Site migration issues occur. You propose, create a staging website, after which when the location goes stay, there’s sure to be one thing incorrect.

High quality assurance will get thrust into overdrive the second that migrations are full.

You sift via 1000’s of pages, metadata, and extra to repair any issues earlier than another person notices.

It’s loads of work and time-consuming to really feel assured {that a} website migration is full with out points.

However, I’m going to point out you tips on how to identify migration issues rapidly utilizing Google Sheets and AI. You continue to have quite a bit to do (migration consultants, rejoice!), however this script goes that will help you:

  • Evaluate previous and new ScreamingFrog crawls.
  • Establish quick points that you must resolve.

SEOs have their very own methods and practices that they comply with, and this script goes to assist you to QA migrations rapidly based mostly by yourself necessities.

You’ll be able to adapt the script under to make this be just right for you, whether or not you’re engaged on a small native enterprise website or an enterprise.

Setting All the pieces Up With Screaming Frog And Google Sheets

I’m utilizing Screaming Frog for this instance as a result of it makes it simple for me to export information for each websites.

We’re going to imagine the next:

  1. Your first model is your stay web site, which we’ll name the Outdated Crawl.
  2. Your second model is your new website on a staging surroundings, which we’ll name New Crawl.

You’re going to create a Google Sheets with the next Sheets:

  • Overview.
  • Outdated Crawl.
  • New Crawl.

As soon as your Sheet is ready up correctly, run your ScreamingFrog scan utilizing any settings that you just like.

You’ll run the scan to your Outdated and New Crawl after which inmport the info to the Outdated Crawl and New Crawl tabs in your Sheets.

Your sheets will look one thing like this:

ScreamingFrog Export Crawl ResultsScreamingFrog Export Crawl Outcomes (Screenshot of Google Sheet, March 2025)

The New Crawl will look very related.

When you fill in each the New and Outdated Crawl sheets, you’ll have to populate your Overview sheet.

The desk that you just create on this sheet ought to include the next columns:

  • Current (previous) URL.
  • New URL.
  • Standing Code.
  • Indexability.
  • Title 1.
  • Meta Description 1.
  • H1-1.
  • H2-1.
  • Column 3.
  • Column 4.

Your Overview sheet will look one thing like this:

Migration QA Overview SheetMigration QA Overview Sheet (Screenshot of Google Sheet, March 2025)

Upon getting your sheets arrange, it’s time to place your favourite AI to work to check your information.

I used ChatGPT, however you should utilize any AI you want. I’m certain Claude, Deepseek, or Gemini would do equally as properly so long as you employ related prompts.

Prompts To Create Your Google Sheets Knowledge

You’ll be able to fill in your Google Sheet formulation by hand when you’re a method guru, nevertheless it’s simpler to let AI do it for you since we’re making fundamental comparisons.

Keep in mind, the Outdated Crawl is the stay website, and the New Crawl is my staging website.

Now, go to your AI instrument and immediate it with the next: 

I want a Google Sheets method that compares values between two sheets: "Outdated Crawl" and "New Crawl." The method ought to:
Lookup a worth in column A of "Outdated Crawl" utilizing the worth in column A of the present sheet.
Lookup a worth in column A of "New Crawl" utilizing the worth in column B of the present sheet.
Discover the corresponding column in each sheets by matching the column header in row 1 with the present column header.
If the values match, return "Go".
If they do not match, return "Error (oldnew)" with the differing values proven.
Use TEXTJOIN("", TRUE, ...) to format the error message.
Guarantee compatibility with Google Sheets by specifying specific ranges as a substitute of full-column references.

You’ll be able to alter these immediate factors by yourself.

For instance, you’ll be able to change “Outdated Crawl” to “Reside Web site,” however ensure that the sheet names match up correctly.

ChatGPT generated code for me that appears one thing like this: 

=IF(
INDEX('Outdated Crawl'!$A$1:$Z$1000, MATCH($A2, 'Outdated Crawl'!$A$1:$A$1000, 0), MATCH(C$1, 'Outdated Crawl'!$1:$1, 0)) =
INDEX('New Crawl'!$A$1:$Z$1000, MATCH($B2, 'New Crawl'!$A$1:$A$1000, 0), MATCH(C$1, 'New Crawl'!$1:$1, 0)),
"Go",
"Error (" & TEXTJOIN("", TRUE,
IFERROR(INDEX('Outdated Crawl'!$A$1:$Z$1000, MATCH($A2, 'Outdated Crawl'!$A$1:$A$1000, 0), MATCH(C$1, 'Outdated Crawl'!$1:$1, 0)), ""),
IFERROR(INDEX('New Crawl'!$A$1:$Z$1000, MATCH($B2, 'New Crawl'!$A$1:$A$1000, 0), MATCH(C$1, 'New Crawl'!$1:$1, 0)), "")
) & ")"
)

You should utilize these fundamental formulation to start out evaluating rows by pasting the method in row 2.

Including the method is so simple as double-clicking the sector and pasting it in.

I do know that you just’ll wish to make this a bit of extra complicated. You are able to do loads of issues with Google Sheets and formulation, so tweak issues as wanted.

Concepts For Increasing Your Migration Sheet

Your formulation will depend upon the settings of your Screaming Frog crawl, however listed here are a couple of that I feel will work properly:

  • Create a operate to check all the standing codes between the Outdated Crawl and New Crawl to establish key points that exist. For instance, if a web page has something however a 200 code, you’ll be able to spotlight the problem to repair it rapidly.
  • Add a method to focus on metadata that’s too lengthy or quick, so that you could add it to your activity listing for when the audit is over.
  • Create a operate to observe Response Time between each the Outdated and New Crawl so that you could establish any points that the brand new crawl could have or report velocity will increase if switching to a brand new host or server.
  • Create one other operate to check the URL construction of every URL. You would possibly evaluate trailing slashes, construction and extra.
  • Develop a brand new operate for Inlinks to ensure that no inner hyperlinks have been misplaced within the migration. It’s also possible to verify exterior hyperlinks utilizing the identical idea.

Migrating a site is always tedious.

Quite a lot of QA goes into the method, and whereas obligatory, the idea above will make the method a lot simpler.

It’s also possible to use AI to advocate additional enhancements to your newly migrated website.

How would you enhance this file or its performance?

Extra Assets:

Featured Picture: TarikVision/Shutterstock


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