This translation has not been editorially reviewed yet. The German version is authoritative. Deutsche Fassung →
Indexing
What happens to old addresses after a website relaunch?
Without redirects, they fall out of the search index — and with them, the value built up over years: Google knows the old addresses, other websites link to them, bookmarks point there. If such an address returns an error after the relaunch, the search engine removes it, and incoming links lead nowhere. Our check deliberately requests previously indexed addresses on the domain and counts how many of them still reach a target.
The invisible damage of a relaunch
A relaunch almost always changes the address structure: new paths, new names, deleted pages. For visitors arriving via the homepage, that's invisible. It becomes visible wherever the old addresses live on — in the search index, in links from other websites, in shared posts. Every one of these sources now leads to an error page. The search engine draws two conclusions from that: it removes the address from the index, and it treats the accumulation of errors as a quality signal for the whole domain. The link value the old page had built up expires, instead of carrying over to its successor.
Redirects preserve the value
A permanent redirect (status 301) tells the search engine: this address has a successor — carry the ranking and link value over there. The best successor is the matching new page for that content; if there isn't one, the relevant overview or category page is the second-best choice. A redirect that itself ends in an error, on the other hand, is worthless — the check counts exactly these broken chains separately, since at first glance they look like solved cases.
What the check exactly measures
The check identifies previously indexed addresses on the domain and requests every single one. The report states how many of them no longer reach a target with status 200 — broken down by direct errors and broken redirect chains — and how many deleted pages could be redirected to an existing overview page. That turns the vague feeling of "visibility dropped after the relaunch" into a concrete work list.
- Before every relaunch, compile a list of every indexed address — from the sitemap, Search Console, and server logs.
- Set up a permanent redirect (301) from every old address to the matching new page.
- Redirect deleted content to the next-higher overview or category page, instead of letting it end in an error.
- After the relaunch, spot-check old addresses from external links — these are exactly the ones carrying the most value.
FAQ
Is it enough to redirect all old addresses to the homepage?
It's better than an error, but considerably weaker than a proper match: search engines often treat blanket redirects to the homepage like an error (a soft 404), since the target has nothing to do with the old content. The link value gets lost either way.
How long do the redirects need to stay in place?
Permanently. Incoming links from other websites don't disappear after a transitional period — as long as they exist, the redirect should send them to the right target. Keeping it running costs nothing.
How does the check know our website's old addresses?
From sources where the domain's history is visible — earlier sitemap snapshots and typical address patterns of the system in use, for instance. The report lists the addresses checked, so you can trace and add to the list.