A Guide to Redirecting Old Website URLs in Squarespace + Free Template
Moving to a new website can feel overwhelming, especially when ensuring visitors and search engines can still find your pages. That's where 301 redirects come in—they're critical if you want your new website to run smoothly and keep visitors from having those frustrating "page not found" moments. With some planning, you can preserve your SEO rankings and keep everything on track.
In this article, you will learn precisely what 301 redirects are and how to complete this process while maintaining complete control confidently. To make it very manageable, I've created a free 301 Redirect Tracking Spreadsheet Template for you, a simple and effective template for keeping you organized throughout the process. This spreadsheet template allows you to track old URLs, their corresponding new destinations, and the status of each redirect, ensuring nothing slips through the cracks.
301 Redirects: The Key to a Smooth Website
A 301 redirect is essential for ensuring a seamless and user-friendly website experience. It automatically guides users and search engines from deleted or moved pages to their new destinations, preventing frustrating “page not found” errors and ensuring your site remains functional and user-friendly.
Think of it as a digital change-of-address notice—it preserves both the user experience and your SEO efforts. By transferring authority and search rankings from old pages to new ones, 301 redirects safeguard your website’s performance while protecting the SEO value you’ve worked hard to build.
For instance, imagine launching a new website and using page names with URLs different from your old one. Alternatively, you might decide to make similar changes to an existing website after it has gone live.
Old URL: website.com/couplestherapy
New URL: website.com/couplescouseling
You’ve updated the site, but what about those existing old links in blog posts, social media, or Google search results? Without a 301 redirect, visitors clicking the old link will land on a discouraging 404 error page—bad news for user experience and your business.
By implementing a 301 redirect, anyone visiting website.com/couplestherapy will be instantly redirected to website.com/couplescounseling. This critical website practice ensures you retain potential clients, maintain a professional, user-friendly site, and continue reaping the benefits of your original SEO efforts.
Step 1: Make a List of Your Old URLs
Before setting up redirects, you need to know which pages need them. If your site is large, prioritizing the most important pages can be a good strategy. You can always add more redirects later.
Here are a few ways to do this:
Check your old website's Google Analytics or Squarespace Analytics for your most-visited pages.
Use a website crawler such as Crawly to find all existing URLs.
List only the old URL slugs in a spreadsheet to stay organized. The slug is the part of the URL that comes after website.com/. For example, if you have a URL on the old website that says website.com/childrenscounseling, the slug is /childrenscounseling.
Step 2: Match Old URLs to New URLs
Now, decide where each old page should go. Some pages may have a direct match, while others may need a close alternative. If a page no longer exists, redirect it to your homepage or a similar page to ensure they reach your current website and not lose them altogether.
Step 3: Set Up 301 Redirects in Squarespace
Setting up redirects in Squarespace is very easy:
Log in to Squarespace.
Go to Settings > Developer Tools > URL Mapping.
Copy and paste the old and new URLs from your spreadsheet, followed by the redirect type. Make sure to end with 301 for a permanent move unless a 302 is necessary for a temporary move.
Format: /old-page-url -> /new-page-url 301
For example: /childrenscounseling -> /childrenstherapy 301
If redirecting a blog post, make sure to include /blog/ in the URL redirect.
For example: /ten-ways-to-manage-stress-naturally -> /blog/ten-ways-to-manage-stress-naturally 301
Click Save to apply the changes.
Step 4: Test Your Redirects
You don't want to send visitors to a broken link! Test your redirects to make sure they work:
Open a private/incognito browser window and type in an old URL to see if it redirects correctly.
Use a free tool like Redirect Checker to confirm the redirect works properly.
Step 5: Update Internal & External Links
Even though redirects will send people to the right page, it's best to update links whenever possible:
Internal Links: Change links within your site to point to the new URLs instead of relying on redirects.
External Links: If other websites link to your pages, ask them to update their links to the new URLs.
Step 6: Monitor Traffic & Fix Any Issues
Once your redirects are in place, keep an eye on your website's performance:
Use Squarespace Analytics to check for traffic changes and errors.
Monitor rankings and search traffic to make sure everything is running smoothly.
If you notice broken redirects, go back and update them.
Final Thoughts
Setting up 301 redirects might sound like just another technical task on your already full plate, but it’s a key step to launching your new website smoothly. Without them, visitors could end up on frustrating, broken pages, and your hard-earned SEO rankings might take a hit. But don’t worry—you’ve got this! Following a few straightforward steps can ensure a seamless transition that keeps both search engines and your audience happy.
If managing this for your Squarespace site feels overwhelming, feel free to reach out—I’m here to help.
About Dreamtime Marketing
Dreamtime Marketing designs Squarespace websites and creates branding for health and wellness professionals, counselors, and coaches. We help solo and small group practices build a professional online presence to attract ideal clients. Not ready to dive in just yet? Join our email list to explore expert marketing strategies, actionable tips, and valuable resources designed to help you maximize your marketing efforts. Don't miss out - subscribe today!
