Audit the map.
Then test the site.
Redirects can look sensible one row at a time and fail when you connect them. Check the entire path before importing your file.
1. Export your planned redirects
Use a CSV with Source and Target columns, or Shopify’s Redirect from and Redirect to. Each row should describe one exact redirect rule. Wildcard patterns and server configuration files are not supported.
2. Enter the source website
Relative paths such as /old-product are resolved against this origin. Full URLs retain their own origin. Paths stay case-sensitive, query strings are retained, and trailing slashes remain distinct because servers can treat them differently.
3. Fix errors first
A self-redirect points back to itself. A loop returns to an earlier URL. Conflicting sources give the same URL multiple destinations. Invalid URLs and chains leading into ambiguous rules also need correction.
4. Review warnings in context
A chain goes through an intermediate redirect. A duplicate repeats the same rule. External targets and fragments can be intentional; we flag them so you can decide. A warning is not automatically a mistake.
5. Download the report and recheck
The report includes source CSV row numbers and detected terminal URLs. It is a findings report, not a replacement redirect map. Correct your source file, then audit again.
6. Verify the live behavior
The map audit does not make network requests to your URLs. Our separate live-check preview observes redirects on hostnames you verify through DNS. After installing your map, test HTTP response codes, destination content, query handling, canonical URLs and your CMS’s redirect rules. Shopify, for example, only applies redirects to certain broken URLs and reserves several paths. See Shopify’s redirect documentation.