How do I set up proper 301 redirects when completely switching blogging platforms?
Map old URLs to new ones in a spreadsheet, drop them into Next.js's async redirects function, and set the permanent flag to true.
To set up proper 301 redirects when moving to VeloCMS, you need to map your old platform's URL structure to your new paths and add those routing rules directly into your Next.js configuration file. Doing this ensures your hard-earned SEO juice seamlessly transfers over to your new PocketBase-powered setup without dropping any organic traffic.
Why do my old URLs matter anyway?
Think of your website's links like digital forwarding addresses. If you just pack up and move from a clunky old WordPress site to our lightning-fast VeloCMS without leaving a note for the postman, Google gets confused and drops your mail in the trash. That means a massive hit to your search rankings. A 301 redirect is simply a permanent detour sign telling search engine crawlers exactly where your old articles live now. Since we built VeloCMS with an AI-first approach on Next.js, it already loads faster and costs pennies compared to your old host, but none of that matters if your loyal readers are staring at a broken server error page.
How do I map out my existing blog links?
Before you even touch a line of code, you have to know exactly what you are moving. Grab a blank spreadsheet. You want to pull a complete roster of your current published pages (you can usually export this straight from your old CMS or download a quick report from Google Search Console). Place the old URL paths in one column and figure out what the new, cleaner VeloCMS URL will be right next to it. Here is a pro tip you absolutely shouldn't skip. Run your old domain through a free broken link checker before you start moving things around. There is zero sense in setting up redirects for garbage pages or typos that nobody visits anymore. Just let those die off naturally and focus entirely on the posts that actually bring in your audience.
Where do I actually put these redirects in VeloCMS?
This is where the magic of Next.js really shines. You don't need heavy plugins bloating up your site just to point traffic in the right direction. Inside your VeloCMS project folder, you will find a file named next.config.js. Open that up. You are going to use the built-in async redirects function to pass your old paths to the new destinations. It is essentially just writing a tiny block of code that says whenever someone asks for your old blog category format, send them to the new article slug instead. Make sure you set the permanent flag to true, which is what actually makes it a true 301 rather than a temporary 302 hop. Because VeloCMS pairs this highly optimized front end with PocketBase, those redirects execute almost instantly.
How long should I keep these active?
Honestly, just leave them alone. People often ask when it is safe to rip those old routing rules out, assuming they are somehow slowing things down. In a legacy system, hundreds of redirects might cause a bit of backend drag. But you are on VeloCMS now. Next.js handles these at the server edge, meaning the performance impact is practically non-existent. Keep them in your config file indefinitely. You never know when someone might click a five-year-old backlink on an obscure forum, and you definitely still want that person landing on your shiny new website.
Switching platforms always feels a bit daunting at first, but handling your traffic routing doesn't have to be a headache. Take an afternoon to map things out properly, drop them into your configuration file, and let the system do the heavy lifting. You'll be back to publishing great content before you know it.