WordPress to Webflow Migration: Build the URL Map Before Launch

Reviewed 12 September 2026.

The most important migration document may be a simple list of old URLs and their intended destinations. Without it, pages disappear into the redesign and important decisions are discovered after launch. Build the map while the old site is still available.

Inventory more than the main menu

Collect existing URLs from the CMS, sitemap and available traffic or search data. Include articles, service pages, landing pages and useful downloadable files. A page can attract visitors without appearing in the header.

For each URL, record its current purpose and intended treatment: keep, rewrite, merge or remove. Identify the content owner and any dependencies. Pay particular attention to pages used in campaigns, email sequences or client documents. Their links may continue to receive visitors long after the new navigation is live.

Choose a destination deliberately

Retain useful URL paths when there is no reason to change them. When a page moves, map it to the most relevant replacement. Avoid sending every removed page to the homepage. A visitor looking for a specific guide should not arrive at a generic introduction.

Google’s site-move guidance recommends preparing URL mappings and permanent redirects for moved content, updating internal links and monitoring the transition. Search visibility can fluctuate while changes are processed. Treat preservation as work to verify, rather than a result that the platform choice guarantees.

A migration map for illustrative URLsOld pathDecisionDestination or action/services/site-buildKeep the same purposeRetain the path when practical/old-migration-guideReplace with a fuller guideRedirect to the relevant replacement/two-overlapping-articlesMerge after content reviewMap each old page to the combined guide/expired-offerRemove with no equivalentChoose an appropriate removal response

Test the content migration separately from redirects

Import a representative sample before transferring everything. Include an article with images, a table, special characters and category references. Check that headings, links and field relationships survive. Resolve import problems in the sample rather than repairing every record later.

Then test the URL map against the built site. A redirect can work technically while landing on the wrong content. Review the page title and purpose at the destination. Check internal links too: they should point directly to the intended page instead of relying unnecessarily on redirects.

Give launch a monitoring owner

Before the switch, record important pages and their expected behaviour. After launch, test those URLs, forms and key navigation routes. Monitor missing-page reports and search indexing information. Keep a list of issues with an owner and resolution date.

Define how the team will handle a missing page discovered later. Preserve the inventory and redirect map as maintenance records. They make future changes easier and help distinguish an intentional removal from a migration mistake. A launch is a transition to a working site, not the end of responsibility for the old URLs.

Every important old URL should have an intentional outcome.

A related YAVACADO project

For Agence Kheper, YAVACADO migrated a WordPress website to Webflow, preserved the URL structure and on-page SEO, and configured CMS collections. The scope also included a redesigned homepage and a Google Reviews integration.

View project: Agence Kheper

Check your own website

Your review checklistInventory URLs beyond the menuAssign a destination to each moved pageTest a rich-content import sampleName the post-launch monitoring ownerUse these checks as you review. Selections are not saved.

Put it into practice

Three old service pages become one new overview. Should all three redirect there?

Show the suggested approach

Only if the overview meaningfully covers their previous purpose. Review each old page’s content and visitor intent. A dedicated replacement may be necessary for a distinct service that the overview only mentions briefly.

Continue reading

Webflow vs WordPress: Compare the Workflow Before Choosing the Platform

References

• Google Search Central: site moves with URL changes

Discuss your website

Bring your current website and the task you want to improve. YAVACADO can help define the content, design and implementation work needed for the next step.

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