I already have a website — what happens to it?
Overview
Migration basics
Most customers already have a website.
If you do, your new site is not built in a vacuum. It is rebuilt from what you already have, while planning carefully for what should stay, what should improve, and what should change.
Who this is for
businesses with an existing website
prospects comparing migration options
customers starting onboarding
What this article covers
what happens to your current site
what happens to your domain and pages
how migration works at a high level
when a larger or more sensitive move needs more planning
Your current site is part of the process
Migration is part of the Sites service.
That means your current site is not treated like a separate starting problem. If you already have a site, moving it into your new experience is part of the work that gets planned with you.
Your domain stays the same
In most cases, your business keeps the same domain.
The goal is for your new site to replace the old one on your existing domain so your web presence stays consistent.
Not every old page becomes a new page in the same way
Migration is not a simple copy-and-paste exercise.
Some pages from your current site may be:
rebuilt as part of the new site
combined into stronger, cleaner pages
redirected to a better destination
retired if they no longer need to exist
completed after launch as part of the remaining in-scope migration work
What your plan covers
Each plan is designed to cover current sites up to a certain size.
If your current site fits within the standard migration coverage for your plan, that migration is included.
If your current site is larger, your plan may need to be extended to cover it. And if your site has higher complexity, active search sensitivity, or more structural decisions to make, a Migration Plan may be the right starting step.
What happens to blog posts and content libraries
Blog posts and content libraries are handled separately from standard page migration.
That is because migrating a content library is different from rebuilding a designed page.
Launch and Move-in Complete are different milestones
Launch is when your new site goes live.
Move-in Complete is when the remaining in-scope migration work after launch has been completed.
That means your site can launch successfully even while some planned migration work is still being finished in the background.
FAQ
Will everything be moved before launch?
Not always. Launch and Move-in Complete are separate milestones, so some in-scope migration work may continue after launch.
What happens to my blog posts?
Blog posts are reviewed separately from standard pages. Some plans include blog post migration, and larger content libraries may require a Migration Plan.
What if my current site is bigger than my plan covers?
Your plan may be extended to cover the larger site or a Migration Plan may be recommended if the move needs more structured planning.
What happens to pages I no longer need?
Some older pages may be merged, redirected, or retired as part of cleaning up the site structure.
Will I keep my domain?
In most cases yes. Sites is designed so your business keeps using its current domain while the new website replaces the old one.