A practical website migration checklist

Inventory pages, articles, images, files, languages, forms, integrations and special templates. Identify each data source and export method. Record valuable URLs and pages to retain, combine or remove. Navigation is not a complete inventory: search, direct links and archives may expose more material. Leave a content list, structure map and open questions.

Map source material to types, fields, blocks and media. Decide where covers, captions, authors, dates and relationships will live. Test a small, varied sample and check formatting, links, images, alt text and custom blocks. Migration tools depend on the source system. Content transfer and design reconstruction are separate tasks; arbitrary designs are not automatically reproduced.

Choose a target or deliberate removal for each old URL. Plan redirects where addresses change and avoid conflicts or chains. Update internal links. Check canonicals, real language equivalents, sitemap and indexing rules. A reachable page can still have incorrect metadata. Correct routing reduces technical risks; it does not guarantee unchanged rankings.

Document the existing visual rules or agree new compositions. Show complete pages with real material. Test mobile layouts, long copy, galleries, search and 404 behavior. Forms need clear labels, validation and a verified destination. Seeing a form in HTML does not prove that submissions are stored or delivered; use an agreed test scenario.

Decide when source editing stops or how later changes will be transferred. Reconcile content, URLs and publication states. Name the release owner and define recovery arrangements suitable for the infrastructure. After cutover, check key routes, forms, media, sitemap and metadata again on the live website. Preview proves a candidate; live verification checks what visitors receive.

Share the current URL, CMS, amount of material and integrations. Explain what to keep and what to change. Preparation tools for MODX, WordPress and Tilda can assist, with custom details assessed separately. A migration plan should include the target model, URL map and checks. The result can then remain editable by people and agents.