Map old URLs to equivalent buying tasks
Map the old SKU and collection paths by identity and customer purpose, then record the expected final destination and acceptance condition. Leave the unmatched item unresolved until its owner chooses a disposition. A complete ledger distinguishes retained support content, true equivalents and URLs that need individual review.
Worked example — illustrative data.
| Old path | New destination | Acceptance check |
|---|---|---|
| /item.php?id=18 | /products/arc-lamp/ | Same SKU and selected finish remain purchasable |
| /category/desk-lighting | /collections/desk-lamps/ | Collection preserves the shopping purpose |
| /item.php?id=19 | Review: no replacement yet | Product owner decides archive or removal |
| /guides/clamp-fit | /guides/clamp-fit/ | Useful support content remains linked |
Build the ledger from multiple inventories: current crawl, catalog export, known landing pages and important historic links where available. Assign a disposition to every row rather than assuming an unmatched URL is worthless. Test the intended redirect response, final status, content identity and internal links in staging. Carry useful images, policies and tracking into their own acceptance checks. Keep a dated pre-move baseline for diagnosis.
Merged products may require a variant-specific destination
Several old URLs may represent different products that the new catalog has merged. Confirm whether shoppers need a variant preselection, an explanation or a separate destination before collapsing those rows.
Do not cut over while the unresolved product row lacks an owner-approved destination. Route coverage and purchase checks should pass before the deployment decision.
Continue with Guides for stores, software teams and local businesses, Website migration SEO services and Check ecommerce exports before migrating.
For planning a URL migration, see Google site-move guidance (checked November 2026).