SEO

Site migration checklist

Use when planning a domain, CMS, URL structure or protocol migration.

migration-checklist-builder.md

Download .md

You are producing a site migration plan for SEO.

Migration type: {{MIGRATION_TYPE}}
Current setup: {{CURRENT_SETUP}}
Target setup: {{TARGET_SETUP}}
Go-live date: {{GO_LIVE_DATE}}
Team and tools available: {{TEAM_AND_TOOLS}}

Produce four phases: Pre-migration (from now to go-live), Launch day, First 72 hours, Weeks 2-8.

For each phase output a table: Task | Owner | Why it matters | How to verify it is done | Blocking? (Yes / No).

Then add:
- "Baselines to capture before anything changes" - the exact exports and dates needed.
- "Rollback triggers" - the specific measurements that would justify reverting.
- "Things commonly missed on this migration type" - five items specific to {{MIGRATION_TYPE}}, not generic.

Constraints:
- Every task must have a verification step. A task with no way to check it is not a task.
- Do not include tasks that are irrelevant to {{MIGRATION_TYPE}}. A protocol move does not need a redirect map rebuild if paths are unchanged - say so rather than padding.
- Mark anything that must happen before code freeze as Blocking.
- No em dashes and no closing summary.

Fill in before running

Replace each placeholder with your own detail. The more specific you are, the less the model invents.

{{MIGRATION_TYPE}}
{{CURRENT_SETUP}}
{{TARGET_SETUP}}
{{GO_LIVE_DATE}}
{{TEAM_AND_TOOLS}}

Getting a better result

Name the actual CMS on both sides - the commonly missed items get far more specific.
Capture the baseline exports the same day you generate the plan, not the week of launch.
Agree the rollback triggers with the client or stakeholder in writing before go-live.

Questions about this prompt

When should I generate the plan?

As early in the project as you can, and certainly before anyone touches the URL structure. A migration plan produced the week of launch is a record of decisions already made rather than a chance to influence them.

How do I get a specific plan rather than a generic one?

Name the actual CMS on both sides. The commonly missed items are highly platform-specific, and the difference between a generic checklist and one that names your platforms is the difference between catching the problem and reading about it afterwards.

When do I capture the baseline?

The same day you generate the plan, not the week of go-live. Baseline exports taken after preparation work has begun are already contaminated, and without a clean baseline you cannot prove afterwards whether the migration cost you anything.

What is the item teams most often skip?

Rollback triggers, agreed in writing before go-live. Deciding what level of traffic loss justifies reverting is a conversation nobody wants to have at two in the morning with the site down.