Moving a website is more than copying text into a new layout. Old URLs, page ownership, team biographies, internal links, images, and metadata can all drift. This checklist applies when migration is an agreed deliverable; a standard design quote may exclude it entirely.
Require a source-to-destination map
Ask for a spreadsheet that lists each old URL, the new URL, the action taken, and the reviewer. Actions might be “migrate,” “merge,” “retire with redirect,” or “leave unchanged.” For pages that disappear, confirm that a relevant destination exists rather than sending every old URL to the homepage. Google’s site-move guidance recommends URL mapping, direct permanent redirects where appropriate, updated internal links, and new canonical URLs.
The map should also show which content is being rewritten. If your team supplies approved copy, the provider should not quietly invent claims, team credentials, or prices to fill gaps. Name the person who signs off on factual business details.
Test duplicates and details separately
Choose a sample from each page type: service, location, team, blog, and policy. Search the staging site for repeated headings or identical body text appearing at multiple new URLs. Check whether old draft pages remain publicly accessible or are accidentally included in navigation or sitemap. Confirm the intended canonical URL for pages that can be reached through more than one path.
Then review exact facts: staff names and titles, phone numbers, email addresses, opening hours, office locations, testimonials, and dated qualifications. These are easy to miss during a design review because the page can look polished while carrying old information. Assign factual approval to the business owner or a delegated subject expert.
Click important internal links and old bookmarked URLs. A redirect should land on a relevant current page without an unnecessary chain. Check images and files, not only HTML pages. If search visibility matters, record baseline top pages and Search Console performance before launch so a later change can be diagnosed. Search traffic can fluctuate during a move; no checklist guarantees rankings.
Define what “complete” means
Put the agreed page count, URL map, sample size, redirect owner, content approver, and correction process in the project acceptance record. A spot check is useful but is not the same as verifying every page. If full verification is necessary, scope and price it explicitly.
ARCHV’s website service page treats migration as work to define in a proposal, and its redesign quote guide lists related questions. A public client review reported duplicate pages and migrated-content errors while also praising other parts of the project; it is one account, not a rate of failure. Use the example to ask for an acceptance test, not to judge an agency by one review.
After launch, compare the URL map with the live site and spot-check Search Console for crawling problems. Keep the map and approvals with the handover package; they help future providers understand whether a page disappeared intentionally or by mistake. If your organization changes staff frequently, make the business-facts review a repeatable operating task rather than a one-time migration cleanup.
If migration is part of a new project, describe the source site, approximate page count, and approval owner in ARCHV's website estimate. If you already have two proposals, use the website quote comparison to see whether each includes URL mapping, redirects, content checks, and correction of transfer errors.