Resource Migration checklist
A migration checklist covering platform changes, host changes, and structural URL changes. Pre-migration audit, redirect map, SEO preservation, cutover, monitoring. Currently shared on request, downloadable version in progress.
Most WordPress migrations lose rankings because the redirect map is incomplete and the post-launch monitoring is too short. The checklist below covers both. The same checklist runs on every migration we ship for clients.
What is inside
Each phase has a defined deliverable. Pre-migration audit drives the redirect map. Redirect map drives the cutover. Post-launch monitoring catches what the planning missed.
01
Inventory every URL, every redirect already in place, every plugin, every custom post type, every database table. Audit hosting limits on both sides. Audit DNS configuration. The complete picture of what you are moving.
No surprise dependencies discovered mid-migration.
02
Decide between WXR export, database dump, or live sync. Document the sync strategy per content type. Plan media migration separately because it is usually the slowest part. Test the sync on staging before production.
Migration runbook rehearsed before the live event.
03
Every old URL gets a new URL. 301 redirects documented as a CSV. Apex domain, www, HTTPS variants all covered. Edge-level redirects preferred over WordPress plugin redirects for performance. Redirect map tested before cutover.
Search rankings preserved across the cutover.
04
Sitemaps regenerated for the new structure. Robots.txt updated. Canonical URLs verified. Schema markup migrated. Yoast or Rank Math metadata preserved. Search Console submitted with the new sitemap immediately after cutover.
Search Console crawls the new structure on day one.
05
Pick a low-traffic window. Final database sync. Switch DNS or update edge routing. Smoke test critical user journeys. Monitor for 4xx and 5xx errors in real time. Rollback plan documented and rehearsed.
Cutover happens during off-peak hours, not blind.
06
Search Console for the first 30 days. Core Web Vitals tracking. 4xx and 5xx error monitoring. Customer support channel for "I cannot find the page" tickets. Internal QA pass on day one, day three, day seven, day 30.
Issues caught and fixed before SEO impact compounds.
The downloadable version is in progress. The current internal version is shared on request and goes out within four business hours.
Host-to-host migrations (e.g., Bluehost to Kinsta). Platform migrations (Squarespace to WordPress, WordPress to headless). Structural URL changes (subdomain to subfolder, old slug to new slug). Domain migrations (acquisition or rebrand).
Content rewrites during migration (different work). Theme replacement that does not change URLs (smaller scope). Plugin replacement that does not change URLs (smaller scope). Multilingual migrations (additional considerations not in this version).
Common questions
The downloadable version is in progress. The current internal version is shared on request and goes out within four business hours.
Yes. The redirect map and SEO preservation phases are the same whether you are migrating to or from WordPress. Content sync changes shape but the principles are the same.
Incomplete redirect map. Old URLs that 404 instead of 301. Search engines treat the old URLs as removed and the new URLs as separate pages with no link equity. The redirect map phase is the load-bearing part of any migration.
A simple host-to-host migration with same URL structure takes one to three days. A platform migration with URL changes takes two to four weeks. A full WordPress to headless migration takes six to ten weeks.
Planning a WordPress migration?
Checklist on request. Full migration service starts with a two-week discovery and a fixed-price quote.
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