Gather Your Site URLs Fast for Squarespace Redirects
Learning Objectives
- Learn to quickly extract all URLs from your Squarespace site
- Understand how to organise these URLs in a spreadsheet
- Discover the importance of this organisation for effective 301 redirect planning
Introduction
When you're reshaping your Squarespace site, ensuring that old page links don't lead to dead ends is crucial. This chapter covers simple, actionable steps to extract your site's current URLs and organise them efficiently. By the end, you'll know exactly how to prepare for smooth and error-free 301 redirects.
Lessons
Extracting Your Website URLs
The foundation of effective 301 redirects is a comprehensive list of your existing URLs. Here's how to capture them quickly:
Step 1: Log in to your Squarespace account.
Step 2: Access your Analytics area by selecting 'Analytics' from your dashboard.
Step 3: Click on 'Traffic' and then 'All Traffic' to see a list of URLs currently being accessed by your visitors.
Step 4: Use the export function to download these URLs into a CSV file.
Make sure to sort your URL list by frequency of visits. This helps prioritise redirects for pages that receive the most traffic.
Organising URLs in a Spreadsheet
With your URLs downloaded, the next step is organisation:
Step 1: Open the CSV file in a spreadsheet program like Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets.
Step 2: Create headings such as 'Old URL', 'New URL', and 'Notes' for better clarity and tracking.
Step 3: Begin categorising each URL based on whether it needs a redirect or can be excluded.
Use colour coding for different actions required (red for urgent redirects, yellow for review needed).
Planning Your 301 Redirects
Organised data leads to effective redirect planning:
Step 1: Identify URLs that result in page errors or are outdated.
Step 2: Map each old URL to a corresponding new URL where visitors should be redirected.
Step 3: Prepare a final review of your mappings to ensure accuracy before implementation.
Regularly update your spreadsheet as new pages are added or removed from your site, keeping your redirect plan current.
Organisation is key to redirect success. A well-structured spreadsheet not only prevents errors but also saves time during the implementation of 301 redirects.
Practice
Try extracting and organising the URLs from your own Squarespace website. Create a simple spreadsheet and categorise at least ten URLs based on whether they need redirection.
FAQs
How do I know if a URL needs a 301 redirect?
A URL needs a 301 redirect if it points to a page that no longer exists or has been moved to maintain SEO ranking and provide a seamless user experience.
Can I automate the process of gathering URLs for my site?
While the initial export from analytics needs to be manual, you can use various third-party tools that integrate with Squarespace for ongoing URL tracking.
What should I do if I make a mistake with a URL redirect?
If an incorrect redirect is deployed, it can be edited directly in the URL Mappings section of your Squarespace settings, allowing quick fixes and adjustments.
Jargon Buster
301 Redirects: Permanent web redirects that pass full link equity (ranking power) to the redirected page.
URL Mappings: The process of aligning old URLs to new URLs to maintain user navigation and SEO benefits.
CSV File: A comma-separated values file, which allows data to be saved in a structured table format easily readable by spreadsheet applications.
Wrap-up
By now, you should feel confident about gathering and organising your Squarespace site URLs in preparation for 301 redirects. These foundational steps are crucial for maintaining your SEO efforts and ensuring a smooth user transition to new site structures. Continue to refine your skills by practising these steps and exploring further customisation options available in Squarespace.