, so changing DNS alone does not create the map.
Will redirects preserve every ranking?
Search engines need to process the move, and results can fluctuate. Correct mapping and useful replacement content support the transition without guaranteeing a particular ranking.
What if the old host has already stopped serving pages?
For a domain you control, arrange a supported redirect-capable destination. For a provider-owned address, confirm available options before promising that old links can be retained.