What a redirect map is and why a list comes first
When addresses change, every old address that people, bookmarks, links and search engines still use should lead to the page that now holds that content. A redirect map is the table that says which: one old address, one destination, and the kind of redirect. Google's site-move guidance says to list the old addresses from your sitemaps, server logs, analytics and CMS (and to include files such as images and scripts if they matter), and to decide a specific destination for each, stored as a database or as rewrite rules. A simple domain change might need a single rule, but a restructure needs the table. The map is only as complete as the list that goes into it.
- Gather old addresses from at least two sources and merge them.
- Mark each as moved, merged into another page, or deliberately removed.
- Ask the content owner for the destination; do not guess from page titles.
Permanent or temporary, and where the redirect happens
Google distinguishes permanent redirects (301 and 308), which signal that the destination should become the canonical address, from temporary ones (302, 303 and 307), which do not and are for pages that will come back. For a relaunch you generally want permanent. Google also says a server-side redirect has the highest chance of being interpreted correctly; a meta refresh is an option when you cannot change the server, and a JavaScript redirect is a last resort because it depends on the page being rendered. Where the redirect lives depends on your host: server configuration files, a platform redirect feature or application code.
- Check the status code of each hop, not only where you end up.
- A browser that lands on the right page may have passed through a temporary redirect.
- Prefer the server or platform layer to page scripts.
Chains, loops and the home-page shortcut
A chain happens when old A goes to B, which goes to C. Google advises pointing directly to the final address and, if chains are unavoidable, keeping them ideally to no more than three hops and fewer than five. A loop never ends and the browser gives up. A third mistake is sending many old addresses to the home page or another unrelated page to avoid a 404; Google warns this can confuse users and may be treated as a soft 404, except where several pages were genuinely merged into one. A deliberate 404 or 410 for content you removed is a legitimate answer.
- Flatten chains when you add a new layer of redirects.
- Test for loops by following redirects with a limit.
- Use 404 or 410 for removed content with no replacement.
How long to keep them and how to test
Google says to keep redirects generally for at least a year so signals can transfer, and for users consider leaving them indefinitely. Test with a script, not by clicking: for each address record the status code, the number of hops, the final address and the final status, before and after the change. Google also suggests watching for redirects that land on non-existent pages, a rise in not-found errors and leftover noindex or blocking rules. Test a sample of addresses outside the list so a broad rule has not caught more than intended.
- Record before and after results so any regression is visible.
- Re-test after every deployment that touches routing.
- Do not remove redirects when the site feels settled.
What the paid job covers and how it is accepted
Our address job (posted test price from £395, untested, quoted after we see your list or a crawl) covers one site and up to 300 agreed addresses: the map, the redirect rules in the form your host uses, canonical tags, the sitemap and any robots rule that blocks a listed page. It is accepted when each old address returns a permanent redirect in one hop to its agreed destination or the agreed 404 or 410, with no chain or loop, and a test sheet shows the results before and after. It makes no promise about ranking, traffic or indexing, and your team applies the rules and submits the sitemap. Send the site, what changed and a rough count in your first enquiry, not logins.
- The worked example shows a synthetic map with a chain, a loop and an unrelated destination.
Sources and limits
- Google Search Central: Redirects and Google Search Checked 2026-10-11.
- Permanent redirects (301, 308) signal that the target should be canonical; temporary redirects (302, 303, 307) do not; server-side redirects have the highest chance of being interpreted correctly; meta refresh and JavaScript redirects are lesser options, JavaScript only as a last resort.
- Google Search Central: Site move with URL changes Checked 2026-10-11.
- List old URLs from sitemaps, logs, analytics and the CMS and decide a specific destination for each; use permanent server-side redirects; avoid chains, keeping any chain ideally to no more than 3 and fewer than 5 hops; keep redirects generally at least a year; do not redirect many old URLs to one irrelevant destination; test with scripts or command-line tools for large batches.