How long does a website redesign take? A phase-by-phase plan for B2B SaaS teams.

How long does a website redesign take?

For a mid-size B2B SaaS site with a blog, plan a redesign timeline of about 10 to 13 weeks to launch. Our reference timeline for the build and content migration alone is 6 to 8 weeks for a mid-size site with a blog, and a full redesign adds design time on top.

The same reference gives 3 to 4 weeks for a WordPress to Webflow migration of about 20 pages, and 10 to 14 weeks for a large site, again before design time. Typical timelines vary with four things more than with website size or page count:

• the number of page templates;
• the volume of content to move;
• the redirect map, meaning every old URL that needs a new address;
• the number of review rounds.

The example plan below shows how those weeks split into phases. It's a worked example built from the reference timelines and the assumptions listed, not a record of past projects.

What are the phases of a website redesign, and how long does each take?

The example follows the seven steps of our website redesign process, for a site with these assumptions:

• about 30 pages on 10 to 12 templates, plus a blog of about 100 posts;
• one language, built in Webflow, with existing brand guidelines;
• copy written alongside the wireframes, with your team supplying product facts;
• one decision-maker per review round, two rounds per stage, and feedback within three working days.

The phases of this redesign project add up to 13 weeks of work, but they overlap: the design phase starts on the first approved wireframes, and the development phase starts on approved components. That brings the project timeline to 11 weeks. Faster reviews can take it to 10; with no overlap and slower feedback, it runs to 13.

The audit and the strategy plan look short for the weight they carry. They set the project scope and the URL map, and the whole project depends on both, so a decision changed in week 6 costs more time than one made in week 2.

What stretches each phase of a redesign?

Waiting stretches a website redesign project more than the work does: waiting for access, content, decisions, and approvals.

Two details catch teams near the end.

1. Redirect volume. Webflow has no hard limit on redirects but recommends keeping the total to about 1,000 as a best practice. A blog whose URLs all change may need pattern redirects instead of one rule per post, and that decision belongs in the strategy plan, not in QA.
2. The DNS switch. Webflow recommends lowering your domain's TTL at least one full TTL period before you change DNS records: with a 24-hour TTL, that's at least 24 hours ahead. Once the records point to Webflow, the SSL certificate is typically issued within a few minutes.

Content changes pause, too. We pause content changes on the old site for the last few days before launch, so the final content move and the redirect tests match what's live.

What happens to the timeline after launch?

Launch isn't the final phase. Plan for a few more weeks of monitoring while search engines process the changes. Google says a small to medium-sized site can take a few weeks for most pages to move in its index, larger sites take longer, and rankings may fluctuate while Google recrawls and reindexes the new site.

That's why we treat launch as the halfway point of a website redesign. Support continues for 30 days after launch, and for the first weeks Search Console coverage, 404 errors, and the pages you chose to keep are checked daily. Google also says to keep redirects for as long as possible, generally at least 1 year, so the redirect map stays part of the site long after the project ends.

Can you redesign a website faster?

Yes, mainly by changing less at once and by having content and decisions ready before the work needs them. Google advises planning changes to a site one after the other, not all at the same time, which also argues for splitting a platform move from a full redesign.

Ways to shorten the project timeline without raising the risk:

• Move first, redesign second. A migration without new design is the shorter project: our reference for about 20 pages is 3 to 4 weeks. The new design can follow on the new platform.
• Use fewer templates. Similar pages, such as integrations or use cases, can share one template.
• Prepare content before kickoff. Content readiness decides whether wireframes and copy take two weeks or four.
• Keep one decision-maker. One person who approves each review round and collects feedback in one place removes most unnecessary delays.

What not to cut: the redirect map and quality assurance. The redirect map protects the search traffic the old site already earns, and our WordPress to Webflow migration guide explains how to map and test redirects step by step. Before launch, we also test browsers, speed, accessibility, and mobile usability.

How do you build a realistic timeline for your website redesign?

Start from the four things that set a redesign timeline, then put dates on the phases. A realistic website redesign timeline uses your own numbers, not an agency's averages.

1. Count templates, pages, and CMS items, and list the integrations, such as CRM forms and analytics.
2. Export every URL on the old site and mark which ones will change. That count is the size of your redirect map.
3. Decide who signs off each stage, how many review rounds you allow, and how many working days each review takes.
4. Copy the phases from the example plan, adjust each length to your counts, overlap design with wireframes and the build with design, and add one week of buffer.
5. Put the launch-week tasks on the calendar: the content pause, the DNS change, and a Search Console check on launch day.
6. Plan the 30 days after launch: daily checks for the first weeks, then a review of rankings, leads, and errors.

The dates worth writing down are kickoff, strategy plan sign-off, wireframes approved, design approved, build complete, content pause, launch, and the day-30 review. For what happens to the site afterwards, see our website redesign page.

We plan and run website redesigns for B2B and SaaS companies, so we have an interest in the topic.

Questions about website redesign timelines