301 redirect and launch question(s)

I have an old site that is currently live. Not huge, maybe 10 pages. I understand I need to re-direct the old pages to not lose search engine ranking.

So, once I have the site tested and I am ready to launch what is the exact procedure? I’ll be going to Webflow as the host.

1 - do I need to pull the other site down? Ie, delete the index/home page, remove all pages from server, what is the best practice?

2 - I think I can’t do the re-direct until the new site is live, right? So do I just save the old URL’s and then set up the 301 directs once the new site is live? I don’t think I can do it while the old site is live and new one being completed in webflow (though I do often “publish” to test the changes and flow).

Any insight or suggestions appreciated.

Normally I would add the old domain to my project custom domains since it sounds like you are done using that domain.

You can build your redirects in Webflow, before changing the old site IP’s to point to the new settings for hosting on Webflow,

Add the redirects to the project settings. That way when the DNS is updated on the old domain. you have continuity, and should not miss a beat.

Thanks Webdev, but I’m not sure I follow you. Some of this terminology is now to me too.

WHen you say old domain, you mean the www.xxxxxx.com name, yes? If so, the domain name will actually (hopefully) remain exactly the same (for the home page at least). The name of the individual pages may vary (or be the same).

You then said I could build the redirects before changing the old IP’s. When I envisioned this (in my novice simple mind) I figured I would - make the redirect, then just pull the old “page” off the server.

For example say the old page was “www.IPTalaska.com/_new_patients”. I imagined I would make a page “www.IPTalaska.com/new_patient_2”. Then I would “redirect” viw webflow by telling the search engine “www.IPTalaska.com/_new_patients” was gone (because I would delete it from the server - or do I have to?) ad point it to “www.IPTalaska.com/new_patient_2”.

Does that make sense? Am I over thinking or misunderstanding this?