Foundation · 2 min
What you need to know
Should ecommerce URLs change during migration?
Avoid changing established URLs unless the new architecture or an approved content decision requires it. Every changed valuable URL needs a recorded destination and tested redirect.
What happens to SEO when URLs change?
Search visibility can fall when signals tied to the old URL are not transferred through equivalent content, internal links, canonicals, and redirects. Search systems also need time to crawl and process the move.
How should old URLs be mapped to new URLs?
Build a one-to-one mapping from each valuable old URL to the closest relevant new URL. Record removals explicitly and avoid sending unrelated pages to a generic destination.
What is a URL migration map?
A URL migration map is the approved list of old URLs and their retained URL, new destination or removal response. It is used to build redirects, update links, and verify coverage.
How should removed product URLs be handled?
Redirect a removed product URL to a genuinely equivalent replacement or useful parent page when that serves the visitor. If no relevant destination exists, return an appropriate not found or gone response.
How should removed category URLs be handled?
Map a removed category to the closest category that satisfies the same browsing intent. Do not redirect it to an unrelated department or the homepage merely to avoid a 404.
How do I identify every existing indexed URL before migration?
Combine exports from analytics, search platforms, sitemaps, database or CMS records, internal crawls and backlink data. Normalize and deduplicate the list before deciding each URL outcome.
A quick store check
Choose ten old URLs with different outcomes and confirm each is retained, redirected to a relevant page or intentionally removed.
Foundation · 2 min
Frequently asked questions
Must every URL stay identical?
No, but unnecessary changes create avoidable risk. Change a URL only for an approved architectural or content reason.
What happens to URL parameters?
Document which parameters remain functional, redirect, become canonicalized or are removed, then test those decisions.