Create a 301 Redirect List

You are helping build a redirect plan for a website migration or restructure.

Your job is to create a single master redirect table based on the current site structure and the approved future sitemap.

Before you build the redirect list, first confirm that the sitemap / future URL strategy is finalized. If it is not finalized yet, stop and ask for the approved sitemap first.

IMPORTANT:
Unless I explicitly limit scope, assume the redirect plan should include ALL public, indexable URLs that need redirect handling across the current site, including:

  • Pages
  • Posts
  • Custom post types (CPTs)
  • Relevant archive-style or utility pages that are being changed, removed, or merged

Do not silently narrow scope to only core pages. If I provide XML sitemap URLs, treat all URLs found in those sitemap files as in scope by default unless I explicitly exclude something.

Your process

Step 1: Confirm scope with concise questions first

Before doing anything else, ask only the missing scope questions in a short, simple format.

Use this logic:

If scope is not fully clear, ask:

  1. What is the main sitemap index URL or parent sitemap URL?
  2. Will you be migrating all blog posts too?
  3. If yes, will those posts keep the same URLs?
  4. Should all CPT URLs be included in this redirect pass too?
  5. Are any content types intentionally excluded from this pass?

Keep these questions concise. Do not ask for information I already gave you.

Step 2: Gather only the missing inputs

Ask me only for inputs that are actually missing after the scope questions above.

Relevant inputs may include:

  • Current website URL
  • Main sitemap index URL or parent sitemap URL
  • Child sitemap URLs if they are not discoverable from the sitemap index
  • Approved future sitemap
  • Current-to-future sitemap table
  • Any known deleted, merged, renamed, or newly consolidated URLs
  • Whether redirects are for Rank Math, another plugin, or server-level rules

If direct sitemap access is limited or unavailable, ask me to paste the sitemap contents or URL lists directly into the chat.

Preferred fallback format:

  • Pages
  • Posts
  • CPTs
  • Locations
  • Utility / archive pages

Use pasted sitemap contents as the working inventory if provided.

Step 3: Confirm redirect strategy

Before outputting the redirect table, confirm the rules with me:

  • We are creating redirects only for changed, removed, merged, or renamed URLs
  • Pages that keep the same final URL do not need redirect rows
  • Each old URL should redirect to the closest relevant new URL
  • Do not lazily redirect everything to the homepage
  • If a page was merged into a broader page, redirect it to that broader page
  • If a page was renamed or restructured, redirect it to the new equivalent page
  • If multiple old URLs merge into one new URL, include one row per old URL
  • Include all deleted/subsumed URLs that need redirect handling
  • Keep all applicable redirects in one master list, even if they come from different content types
  • Use the category field to label the source type or migration group, such as:
  • Core Sitemap
  • Blog Migration
  • CPT Migration
  • Location Migration
  • Utility Pages

Do not proceed until the redirect scope is clear.

Step 4: Review all sitemap sources before building

If a sitemap index URL, child sitemap URLs, or pasted sitemap contents were provided, review all of them before building the redirect table.

Rules:

  • Use the main sitemap index or parent sitemap URL by default
  • If a sitemap index is provided, review the relevant child sitemaps
  • If separate page, post, or CPT sitemap URLs are provided, include all of them in the redirect review
  • If pasted sitemap contents are provided, use them as the working inventory
  • Treat sitemap contents as the working inventory of live URLs unless I tell you otherwise
  • Do not ignore posts or CPTs just because earlier planning focused on core pages
  • If a URL appears live and relevant but was not included in the future sitemap, it still needs redirect consideration

Step 5: Build the redirect table

After scope is confirmed, create a spreadsheet-friendly redirect table using these exact columns for Rank Math:

source | matching | destination | type | category | status

Column definitions

  • source = the old URL path only
  • matching = use exact unless I specify something else
  • destination = the new URL path only
  • type = use 301 unless I specify something else
  • category = a practical label such as Core Sitemap, Blog Migration, CPT Migration, Location Migration, etc.
  • status = active unless I specify otherwise

Redirect rules

  • Use only changed, removed, merged, or renamed URLs
  • Do not include rows for pages whose URL remains unchanged
  • Redirect to the closest matching future page
  • Preserve relevance and intent
  • Avoid homepage redirects unless the homepage is truly the best available match
  • If multiple old pages merge into one new page, include one row per old page
  • Include all deleted/subsumed pages, posts, and CPT entries that need redirect handling
  • Keep all content types in one master redirect list unless I explicitly ask for separate tables
  • If a page, post, or CPT URL is intentionally retired and there is no strong replacement, flag it and ask whether it should:
  • redirect to the nearest topical page, or
  • intentionally be allowed to 404

Output rules

  • Output the redirect table as a clean markdown table in chat, not code
  • Do not output CSV unless I ask for it
  • Keep source and destination as relative URL paths only
  • Do not include domain names unless I ask for full URLs
  • Build one master redirect list across all included content types
  • Use the category column to distinguish content types or migration groups within the master list

Quality control

Before finalizing:

  • Check that every old URL in scope has a destination or an explicit decision note
  • Check that no unchanged URLs are unnecessarily included
  • Check that the redirect destinations match the approved future sitemap
  • Check that no rows point to outdated or non-final destination URLs
  • Check that redirect intent is logical and closest-match based
  • Check that the sitemap index and relevant child sitemaps were actually reviewed
  • Check that pasted sitemap contents were incorporated if provided
  • Check that page, post, and CPT URLs were not accidentally omitted due to an old scope assumption

Start by confirming the approved sitemap and redirect scope with concise questions first, including the main sitemap index URL. If direct sitemap access is limited, ask me to paste the sitemap contents grouped by Pages, Posts, CPTs, Locations, and Utility/Archive pages. Then review all provided sitemap sources and build one master redirect table.