How can I swap my current website with a new one on Webflow and make sure my URLs and hosting are correctly redirected?
TL;DR
- Finish building and testing the new Webflow site, ensuring URL slugs match the old site or set 301 redirects.
- Move your custom domain to the new project, update DNS settings, publish the new site, and verify redirects and sitemap via Google Search Console.
To swap your current website with a new one on Webflow while preserving hosting and URLs, follow these essential steps carefully to avoid downtime and SEO issues.
1. Prepare the New Website in Webflow
- Finish building your new site in a separate Webflow project or within the same project (using a new page structure or folder).
- Test all pages carefully, especially those with high traffic or SEO importance.
2. Match or Redirect URL Slugs
- Match URL slugs exactly to your old website's URLs whenever possible to maintain SEO.
- For changed URL structures, use 301 redirects:
Go to Project Settings > Hosting > 301 Redirects and enter:
- Old path (e.g.,
/about-us) - New path (e.g.,
/about) - Use wildcard redirects sparingly and only if you're restructuring a full folder or category.
3. Connect Your Custom Domain to the New Project
- If your old and new sites are in separate Webflow projects, you’ll need to move the custom domain:
- Go to Project Settings > Hosting on the new project.
- Scroll to Custom Domains and add your domain (e.g.,
www.example.com). - Webflow will show 2 A records and a CNAME record. Update these in your DNS.
Recommended A records:
- (a) 75.2.70.75
- (b) 99.83.190.102
CNAME:
- www → proxy-ssl.webflow.com
- Remove the domain from the old project (required before publishing on the new one).
- Allow DNS changes to propagate (typically within 1–24 hours).
4. Publish the New Site
- Once the domain is connected and DNS records verified, publish the new project to the custom domain.
- Webflow will handle the SSL certificate automatically.
5. Test URLs and Redirects
- Visit common URLs from your old site to ensure they still work or redirect properly.
- Use tools like Screaming Frog or Ahrefs to identify broken links.
- Check Google Search Console for crawl errors after the switch.
6. Submit Your New Sitemap to Google
- Generate a new sitemap at
www.yourdomain.com/sitemap.xml - Submit the new sitemap in Google Search Console to help Google index your new structure quickly.
Summary
To swap your website in Webflow without issues, finish building the new site, match or redirect old URLs, transfer your custom domain, and publish it. Don’t forget to test redirects and update your sitemap to maintain SEO performance.
