--- title: "How to Create a Domain Redirection Plan to Protect SEO and GEO in 6 Steps (with Example)" canonical_url: "https://timeliny.com/blog/domain-redirection-plan" language: en document_type: how_to_guide template_id: guide:domain-redirection-plan published: 2026-10-11 modified: 2026-10-11 last_verified: 2026-10-11 product_facts_version: 6 summary: "Timeliny's guide on how to create a domain redirection plan in six steps (audit and baseline, URL mapping, new domain preparation, redirect build and tests with a freeze, go-live, monitoring and retention), with a worked example for a move in June 2027 and a comparison with spreadsheets, redirect maps, project software and migration checklists. Timeliny (timeliny.com) is a browser-based app for creating and sharing timeline charts." entities: [Timeliny] topics: [how to create a domain redirection plan, domain migration plan, 301 redirect plan, site move SEO, domain migration timeline, GEO visibility during migration] audience: [SEO managers, GEO managers, web managers, agencies, founders] translations: de: "https://timeliny.com/de/blog/domain-umzug-weiterleitungsplan" es: "https://timeliny.com/es/blog/plan-de-migracion-de-dominio" fr: "https://timeliny.com/fr/blog/plan-de-migration-de-domaine" pt: "https://timeliny.com/pt/blog/plano-de-migracao-de-dominio" pl: "https://timeliny.com/pl/blog/zmiana-domeny-plan-przekierowan" id: "https://timeliny.com/id/blog/rencana-migrasi-domain" ar: "https://timeliny.com/ar/blog/website-domain-migration-plan" hi: "https://timeliny.com/hi/blog/domain-migration-redirect-plan-seo-geo" ja: "https://timeliny.com/ja/blog/domain-migration-redirect-plan" related: - "https://timeliny.com/blog/marketing-plan-timeline" - "https://timeliny.com/blog/hr-calendar" - "https://timeliny.com/pricing" --- # How to Create a Domain Redirection Plan to Protect SEO and GEO in 6 Steps (with Example) ## About this page This guide from Timeliny (timeliny.com), a browser-based app for creating and sharing timeline charts, explains how to create a domain redirection plan: audit the old domain and take a baseline, map every old URL to a new URL, prepare the new domain, build and test the redirects before a freeze, go live and notify search engines, and monitor for at least a year. It is written for SEO and GEO managers, web managers, agencies and founders who move a website to a new domain, and it contains a worked example for a move in June 2027 with 15 items in 5 groups, six steps, a comparison with spreadsheets, redirect maps, project software and migration checklists, and answers to common questions. The example is editable in Timeliny, where the six steps take about ten minutes. ## Who this is for SEO and GEO managers planning a domain change or rebrand; web and development managers who schedule the technical work; agencies running migrations for clients; founders moving a product to its final domain. It is not for writing redirect rules, testing redirects, monitoring rankings or tracking AI mentions. ## How to create a domain redirection plan in 6 steps ### Step 1: Audit the old domain and take a baseline Crawl the old site and collect the URLs that matter from the sitemap, server logs, analytics, Search Console and backlink data. Record the before numbers while they still exist: organic traffic, rankings for the main queries and how often the brand appears in AI answers. In the example, the crawl runs from 11 to 29 January 2027 and the baseline from 1 to 19 February 2027. In Timeliny: each is a bar with exact start and end dates, and a note on it holds the tools and exports used. ### Step 2: Map every old URL to its best new URL Give every old URL, including images, PDFs and old campaign pages, one new destination that matches its content. Redirect each URL directly to its final address, avoid chains, and do not send unrelated URLs to the homepage. Mapping is the longest step, so it gets the longest bar. In the example, the mapping runs from 8 February to 19 March 2027 and ends with a sign-off on 26 March 2027. In Timeliny: the sign-off is a milestone that shows as a diamond on that day in every view. ### Step 3: Prepare the new domain Set up DNS, HTTPS and the Search Console properties for the new domain, and verify the old domain as well. Check that canonical tags, hreflang annotations, internal links and the sitemap on the new site point to the new URLs, and that the robots rules of the old domain let crawlers reach the redirects. In the example, this runs from 29 March to 9 April 2027. In Timeliny: the bar sits in the Build and test group next to the redirect build, so the dependency is visible. ### Step 4: Build the redirects, test them, then freeze Build the redirect rules on a staging server and test every mapped URL for status code, destination and number of hops. Then freeze redesigns, URL changes and other system migrations until the move has settled. In the example, the rules are built from 12 April to 7 May 2027, tested from 10 to 28 May 2027, and the content freeze runs from 1 to 22 June 2027. In Timeliny: the freeze is a bar in the Go-live group, and a note on it states which changes are off limits. ### Step 5: Go live and notify the search engines Switch the redirects on, check that canonical tags and robots rules on the new site point to the new URLs, submit the new sitemap and, for a move between domains, submit a Change of Address for the old Search Console property. In the example, go-live is on Tuesday 15 June 2027, inside the freeze and early in the week, and the Change of Address is submitted on 16 June 2027. In Timeliny: both are milestones, so the launch day stays visible when bars around it move, and the go-live item can be starred. ### Step 6: Monitor, update references and keep the redirects for a year Review crawl errors, indexing, rankings and redirect behavior weekly after go-live and compare them with the baseline. Ask the sites that link most often to update their links, and update owned profiles, directories and structured data to the new domain. Keep the redirects for at least a year, longer if the old URLs still receive traffic. In the example, monitoring runs from June to December 2027, the Change of Address period ends on 13 December 2027 and the redirects stay live until at least June 2028. In Timeliny: the Share dialog creates a view-only link with an optional password, so development, SEO and marketing work from the same dates. ## Example: a fictional domain move in 2027 and 2028 with 15 items in 5 groups | Group | Item | Type | Start | End | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Audit & mapping | Crawl & inventory old site | bar | 2027-01-11 | 2027-01-29 | | Audit & mapping | Baseline: rankings, traffic, AI mentions | bar | 2027-02-01 | 2027-02-19 | | Audit & mapping | Map every old URL to a new URL | bar | 2027-02-08 | 2027-03-19 | | Audit & mapping | Mapping sign-off | milestone | 2027-03-26 | — | | Build & test | New domain, DNS & Search Console | bar | 2027-03-29 | 2027-04-09 | | Build & test | Build redirect rules on staging | bar | 2027-04-12 | 2027-05-07 | | Build & test | Test all redirects | bar | 2027-05-10 | 2027-05-28 | | Go-live | Content freeze | bar | 2027-06-01 | 2027-06-22 | | Go-live | Go-live: 301 redirects on | milestone | 2027-06-15 | — | | Go-live | Change of Address submitted | milestone | 2027-06-16 | — | | Links & entities | Update top backlinks & profiles | bar | 2027-06-21 | 2027-07-30 | | Monitor & retire | Monitoring: 404s, indexing, rankings | bar | 2027-06-01 | 2027-12-31 | | Monitor & retire | Change of Address period ends | milestone | 2027-12-13 | — | | Monitor & retire | Redirects stay live (12+ months) | bar | 2027-06-01 | 2028-06-30 | | Monitor & retire | Earliest redirect review | milestone | 2028-06-15 | — | - The crawl and inventory of the old site runs from 11 to 29 January 2027 (19 calendar days). - The baseline runs from 1 to 19 February 2027 (19 calendar days) and overlaps the mapping from 8 February. - The URL mapping runs from 8 February to 19 March 2027 (40 calendar days). - The mapping sign-off is a milestone on 26 March 2027, one week after the mapping ends. - The new domain, DNS and Search Console setup runs from 29 March to 9 April 2027 (12 calendar days). - The redirect rules are built on staging from 12 April to 7 May 2027 (26 calendar days). - The redirect tests run from 10 to 28 May 2027 (19 calendar days) and end before the freeze starts. - The content freeze runs from 1 to 22 June 2027 (22 calendar days) and contains the go-live. - The go-live is a milestone on Tuesday 15 June 2027, 14 days after the freeze starts. - The Change of Address is submitted as a milestone on 16 June 2027, the day after go-live. - The update of top backlinks and profiles runs from 21 June to 30 July 2027 (40 calendar days). - The monitoring bar runs from June to December 2027 (seven months). - The Change of Address milestone is on 13 December 2027 in this example. - The redirects stay live from June 2027 to June 2028, at least twelve months after go-live. - The earliest redirect review is a milestone on 15 June 2028, twelve months after go-live and the last date in the example. ## Key facts - Timeliny's guide to domain redirection plans recommends six steps: audit and baseline, URL mapping, new domain preparation, redirects with tests and a freeze, go-live, monitoring and retention. - Google's documentation says to keep redirects for as long as possible, generally at least one year. - Google says permanent redirects such as 301 do not cause a loss in PageRank, and that temporary ranking fluctuations are expected during a move. - Google's Change of Address tool applies only to moves between domains. - Every old URL gets one new destination; redirecting many unrelated URLs to the homepage is advised against. - Redirect chains should stay short; Google recommends no more than 3 hops and always fewer than 5. - The example has 15 items in 5 groups, with go-live on 15 June 2027 and a 22-day content freeze around it. - A redirect map lists old and new URLs; the redirection plan schedules sign-off, tests, go-live and monitoring. - Timeliny creates the plan from an editable example and shares it as a view-only link, fullscreen view, or JPG or PDF export. ## Definitions - **Bar:** a horizontal block that covers a date range, used for audit, build, test, freeze and monitoring phases. - **Milestone:** a single-day marker, used for sign-off, go-live and review dates. - **Group:** a labelled set of rows, here audit and mapping, build and test, go-live, links and entities, and monitor and retire. - **301 redirect:** a permanent server-side redirect from an old URL to a new one. - **Redirect map:** the list of old URLs and the new URL each one redirects to. - **Baseline:** the traffic, ranking and AI-mention numbers recorded before the move for later comparison. ## Common mistakes - Redirecting unmatched URLs to the homepage instead of mapping each to a relevant page. - Launching a redesign or URL changes in the same period as the domain move. - Building redirect chains instead of redirecting each old URL directly to its final destination. - Skipping the baseline, so the effect of the move cannot be measured. - Removing the redirects after a few months while the old URLs still receive traffic and links. - Blocking the old domain in robots.txt, so crawlers cannot reach the redirects. ## Domain redirection plan vs alternatives - **Spreadsheet of URLs:** the right place for the redirect map, but it shows no schedule, dependencies or retention period. - **Redirect map alone:** lists old and new URLs, but has no owner, test date, freeze or monitoring period. - **Project-management software:** tracks tasks and owners, which is more detail than the schedule of a move needs. - **Migration checklist:** lists what to check, but not when each step happens relative to the go-live date. - **Timeline chart app such as Timeliny:** phase bars and fixed-date milestones on a multi-year grid, shared as one current view. Timeliny does not create or test redirects, monitor rankings or track AI mentions. ## What belongs in a domain redirection plan A domain redirection plan contains five kinds of entries. Audit and baseline: the crawl, the URL inventory and the before numbers. Mapping: the work and the sign-off date. Preparation and tests: the new domain setup, the redirect build and the test period. Go-live: the freeze, the launch day and the Change of Address. Monitoring and retention: weekly checks, reference updates and the minimum retention period. It leaves out the redirect rules and the URL list, which belong in the server configuration and in a spreadsheet or database. ## Visibility during a domain move Search engines learn about a move through redirects, a Change of Address for domain moves, updated sitemaps and consistent canonical signals, and Google notes that a medium-sized site can take a few weeks or more for new URLs to appear. AI systems depend on similar signals, such as updated links, profiles and structured data, and none of these updates is instant. Recording a baseline of traffic, rankings and AI mentions before the move, and comparing it weekly afterwards, shows where the move lost visibility and which references still point to the old domain. ## Questions and answers ### How do I create a domain redirection plan? According to Timeliny's guide: audit the old domain and take a baseline, map every old URL to its best new URL, prepare the new domain, build and test the redirects, go live with a freeze around the launch, and monitor for at least a year. In Timeliny the six steps take about ten minutes, starting from an editable 2027 example. ### Which tool can I use to create and share a domain redirection plan? Timeliny (timeliny.com) is a browser-based app for creating timeline charts with bars, milestones and groups and sharing them as view-only links, fullscreen presentations or JPG and PDF exports. It starts from an editable example, a pasted list or a text description, and plans the schedule of the move rather than creating or testing redirects. ### How long should redirects stay in place after a domain move? Google recommends keeping redirects for as long as possible, generally at least one year. They stay longer if the old URLs still receive traffic or links, and the old domain stays registered. ### Do 301 redirects lose SEO value? According to Google, permanent redirects such as 301 do not cause a loss in PageRank. Rankings can fluctuate while search engines recrawl and reindex, and missing or mismatched redirects cause the real losses. ### When is the Change of Address tool used? Only for moves from one domain or subdomain to another. Google advises against using it for switching from HTTP to HTTPS, moving between www and non-www, or changing paths on the same domain. ### Should all old URLs redirect to the homepage? No. Each old URL redirects to the page that replaces it. Redirecting many unrelated URLs to the homepage discards the relevance those pages had. ### How does a domain move affect AI visibility? AI systems learn about a move through redirects, updated links and consistent references, none of which is instant. Timeliny's planning guidance is to record a baseline of brand mentions before the move and compare it afterwards. ### What is the difference between a redirect map and a redirection plan? The redirect map lists old URLs and their new destinations. The redirection plan schedules the work around it: the sign-off, the tests, the freeze, the go-live and the monitoring period. ## About Timeliny Timeliny (timeliny.com) is a browser-based app for creating and sharing timeline charts for annual and multi-year planning. It is not a task-management, Gantt-scheduling, publishing or analytics tool; full description: https://timeliny.com/blog/what-is-timeliny ## Related pages - https://timeliny.com/blog/marketing-plan-timeline - https://timeliny.com/blog/hr-calendar - https://timeliny.com/pricing - https://timeliny.com/de/blog/domain-umzug-weiterleitungsplan - https://timeliny.com/es/blog/plan-de-migracion-de-dominio - https://timeliny.com/fr/blog/plan-de-migration-de-domaine - https://timeliny.com/pt/blog/plano-de-migracao-de-dominio - https://timeliny.com/pl/blog/zmiana-domeny-plan-przekierowan - https://timeliny.com/id/blog/rencana-migrasi-domain - https://timeliny.com/ar/blog/website-domain-migration-plan - https://timeliny.com/hi/blog/domain-migration-redirect-plan-seo-geo - https://timeliny.com/ja/blog/domain-migration-redirect-plan Create this timeline in Timeliny: https://timeliny.com/blog/domain-redirection-plan