OutsourceAccess.com Migration Checklist

WPEngine to Cloudflare + Design Overhaul
Overall Progress
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◆ Recommended Approach: Sequential Execution

Step 1
Server Migration
Low risk • No content changes
Step 2
Design Overhaul
Higher risk • SEO preservation critical
  1. Server migration is low-risk (DNS/CDN only, no content changes) and can be completed independently in a few hours.
  2. Design overhaul is higher-risk and benefits from having the new infrastructure already stable before layering on visual changes.
  3. Running both simultaneously doubles the variables if something breaks. Isolating workstreams makes root-cause analysis trivial.
  4. StudioHawk can focus purely on design-related SEO concerns if the hosting infrastructure is already settled and verified.
☁

Workstream 1: Server Migration

WPEngine → Cloudflare + GoDaddy DNS → Cloudflare Nameservers
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▾ Pre-Migration Setup 0/6
Document current WPEngine configuration
PHP version, caching rules, redirect rules, .htaccess, wp-config.php settings, server environment variables.
Pre-Migration
Export full DNS zone from GoDaddy
Screenshot + export all DNS records (A, AAAA, CNAME, MX, TXT, SPF, DKIM, DMARC, SRV). Save as backup before any changes.
Pre-MigrationLow Risk
Run baseline performance benchmarks
GTmetrix, PageSpeed Insights, WebPageTest. Save screenshots and scores for before/after comparison.
Pre-Migration
Add outsourceaccess.com to Cloudflare
Add the domain to Brad's Cloudflare account. Cloudflare will scan existing DNS records. Review them for accuracy before proceeding.
Pre-Migration
Verify all DNS records imported correctly into Cloudflare
Cross-reference the GoDaddy export against Cloudflare's imported records. Pay special attention to MX, SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records for email.
Pre-MigrationCritical
Create full WPEngine site backup
Use WPEngine's backup tool. Ensure database + files are both included. Download a local copy as insurance.
Pre-MigrationLow Risk
▾ GoDaddy DNS → Cloudflare Nameservers 0/5
Set Cloudflare A/CNAME records to proxy WPEngine origin (orange cloud, proxy-only)
Initially point Cloudflare DNS at WPEngine's IP/hostname. Use "Proxied" mode so traffic flows through Cloudflare but still hits WPEngine. This lets you test Cloudflare's CDN without changing hosting yet.
During Migration
Update GoDaddy nameservers to Cloudflare's assigned NS records
In GoDaddy domain settings, replace existing nameservers with Cloudflare's (e.g., ns1.cloudflare.com, ns2.cloudflare.com). Propagation typically 15 min to 48 hours.
During MigrationCritical
Verify Cloudflare shows domain as "Active"
Cloudflare dashboard should show green "Active" status once nameservers propagate. Use dig or nslookup to confirm NS records point to Cloudflare.
During Migration
Test site accessibility from multiple locations
Use tools like check-host.net or uptrends.com to verify the site loads from different geographic regions during DNS propagation.
During Migration
Verify TTL values are reasonable (300s recommended during migration)
Lower TTLs before migration so changes propagate faster. Can increase back to 3600+ after everything is stable.
During Migration
▾ SSL / HTTPS Verification 0/4
Enable Cloudflare Universal SSL
Cloudflare provides free SSL. Set SSL/TLS mode to "Full (Strict)" if WPEngine has a valid origin cert, or "Full" if using a self-signed origin cert.
During MigrationCritical
Enable "Always Use HTTPS" redirect rule
Cloudflare setting: SSL/TLS > Edge Certificates > Always Use HTTPS. Forces all HTTP requests to HTTPS.
During Migration
Test SSL certificate validity with SSL Labs (ssllabs.com)
Run a full SSL test. Aim for A or A+ rating. Check for mixed content warnings, certificate chain issues, and protocol support.
Post-Migration
Scan for mixed content issues (HTTP resources on HTTPS pages)
Use browser dev tools or a crawler like Screaming Frog to find any images, scripts, or stylesheets loaded via HTTP instead of HTTPS.
Post-Migration
▾ Email Routing Preservation 0/5
Verify MX records point to Google Workspace
outsourceaccess.com email runs through Google Workspace. MX records must point to Google's mail servers (ASPMX.L.GOOGLE.COM, etc.). Verify these are correct in Cloudflare.
Critical
Verify SPF record (TXT) is present and correct
SPF record should include Google's servers. Example: "v=spf1 include:_spf.google.com ~all". Missing SPF = emails may land in spam.
Critical
Verify DKIM record is present and correct
DKIM authenticates email. Check Google Admin Console for the DKIM key, then verify the corresponding CNAME or TXT record exists in Cloudflare DNS.
Critical
Verify DMARC record is present
DMARC policy should exist as a TXT record on _dmarc.outsourceaccess.com. Even a basic "v=DMARC1; p=none;" is better than nothing.
During Migration
Send test emails to/from @outsourceaccess.com and verify delivery
After DNS migration, send emails from brad@outsourceaccess.com to external addresses (Gmail, Outlook) and vice versa. Check headers for SPF/DKIM pass.
Post-Migration
▾ CDN, Caching & Performance 0/6
Configure Cloudflare caching rules
Set appropriate cache levels for static assets (images, CSS, JS). Consider "Cache Everything" page rule for static pages. Set browser cache TTL to 4 hours minimum.
Post-Migration
Enable Cloudflare performance features
Auto Minify (CSS/JS/HTML), Brotli compression, HTTP/2, HTTP/3 (QUIC), Early Hints, Rocket Loader (test carefully with WP).
Post-Migration
Configure Cloudflare firewall/WAF rules
Enable bot protection, set security level to "Medium," configure rate limiting for wp-login.php and xmlrpc.php. Block known bad user agents.
Post-Migration
Disable WPEngine CDN to avoid double-caching
WPEngine has its own CDN (EverCache). With Cloudflare fronting traffic, disable WPEngine's CDN to prevent cache conflicts and stale content issues.
Post-Migration
Run post-migration performance benchmarks
Re-run GTmetrix, PageSpeed Insights, WebPageTest. Compare against pre-migration baselines. Document improvements or regressions.
Post-Migration
Monitor for 48 hours post-migration
Watch for downtime, SSL errors, email delivery failures, or unexpected redirects. Check Cloudflare Analytics for error rates. Keep WPEngine account active as rollback option.
Post-Migration
★

Workstream 2: Design Overhaul with SEO Preservation

Full site redesign while protecting search rankings and backlink equity
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▾ URL Structure Audit & Redirect Planning 0/6
Crawl current site and export complete URL inventory
Use Screaming Frog or Sitebulb to crawl every URL on the current site. Export as spreadsheet. This is the master list that every other check references.
Pre-RedesignHigh Risk
Map every old URL to its new URL (1:1 mapping spreadsheet)
Every existing URL must have a defined destination in the new site structure. If a page is being removed, it needs a redirect to the most relevant alternative. No orphaned URLs.
Pre-RedesignHigh RiskStudioHawk Review
Build comprehensive 301 redirect map
For every URL that changes, create a 301 (permanent) redirect from old to new. Implement via Cloudflare bulk redirects, .htaccess, or WordPress plugin depending on hosting setup post-migration.
Pre-RedesignCriticalStudioHawk Review
Identify and preserve high-traffic landing pages
Pull top pages from Google Analytics and Search Console. These pages carry the most SEO equity and organic traffic. Their URLs, content, and meta data should be preserved or carefully redirected.
Pre-RedesignHigh Risk
Check for existing redirects on current site and preserve redirect chains
Some URLs may already redirect to others. Ensure the new redirect map doesn't create chains (A→B→C) or loops. Each redirect should go directly to the final destination.
Pre-RedesignMedium Risk
Test all 301 redirects in staging before go-live
Use a redirect checker or custom script to hit every old URL and verify it lands on the correct new URL with a 301 status code. No 302s, no 404s, no loops.
During RedesignCritical
▾ On-Page SEO Preservation 0/7
Export all meta titles and descriptions from current site
Crawl with Screaming Frog and export title tags and meta descriptions for every indexed page. These are the baseline that the redesign must preserve or improve (never lose).
Pre-RedesignHigh RiskStudioHawk Review
Migrate meta titles and descriptions to new pages
Every page on the new site must have at minimum the same meta title and description quality as the old site. If StudioHawk recommends improvements, layer those on top. Never launch with blank meta fields.
During RedesignCritical
Preserve heading hierarchy (H1, H2, H3 structure)
New design templates must maintain proper heading structure. One H1 per page. H2s for sections. H3s for sub-sections. Heading text should include target keywords where natural.
During RedesignMedium Risk
Preserve all image alt text
Export all current image alt text. When images are re-uploaded or reorganized in the new design, ensure alt text is carried over. Missing alt text = lost SEO signal + accessibility failure.
During RedesignMedium Risk
Migrate and validate schema markup (structured data)
Export current schema (Organization, LocalBusiness, FAQ, Article, etc.) from the old site. Implement on the new site. Test with Google's Rich Results Test tool. Add any missing schema types StudioHawk recommends.
During RedesignMedium RiskStudioHawk Review
Audit and rebuild internal link structure
Map all internal links on the current site. When the new design launches, internal links must point to valid pages (not old URLs). Verify no broken internal links exist.
During RedesignHigh Risk
Verify canonical tags on all pages
Each page should have a self-referencing canonical tag pointing to its own URL (with HTTPS and preferred www/non-www version). Prevents duplicate content issues.
Post-RedesignMedium Risk
▾ Content & Media Parity 0/5
Full content parity audit: every page's text content preserved
Compare word counts and key paragraphs between old and new versions of each page. Content can be rewritten or improved, but no indexed content should simply disappear. Flag any pages removed without redirect.
During RedesignHigh RiskStudioHawk Review
Verify all media files (images, videos, PDFs) migrated
Cross-reference media library. Ensure all images are at proper resolution (see Image Quality Validation Protocol). No broken image links on any page.
During RedesignMedium Risk
Preserve and verify all forms, CTAs, and conversion elements
Contact forms, demo request forms, "Get Started" buttons, phone number links, chat widgets. Every conversion path on the old site must exist and function on the new site.
During RedesignCritical
Verify blog/resource posts are fully migrated with dates preserved
Blog posts must retain original publish dates, author attribution, categories, and tags. Changing publish dates can affect search freshness signals.
During RedesignMedium Risk
Check for hardcoded URLs in content that need updating
Search the database for any hardcoded links (absolute URLs to old pages, old CDN paths, old image paths). Replace with updated URLs to prevent internal 404s.
During RedesignMedium Risk
▾ Technical SEO & Search Indexing 0/7
Generate and submit new XML sitemap
Create an updated sitemap.xml with all new URLs. Submit to Google Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools. Remove any old URLs from the sitemap.
Post-RedesignCritical
Update robots.txt
Ensure robots.txt allows crawling of all important pages. Reference the new sitemap location. Remove any staging-specific blocks. Verify no critical pages are accidentally disallowed.
Post-RedesignMedium Risk
Request indexing of key pages via Google Search Console
Manually submit the most important pages (homepage, services, about, contact, top blog posts) for re-indexing via the URL Inspection tool in GSC.
Post-Redesign
Monitor Google Search Console for crawl errors daily for 2 weeks
Check the Coverage report and URL Inspection tool daily. Fix any new 404s, soft 404s, server errors, or redirect errors immediately. This is the highest-signal data source for SEO migration health.
Post-RedesignHigh RiskStudioHawk Review
Verify Open Graph and Twitter Card meta tags
Test social sharing previews for key pages using Facebook's Sharing Debugger and Twitter's Card Validator. Ensure og:title, og:description, og:image are set correctly on all pages.
Post-RedesignLow Risk
Verify Google Analytics / GA4 tracking is active on all pages
Confirm the GA4 tag fires on every page of the new site. Check real-time reports to verify. Also verify any other tracking (HubSpot, Facebook Pixel, LinkedIn Insight, etc.).
Post-RedesignCritical
Monitor organic traffic and keyword rankings for 30 days post-launch
Set up a weekly comparison report: organic sessions, impressions, clicks, average position for top 50 keywords. Flag any ranking drops greater than 3 positions for immediate investigation.
Post-RedesignHigh RiskStudioHawk Review
▾ Performance, Mobile & UX Verification 0/5
Run Core Web Vitals assessment on new design
Test LCP (Largest Contentful Paint), FID/INP (Interaction to Next Paint), and CLS (Cumulative Layout Shift) using PageSpeed Insights. All three must be in "Good" range. Google uses CWV as a ranking signal.
Post-RedesignHigh RiskStudioHawk Review
Mobile responsiveness testing across devices
Test on iPhone (Safari), Android (Chrome), iPad. Use Chrome DevTools device emulation. Verify all content is accessible, no horizontal scroll, text is readable without zooming, tap targets are sized appropriately.
Post-RedesignMedium Risk
Cross-browser testing (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge)
Verify layout, fonts, forms, and interactive elements render correctly across all major browsers. Pay attention to Safari-specific CSS issues and Firefox form styling.
Post-RedesignLow Risk
Accessibility audit (WCAG 2.1 AA basics)
Run Lighthouse accessibility audit. Check: alt text on images, form labels, color contrast ratios, keyboard navigation, skip navigation link. Fix any critical issues.
Post-RedesignLow Risk
Page load speed comparison: old site vs. new site
Side-by-side comparison of load times for homepage, key service pages, and blog. New site should be equal or faster. If slower, investigate render-blocking resources, unoptimized images, or excessive third-party scripts.
Post-RedesignMedium Risk
▾ StudioHawk SEO Coordination 0/4
Share URL mapping and redirect plan with StudioHawk for review
Send the complete URL mapping spreadsheet and 301 redirect plan to StudioHawk before implementation. Get their sign-off on the redirect strategy. They may identify pages or patterns you missed.
Pre-RedesignStudioHawk Review
Get StudioHawk sign-off on new site structure and navigation
Before the new design is finalized, share the proposed sitemap/navigation structure with StudioHawk. They can advise on SEO-optimal page hierarchy and internal linking strategy.
Pre-RedesignStudioHawk Review
Coordinate launch timing with StudioHawk
Avoid launching during major Google algorithm updates. StudioHawk can advise on optimal timing. Ensure they have access to GSC and analytics to monitor post-launch.
During RedesignStudioHawk Review
Schedule post-launch SEO review with StudioHawk at 2 weeks and 30 days
Book two review checkpoints: 2 weeks post-launch (early warning) and 30 days post-launch (trend confirmation). Review rankings, traffic, crawl errors, and redirect effectiveness.
Post-RedesignStudioHawk Review

Migration Notes

OutsourceAccess Migration Checklist · Built by Sterling