MedInfo Retirement: URL Redirects

As MedInfo approaches retirement, many customers will migrate their content to new sites.  Unless your site had a VIP setup (e.g., a custom URL was created for your site), the URL for your content will change.

A redirect will ensure end users who bookmarked your site can still access it.  It will also ensure that other sites or documents linking to your site still work.

Web editor/customer-created redirects live in the MedInfo folders that are being retired. They will stop working when MedInfo is fully retired on January 1, 2025. If you need your redirect to persist beyond this date, you will need the HITS DevOps Systems team to set up a redirect.

HITS will maintain redirects for 4 years, until January 1, 2029.  Web editors can use that timeto ensure their audience updates links and bookmarks.

Option 1: Single redirect

Redirect only the home page to a new site.  If users have linked to or bookmarked child pages, those links/bookmarks will break.

Example: 

• med.umich.edu/narwhal is being replaced with narwhal.med.umich.edu
• DevOps will redirect med.umich.edu/narwhal → narwhal.med.umich.edu
• Users visiting med.umich.edu/narwhal will be redirected to narwhal.med.umich.edu
• Users visiting med.umich.edu/narwhal/unicorn will continue to see the MedInfo page until it is retired, at which point they will receive an error message

Option 2: Simple redirect of child pages

Redirect the site and all child pages / folders to the home page of the new site.  Useful if the site is being reorganized.

Example:

• med.umich.edu/narwhal is being replaced with narwhal.med.umich.edu
• med.umich.edu/narwhal/unicorn will now be located at narwhal.med.umich.edu/mythical/creatures/unicorn
• DevOps will redirect med.umich.edu/narwhal/* → narwhal.med.umich.edu
• Users visiting med.umich.edu/narwhal will be redirected to narwhal.med.umich.edu
• Users visiting med.umich.edu/narwhal/unicorn will also be redirected to narwhal.med.umich.edu, at which point they can navigate to to the Unicorn content

Option 3: Programmatic redirect of child pages

 Redirect the site and all child pages / folders to the appropriate page on the new site programmatically.  This option is only available if the file structure of the new site is remaining the same.

Example:

• med.umich.edu/narwhal is being replaced with narwhal.med.umich.edu
• med.umich.edu/narwhal/unicorn will now be located at narwhal.med.umich.edu/unicorn
• med.umich.edu/narwhal/whale/tusk will now be located at narwhal.med.umich.edu/whale/tusk
• DevOps will redirect med.umich.edu/narwhal/* → narwhal.med.umich.edu/*
• Users visiting med.umich.edu/narwhal will be redirected to narwhal.med.umich.edu
• Users visiting med.umich.edu/narwhal/unicorn will be redirected to narwhal.med.umich.edu/unicorn
• Users visiting med.umich.edu/narwhal/whale/tusk will be redirected to narwhal.med.umich.edu/whale/tusk

I want my redirect in place now/on XX date

Submit a ticket via the Michigan Medicine Help Center Include the following information:

1. I want to work with the DevOps Systems team to setup a MedInfo redirect

2. Date range in which this can be implemented (i.e. “create between 2/1 and 2/8” or “create before 2/8”)

3. Type of Redirect (Single, Simple Redirect of Child Pages, or Programmatic Redirect of Child Pages)

4. Old MedInfo site

5. New website

I don’t need my redirect until MedInfo Retires

Visit the MedInfo redirects spreadsheet and fill out the fields for your site. Be sure to complete ALL fields.