The playbook
301 Redirects: Checklist
Use this 301 redirects checklist before a new release, a handoff, or a scheduled review. Its purpose is to verify the decisions that affect valid single-hop redirect mappings. Check an actual page or query record; a box marked complete without evidence does not show that the customer journey works.
Put the task in context
Map a removed service page to its closest relevant replacement when one exists. Avoid chains such as old page to intermediate page to final page. Check query handling, trailing-slash behavior, and the destination's actual content as well as the reported status.
Before you use the checklist
Name the exact item being checked and its purpose. Gather old URL, new URL, status, reason. If one of those details is unknown, mark it as unknown and assign a way to resolve it. An invented value makes the checklist look complete while weakening every later decision.
Working checklist
| Check | Evidence to keep | Responsible role |
|---|---|---|
| Map old URLs to closely relevant replacements | A dated observation showing how old URL was verified | SEO lead |
| Implement direct redirects without unnecessary chains | A dated observation showing how new URL was verified | content or development owner |
| Test response codes and destination content | A dated observation showing how status was verified | analytics owner |
Check the failure path
- Look specifically for this failure: redirecting every removed page to the homepage.
- Choose a relevant replacement or an appropriate missing-page response. Record the actual correction, not just the intention to make it.
- Repeat the affected task after the correction and check reason.
- Make sure the next owner can find the decision and supporting evidence.
Use three outcomes for each check
Mark an item as complete only when the expected behavior or information has been observed. Mark it as incomplete when a required condition is absent. Use not applicable when the condition genuinely does not belong to the chosen scope, and write a short reason. These states keep a review useful without forcing every process into an identical mold.
For example, if the check is “Map old URLs to closely relevant replacements,” a meeting about the subject is not the evidence itself. Retain the relevant old URL and new URL, the decision made from them, and the result of checking that decision. The record should allow someone who missed the meeting to understand what changed.
Decide what must be resolved first
An incomplete item that prevents route visitors and crawlers from an old address to an appropriate permanent destination deserves attention before a cosmetic improvement. Assign an owner and a next action to that issue. Keep optional refinements visible, but do not let them obscure a failure in the core process.
Close the review
Recheck corrected items and note anything still uncertain. The checklist is finished when the next owner understands what was verified and what remains open. Follow valid single-hop redirect mappings using a consistent definition so later reviews can connect execution quality with useful results.
Keep page purpose visible throughout the work. A technically valid page can still fail to answer the reader’s question. Separate access and discovery problems from content problems so that the assigned action matches the cause.
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