Keeping your website link accurate after a redesign or domain move

A working website link is one of the main ways customers find and trust your business. If you have updated your site, changed your domain or moved to a new platform, your link may break—potentially losing enquiries and reducing confidence. It only takes a few steps to keep everything accurate and consistent, so your listing continues to work for you.

Common reasons your website link may break

Changing a website or domain can cause your link to stop working in several ways, even if the new site is live elsewhere. Some of the most frequent causes include:

• Expired domains: If you let your old domain expire, anyone clicking your previous link will see an error or a page unrelated to your business. This can confuse customers and damages credibility.
• Hosting lapses: If hosting is not renewed or is misconfigured during a move, the site may disappear, even though the domain itself is still registered. When this happens, the link will stop displaying your site.
• New domain, no redirect: If you launch a new domain but do not put a redirect in place from the old one, all existing links (including your Annuvell Local listing) will lead to a dead end. Customers may assume you are no longer trading.
• Changed paths: Moving to a new website structure often changes the actual address of the homepage or main pages. For example, if your link was www.example.co.uk/home and your new site homepage is just www.example.co.uk, the old link will show as broken unless updated or redirected.
• http-only sites: If your new site uses HTTPS, but the old link points to HTTP, some browsers will block the connection or show warnings. A mismatch here can mean your site is flagged as insecure or unavailable.

Checking your link after any web change helps you spot these problems before your customers do. You can read more on how links are checked in the guide: How Annuvell checks contact details and websites.

What the checker sees—and what your dashboard shows

When Annuvell Local checks your website, it looks for a live, reachable page at the address you have provided. If there is a problem, it is reported in two ways:

• Customers see a flag: If your site is unreachable, your listing will not hide the website field or pretend the site is working. Instead, a clear message is shown that the website is known to be unreachable. This helps avoid confusion and sets honest expectations.
• Your dashboard shows the status: When you log into your dashboard, you will see the current status of your website link. If it is broken, you will be notified, with guidance to review and fix the issue. You will also see whether your website has been redirected (see below) or is currently responding as expected.

The checker allows up to three legitimate redirects. If your old domain forwards correctly to your current website, the link is classified as REDIRECTED and still counts as available. If the site fails to respond, or the domain is expired or misconfigured, it will be shown as broken both to you and to customers.

How redirects work—and why you should still update your link

If you have set up a redirect from your old domain or website address to the new one, the checker will follow up to three steps to reach your live site. This means your link will still be shown as working and available, even if it passes through one or more redirects.

However, leaving an old link in place, even with a redirect, is not the best long-term approach:

• Redirection may be temporary: Sometimes, domains are only redirected for a limited time. If you let your old domain expire or remove the redirect, the link will break for everyone—including people finding you from Annuvell Local or other directories.
• Consistency and credibility: Having your listing display the current, correct website address avoids confusion for customers who may compare details across multiple places.
• Redirects can introduce delays: Each redirect adds a small delay when someone loads your site. While minor, this can matter for mobile users or those with slower connections.

For all these reasons, even if your link currently works via a redirect, it is better to update your Annuvell Local website field to reflect your new, direct website address. This keeps things simple and reliable.

Step by step: updating your website link after a change

If you have moved your website, changed your domain or updated your site structure, it only takes a few steps to update your listing:

1. Find your listing: Log in to your Annuvell Local dashboard. If you have not claimed your listing yet, use the Find my business tool first.
2. Edit the website field: Go to the listing editor and locate the website field. Enter your new, direct website address (including the correct http or https prefix). Double-check there are no typos or extra spaces.
3. Save your changes: Confirm and save the update. Your listing will now show the new website address.
4. Press Recheck website: After saving, use the Recheck website option in your dashboard. This tells the system to check your new address straight away, rather than waiting for the next automatic check.
5. Confirm the status: Refresh your dashboard after a minute. If the website is reachable, the status will update to show it as available. If not, double-check the address and try again, or visit your site directly to rule out other issues.

This process helps keep your listing up to date and stops customers from running into errors. For more on updating all your contact details, see the guide: Keeping your opening hours and contact details accurate.

Staying consistent across your listing, website and other directories

Updating your Annuvell Local website link is a good step, but consistency across all places your business is listed matters just as much. Customers often check more than one source before getting in touch or making a decision. Here are some points to consider:

• Check other directories: If you have changed your website or domain, update it wherever your business is listed—other directories, industry associations, chambers of commerce, and review platforms.
• Align your website and contact details: Make sure your name, address, phone number and email are exactly the same across your website and all listings. This builds trust and avoids confusion for customers comparing businesses.
• Monitor for old links: Search your old domain or business name online to find any remaining old links. Where possible, request updates or put redirects in place so customers always reach your current site.
• Use the same format everywhere: Stick to the same spelling, punctuation, and website format (for example, always using https if your site supports it). Small differences can make your business look inconsistent or hard to verify.

Taking time to check these details can help you stand out when customers compare you side by side on Annuvell Local, especially using the compare tool or other category pages.

What to watch for after a website or domain change

Even after updating your link, keep an eye on a few common pitfalls:

• Redirect expiry: If you used a redirect, set a reminder to review it periodically or to renew your old domain if you still own it. Expired domains quickly become broken links.
• SSL and security warnings: Make sure your website works correctly with https, and that the address you enter starts with https if your site supports it. Some browsers now block or warn against http-only sites.
• Mobile and tablet compatibility: After a redesign, check your site on phones and tablets. If the site loads but is not readable, or loads a mobile-specific domain, update your link to the correct version.
• Broken internal links: If your homepage moved, double-check that internal links within your site still work. Customers often explore beyond your landing page.

Regular checks can help you catch issues before customers notice them. If you are unsure how your details are displayed, use your dashboard preview or visit your public listing.

Next steps

Update your website field and run a recheck today. If you have not yet claimed your listing, try the Find my business tool. For a deeper look at how contact details are checked, visit the guide: How Annuvell checks contact details and websites. Review your other contact details and hours for accuracy using the guide: Keeping your opening hours and contact details accurate, and keep your business information aligned everywhere customers might look.