Changing a page URL, and redirects

For dealership staff, marketing managers and SEO agencies.

Changing a page's address, retiring a page, or migrating from an old site all raise the same question: what happens to people and search engines who still have the old URL? The answer is a redirect, and getting it right protects rankings you've already earned.

The rule that matters

⚠️ If a URL has ever been public, don't just delete or rename it — redirect it. A page that vanishes returns a 404 to every shopper who bookmarked it, every ad still pointing at it, and every search result that hasn't refreshed yet. Any ranking that page had is lost rather than passed on. A redirect keeps the traffic and hands most of the SEO value to the new page.

When you need one

• You changed a page's slug. The old address stops working the moment you save.
• You deleted a page that had traffic — send people to the nearest equivalent rather than a 404.
• You moved to Overfuel from another website provider and the old site's URLs were structured differently.
• You're consolidating — two pages becoming one.
• A campaign needs a short, memorable URL that forwards to a longer one.

Adding redirects

You can manage redirects yourself at Website → Settings → Redirects:

• One or two URLs: use + Add Redirect. See 2-minute fix: add a redirect.
• A list, for example after a site migration: use Upload CSV. See 10-minute recipe: bulk-upload redirects.

Enter the old address as a path, such as /old-page-name, not the full URL. Point it at the new path or a full URL:

/old-page-name          ->  /new-page-name
/2024-holiday-event     ->  /specials
/used-cars-springfield  ->  /used

Would rather hand it over? Send us the old → new list or spreadsheet, and we'll load it for you.

Before you send the list

• Point each URL at its closest equivalent, not at the homepage. Sending everything to the homepage is technically a redirect, but search engines treat a mass redirect to the homepage much like a 404, and shoppers bounce. A used-inventory page should go to used inventory.
• Check the destination exists and loads what you expect. A redirect to a broken page is worse than the original problem.
• Don't chain them. If /a already redirects to /b and you now want /b to become /c, tell us — we'll point /a straight at /c rather than leaving a hop.

Finding out what's broken

If you have Google Search Console, its Pages report lists URLs Google has found that return errors — that's the most reliable source for a redirect list, because it reflects what Google is actually still trying to reach. Your analytics can show 404 landing pages that still receive traffic, which tells you which ones are worth redirecting first.

If you don't have Search Console connected, that's worth fixing regardless — see the article on Google access.

Changing a page's URL without breaking it

When you change the slug of a published page or blog post and save, a permanent redirect from the old address is created for you automatically. You'll find it in your Redirects list, titled "Page slug redirect". This only happens if the page is published when you save; saving it as a draft doesn't create one.

1. Change the slug in Page Settings, keep Status on Published, and save.
2. Paste the old URL into a private window to confirm it lands on the new one.
3. Update any menu item pointing at the old URL, plus any ad campaigns, printed material or listings using it.

Step 3 is the one that gets missed. The redirect means those links still work, but a link that goes straight to the right place is always better than one that bounces through a redirect.

Taking a page down altogether? See 10-minute recipe: retire a page without losing its traffic. It covers unpublishing, redirecting and cleaning up the links.

What to send Overfuel Support

If you'd like us to do it, or a redirect isn't working:

• The old → new pairs, as a list or spreadsheet
• Which rooftop and domain
• Whether the change is permanent or temporary
• For a migration, the old site's URL list if you can export one

Email support@overfuel.com.