How long until traffic recovers after a redesign?

It varies. With clean redirects, traffic generally settles within a few weeks, but nobody can guarantee a timeline or a position.

Can we change domain name during a redesign?

It's possible but adds risk. If it isn't necessary, keep the same domain and change the rest.

Is a redesign a good time to change platform?

Yes, provided the content and redirects migration is planned. Changing platform is often what loses addresses when improvised.

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Behind the blur14 October 20265 min read

Website redesign: the checklist before you start (without losing your search visibility)

Before a redesign, list the pages that get visits, decide which to keep, prepare a 301 redirect for every old address, migrate the useful content and measure before and after. Most traffic losses come from addresses deleted without a redirect, not from the new design.

Why a redesign can lose traffic

A site that ranks on Google has built addresses (URLs) that Google knows and that other sites link to. If those addresses vanish without a redirect, the traffic and links pointing to them are lost. The design isn't to blame.

The checklist

01Inventory the pages. A list of every current URL, flagging those that get visits (Search Console, analytics).
02Decide page by page. Keep, merge, remove. A page that earns visits stays.
03Write the 301 redirect plan. Every old URL points to the closest new page. Never all to the homepage.
04Migrate useful content. Text that answers real questions stays, rewritten if needed.
05Keep the search elements. Titles, descriptions, heading tags, image alt text, structured data.
06Check mobile and speed before launch.
07Measure before. Note current traffic, queries and positions to compare afterwards.
08Submit the new sitemap in Search Console on launch day.
09Check afterwards. 404 errors, redirect loops, pages not indexed.

Classic traps

switching the site on a Friday night with no way back;
changing addresses "to tidy up" without need;
forgetting the English version or old PDF pages;
blocking indexing by leaving a staging noindex tag.

How we proceed

We audit what exists first, then rebuild around what the business has become, keeping what works. Details on our website redesign page.

Frequently asked questions

How long until traffic recovers after a redesign?: It varies. With clean redirects, traffic generally settles within a few weeks, but nobody can guarantee a timeline or a position.
Can we change domain name during a redesign?: It's possible but adds risk. If it isn't necessary, keep the same domain and change the rest.
Is a redesign a good time to change platform?: Yes, provided the content and redirects migration is planned. Changing platform is often what loses addresses when improvised.