The Zero-Downtime Guide to Bulk Redirects with Cloudflare

One of the most stressful moments in any website launch is the "switch over." You’ve spent months designing the perfect UI and refining your navigation structure, but if you don't handle your legacy traffic correctly, all that hard work can be undermined in an instant.

If you are moving from an old domain (e.g., olddomainname.com.au) to a new one (e.g., newdomainname.com.au), you simply cannot afford to let your old links hit a "404 Not Found." Not only does it frustrate users, but it also tells Google that your site has effectively disappeared, destroying years of accumulated SEO authority.

At IGNITE, we often manage complex migrations for schools and non-profits. The tool we rely on for bulletproof redirections is Cloudflare Bulk Redirects.

Below is the exact process we use to redirect hundreds of URLs at once, ensuring you keep every ounce of "link juice" and every visitor.

Why Bulk Redirects?

Old-school methods involved writing hundreds of lines of code in an .htaccess file or using clunky WordPress plugins. Cloudflare Bulk Redirects are superior because:

1. Speed: The redirect happens at the edge (before the user even hits your server).
2. Scale: You can manage lists of 10,000+ URLs easily.
3. Security: It sits behind Cloudflare's enterprise-grade security layer.

The Step-by-Step Guide

Phase 1: Prepare Your Data

First, you need to map your old URLs to your new ones. Open Excel or Google Sheets and create a list.

Critical Rule: Do not add a header row. The file must contain only data.

Columns Guide:

• Column A (Source): The old URL. Remove https:// (e.g., olddomainname.com.au/contact).
• Column B (Target): The full new URL (e.g., https://newdomainname.com.au/contact).
• Column C (Status): 301 (Permanent Redirect).
• Column D (Preserve Query): TRUE (Passes tracking codes like UTMs).
• Column E (Subdomains): TRUE (Ensures www. also redirects).
• Column F (Subpath): FALSE.
• Column G (Preserve Suffix): FALSE.

Visual Example:

Save this file as CSV (Comma delimited).

Phase 2: Ensure DNS is "Proxied"

For Cloudflare to handle the redirect, the traffic must flow through their network.

1. Log in to Cloudflare and select your old domain.
2. Go to the DNS tab.
3. Ensure you have A Records for @ and www.
4. Important: The "Proxy Status" cloud icon must be Orange. If it is Grey, the redirect will not fire.
   • Tip: If your old server is already gone, point the A Records to a dummy IP like 192.0.2.1—Cloudflare intercepts the traffic before it hits that IP anyway.

Phase 3: Upload the Redirect List

1. Go to the Cloudflare Dashboard.
2. Navigate to Bulk Redirects (found under the "Rules" or "Configurations" menu).
3. Click Create Bulk Redirect List.
4. Name your list (e.g., Migration_2026) and upload your CSV.
5. Review the source/target preview to ensure no columns were shifted.

Phase 4: Activate the Rule

A list by itself does nothing; you need a rule to trigger it.

1. Click Create Bulk Redirect Rule.
2. Name it Activate Migration.
3. Select the list you just uploaded.
4. Click Save and Deploy.

Phase 5: Testing & Auditing

Once deployed, wait 60 seconds and test your links.

• Type olddomainname.com.au/contact in your browser.
• Watch it instantly snap to newdomainname.com.au/contact.

If you are migrating a large site, manual testing isn't enough. We recommend running a full crawl to ensure no loops were created. You can read more about our process for this in our Beginner’s Guide to Website Audits.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

• "The page isn't redirecting": Check your DNS in Phase 2. Is the cloud icon Orange?
• "Too many redirects": Check your CSV. Did you accidentally redirect a URL to itself?
• 404 Errors: Ensure your new target URLs are accurate. A redirect to a broken page is still a broken experience.

Need help with your next migration?

Site migrations are complex beasts. If you need a partner who understands the technical intricacies of DNS, SEO, and user experience, get in touch with the team at IGNITE.

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