Change a web address without leaving broken paths behind
Changing a page name can look like a small job. But its address may appear in sent emails, search engines, documents and bookmarks you do not control. If you only change the menu link, visitors arriving through other routes may be left without a useful answer.
Make a map before moving anything
Prepare a list of old addresses and the new page that corresponds to each one. Start with pages where you can identify visits, enquiries or external links. Include other language versions. An old Catalan page should not end up on an English homepage simply because that homepage exists.
If content disappears and has no useful equivalent, review that case separately. Redirecting everything to the homepage may look like a quick fix, but it does not necessarily answer what the person was looking for.
Separate permanent and temporary changes
Google Search Central explains that permanent redirects indicate that the new destination should be shown in search results, while temporary redirects describe a provisional move. For a permanent change, a server-side 301 or 308 redirect is a common option. Do not choose it simply because a plugin offers it: first confirm that the move really is permanent.
This is a technical instruction about the destination, not a promise to preserve rankings or change search results immediately. Crawling and indexing follow their own process, which should not be confused with the moment you deploy a redirect.
Update the links you control
Menus, blog cards, internal links, the sitemap and canonical addresses should reflect the correct destination. Avoid having a new page send visitors to an old address that then redirects them to a third one. The mapping should remain understandable to whoever has to maintain the site next.
Check the complete journey
Open each old URL and verify the response code, final destination and actual content. A successful status is not enough if the wrong page opens. Test language links and a mobile visit too. Save the map and change date so a later review does not depend on one person remembering what happened.