Choose a destination for each discontinued item
Keep the restock page truthful, redirect only to a genuine successor, preserve an archive when owners need instructions and consider removal when no useful destination remains. These four dispositions solve different customer tasks. Product identity and ongoing support value should settle the choice before routing changes are deployed.
Worked example — illustrative data.
| Situation | Keep or change | Buyer-facing answer |
|---|---|---|
| Temporary restock | Keep product page with accurate state | Unavailable now; no invented restock date |
| True successor | Consider a direct redirect after comparison | Show the successor and material differences |
| Owners need manuals | Keep a useful archive without purchase action | Manual and compatible parts remain accessible |
| No product or useful content remains | Consider removal with appropriate response | Useful navigation and relevant alternatives |
Create one row per old product with SKU, reason, stock status, replacement URL, support value and decision owner. Compare specifications before calling something a replacement. Preserve a useful manual or compatibility reference when existing owners still need it. If the replacement changes capacity or dimensions, explain the difference instead of silently treating the products as interchangeable. Record the intended response before deploying routing.
A substitute from the same category may not be a successor
A substitute that happens to share a category is not necessarily a successor. Redirecting a small task lamp to a decorative floor lamp would hide the shopper’s actual need and make the old link misleading.
Choose the least surprising destination for the old page’s visitor. When evidence is incomplete, keep a truthful unavailable state while the product owner confirms the disposition.
Continue with Guides for stores, software teams and local businesses, eCommerce SEO services and How to migrate a store without losing its useful URLs.