SkinbaseNova/docs/legacy-routes-removal-checklist.md

Legacy Routes Removal Checklist

Date: 2026-03-12 Scope: staged retirement of routes listed in docs/legacy-routes-inventory.md

Global Preflight (run before each phase)

• Confirm canonical replacement routes exist and are healthy.
• Snapshot current route map:
  • php artisan route:list --path=legacy
  • php artisan route:list --json > storage/logs/routes-before-phase.json
• Capture 14-30 day usage for each candidate route from access logs / analytics.
• Define rollback rule: restore removed routes immediately if a business-critical endpoint drops or 404 volume spikes.

Standard PR Steps (for every phase)

1. Remove targeted route entries from routes/legacy.php.
2. If needed, add explicit 301 redirects to canonical paths in routes/web.php.
3. Update route-based tests (e2e fixtures and auth guard lists).
4. Run cache clear and verify registration:
   • php artisan optimize:clear
   • php artisan route:list --json
5. Add release note entry with removed paths and replacements.

SEO Safety Checklist

• Ensure removed indexed URLs either:
  • return 301 to final canonical URL, or
  • return 410 only when intentional and approved.
• Keep canonical tags correct on destination pages.
• Re-submit updated sitemap if route removals change indexed URLs.
• Monitor Search Console coverage and soft-404 reports for 2-4 weeks.

Monitoring Checklist (post-deploy)

• Track 404 count by path prefix for removed routes.
• Track 301 volume for newly redirected legacy paths.
• Watch top entry pages for traffic drops.
• Verify no auth redirect loops were introduced on legacy auth-only pages.

Phase-by-Phase Execution

Phase 1: Redirect-only endpoints (lowest risk)

Targets:

• /top-authors
• /interviews
• /apply
• /bug-report
• /browse-redirect
• /wallpapers-redirect

Phase checks:

• Confirm each path still has a valid replacement target.
• Validate 301 status and location header for each route.

Phase 2: Alias pair cleanup

Targets:

• /featured vs /featured-artworks
• /uploads/latest vs /latest
• /comments/latest vs /latest-comments
• /downloads/today vs /today-downloads
• /comments/monthly vs /monthly-commentators

Phase checks:

• Pick one canonical URL per pair.
• Keep redirects from removed alias to chosen canonical.
• Update internal links to canonical only.

Phase 3: Controller-backed legacy pages

Targets:

• /browse
• /category/{group}/{slug?}/{id?}
• /browse-categories
• /daily-uploads
• /members
• /members/photos
• /authors/top
• /top-favourites
• /today-in-history
• /chat
• /chat_post
• /favourites/{id?}/{username?}
• /favourites/{userId}/delete/{artworkId}
• /gallery/{id}/{username?}

Phase checks:

• Confirm parity exists in modern endpoints before removal.
• Add temporary 301 map for any high-traffic paths.
• Validate auth and CSRF behavior for migrated POST endpoints.

Phase 4: Profile URL legacy surface

Targets:

• /user/{username}
• /profile/{id}/{username?}
• /profile/{username}
• /user

Phase checks:

• Validate deterministic mapping to /@username.
• Handle missing username and renamed accounts gracefully.
• Verify no duplicate-content issues remain after redirects.

Phase 5: RSS compatibility endpoints (communication required)

Targets:

• /rss/latest-uploads.xml
• /rss/latest-skins.xml
• /rss/latest-wallpapers.xml
• /rss/latest-photos.xml

Phase checks:

• Identify external consumers (feed readers, partner integrations).
• Publish migration notice before retirement.
• Keep stable replacement feed URLs live before cutover.

Fast QA Matrix

Test each removed or redirected route for:

• Anonymous user request
• Authenticated user request
• Expected status code (301/200/404/410)
• Correct final destination URL
• No infinite redirect chain

Suggested command:

• php artisan test --filter=routes

Rollback Playbook

• Reintroduce removed route definitions from git history.
• Clear caches: php artisan optimize:clear.
• Redeploy hotfix.
• Re-run route smoke tests and check access logs.