Outsource Web Dev Florida

Website Redesign Project Plan Template

By Jeremy Kenerson, Founder and CEO at DeskTeam360

Last updated . Google's and WordPress.org's guidance was checked October 1, 2026.

A website redesign project plan lists every phase of the redesign, the tasks in each phase, who owns each task, and who signs it off. The template below has ten phases, from a baseline of the old site to after-launch checks. Copy it into a sheet or project tool, fill in the names and dates, and update the status column each week.

This page is a plain reading of the rules. It isn't legal or tax advice.

What goes in a website redesign project plan?

A redesign plan holds the goals, the scope, the page list, the phases, an owner for each task, and a sign-off for each phase. Here's the template. The last three columns are left blank for you to fill in.

Phase Tasks Owner Due date Sign-off by Status
1. Baseline Record the old site's traffic, top pages, rankings and leads, so you can tell later if the redesign helped Project lead
2. Goals and scope Write down why the site is being redesigned, what's in scope, and what isn't. Agree on the budget Agency owner and client
3. Ownership and accounts Put who owns the code, design files and content in a signed agreement. Put hosting, domain and logins in the client's name, with separate access for each helper Agency owner
4. Page inventory List every page on the old site and its address. Mark each one keep, merge or drop Project lead
5. Content Write or update the words. Gather photos Writer and client
6. Design Page layouts for the main page types. Rounds of changes, then sign-off Designer
7. Build Build the site on a test copy, not the live site Developer
8. Redirects Map each old address to its new one. Use permanent redirects, such as 301 or 308. Point each one straight to the final page, not through a chain Developer, checked by project lead
9. Test and launch Back up the old site and its database first. Test forms, links, speed and mobile. Launch Developer and project lead
10. After launch Leave the redirects in place for a year or more, which is Google's general advice. Compare traffic and rankings with the baseline. Watch for broken pages and errors Project lead

Download the template as a CSV file. It has the same 10 rows and 6 columns, with the last three left blank.

How the phases connect:

  • Phase 1 sets the yardstick. For what to record and what to watch after launch, see website redesign SEO.
  • Phase 4 drives phase 8. Every old address on the list either stays the same or gets a redirect. For every redirect and Search Console step, use the website migration SEO checklist.
  • Phase 3 comes before any design work. Put who owns the work in writing before it starts. The step-by-step guide explains who owns the work.

On a small team, one person may own several phases. That's fine, as long as every row has a name.

The Ultimate Task Delegation Template helps you sort which of these tasks you keep and which you hand off. You get the template plus a video walkthrough.

Get the Task Delegation Template

The button opens the template page on DeskTeam360's site.

How do you project manage a website redesign?

Give one person the plan, keep every task on one list, and get written sign-off at the end of each phase. That way, late changes don't get lost.

  1. Name one project lead. That person owns the plan and the task list.
  2. Keep one task list. Every task from the template, with an owner, a due date and a status.
  3. Sign off each phase. Design isn't built until it's approved. Content isn't placed until it's final.
  4. Check in on a set day each week. Go over what's done, what's stuck, and who's waiting on whom.
  5. Update the status column after each check-in, so anyone can see where things stand.
  6. Plan for after launch. Google can't finish processing the change until its crawler has seen each old and new address once, and Google sets no fixed pace for that.

How do you keep a redesign from running long?

Get the scope on paper before work starts, and treat every new request after sign-off as a new task with its own cost.

The author of this guide once saw a 6-week project stretch to 18 weeks. A written scope and written sign-offs are the guard against that.

These habits keep the plan on track:

  1. Write the scope down in phase 2, including what's not in it.
  2. Get sign-off in writing at the end of each phase.
  3. Log every change request as its own row, with an owner and a cost.
  4. Ask the client for content early. Missing words and photos hold up design and build.
  5. Get logins in phase 3, not on launch day.
  6. Keep the redirect map current as pages get merged or dropped.

Not sure a redesign is the right move? See website redesign first.

More on redesign and migration

The Ultimate Task Delegation Template helps you list the redesign tasks you can hand off. It comes with a video walkthrough.

Get the Task Delegation Template

The button opens the template page on DeskTeam360's site.

Sources

Google and WordPress.org checked October 1, 2026. DeskTeam360's About page checked September 25, 2026.

What changed

  • October 1, 2026: First version of this page.
  • October 1, 2026: Round 2 rewrite. Added a baseline phase and blank due date, sign-off and status columns to the template. Added how to keep a redesign from running long. Roles are now in the template's owner column.
  • October 1, 2026: Round 3. Added a link to a CSV copy of the template.