Google Says Site Migrations Can Take 4+ Months. Here Is the Migration Checklist I Would Run First

Site migrations can take more than four months to complete, according to Google's John Mueller. The length depends on factors like site size, URL changes, and technical implementation. Google does not have a magic reindex button, but the difference between a quick migration and a long one often comes down to preparation. To minimize delays, follow a comprehensive checklist before launching the new site.

Start with a pre-migration audit, crawl the old site and export all URLs with their status codes, titles, meta descriptions, headings, and word counts. This ground truth will help identify any traffic loss later. Map every old URL to its closest new equivalent using 1:1 301 redirects, keeping URL slugs clean and avoiding stuffing keywords.

Document Search Console data and monitor indexing daily during the first two weeks after launch. Avoid redesigning the entire site at once and stagger big changes instead. Keep the old domain and its redirects live for at least a year to preserve link equity. Keep in mind that a temporary traffic dip after migration is not necessarily a penalty, as rankings require reprocessing of new signals.