Broken links after a CMS migration happen because page addresses change and old links point to locations that no longer exist. A CMS migration means moving pages, files, and database records from one content management system to another, and each system builds addresses in a slightly different way. The damage spreads quickly. Navigation menus, related posts, images, downloads, and links from other sites can all fail at once when paths, folders, or file rules change.
Official resources:
- Follow Google's site migration checklist for URL changes — Verify the required steps for mapping old URLs, adding redirects, and monitoring a migration.
- Use Google's redirect guidance to preserve migrated URLs — Check which redirect type to implement so old CMS links resolve to the correct new pages.
Table of Contents
- How do changed addresses break links?
- Why does reorganized content cause missing pages?
- What breaks inside text, images, and files?
- How can you catch breaks before launch?
- Frequently Asked Questions
How do changed addresses break links?
A new system often uses a different pattern for page addresses. A page that lived at /about-us/ may become /about, or /blog/post-name may become /news/post-name. Any saved bookmark, menu entry, or outside link that uses the old pattern will then hit a missing page.
Trailing slashes, capital letters, and file extensions cause the same problem. One system treats /Contact and /contact/ as the same page while the next treats them as different pages. Redirect rules carried over from the old site may also stop working if they depend on folders that no longer exist.
Why does reorganized content cause missing pages?
Migrations often rename sections, merge duplicate pages, or split long pages into smaller ones. A services hub may be divided into separate pages for design, development, and support. Old links to the hub or to anchors halfway down the page will fail if those targets were removed.
Deleted drafts, expired offers, and unpublished test pages add more breaks. The old system may have kept them reachable, while the new system hides unpublished items by default. Content imports can also skip items when titles match, dates are invalid, or authors are missing.
What breaks inside text, images, and files?
Many breaks hide inside the page body rather than in menus. Writers often paste full internal addresses into text, image captions, buttons, and calls to action. Those hard-coded addresses keep pointing to the old folders after the move.
Media files are a common trouble spot. Image paths, PDFs, videos, and download forms may move from /uploads/ to /sites/default/files/ or gain new file names during import. A page can look correct while its images, stylesheets, scripts, or attached documents return errors.
How can you catch breaks before launch?
A short prelaunch routine prevents most failures. Work from a full list of old addresses rather than memory.
Keep the redirect map after launch. Paid campaigns, newsletters, social posts, and partner sites may continue sending visitors to old addresses for months, and a saved map lets you fix missed paths without guessing.
- Export every old page and file address before the move.
- Map each old address to its new address or to the closest live replacement.
- Add permanent redirects for renamed or merged pages.
- Update hard-coded links in text, widgets, menus, and templates.
- Test forms, search filters, paged listings, and password-protected areas by clicking through them.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do links break when all pages were moved?
Pages can move while their addresses change. Folder names, date patterns, and ID numbers often differ between systems, so the content exists at a new address while old links still use the prior one.
Why do images fail while text looks normal?
Text may import correctly while linked files move to a new folder. If image and document paths still point to the old upload folder, the page loads but the files do not.
How long should redirects stay in place?
Keep redirects for as long as outside sites, saved bookmarks, and active campaigns still use old addresses. Removing them early can turn working links into dead ends again.
