AI Search Mastery · Field report
What we checked during a 2,546-URL search migration
A sitemap can be accepted while Google still remembers an old canonical. This is our dated record of the live checks and Search Console evidence, with the sample available as CSV.
SalarsNet editorial · Measured September 26, 2026
The result in brief
The live direct sitemap contained 2,546 apex URLs. We checked 20 predetermined pages from two cohorts: AI Search Mastery pages and six pages with historical Bing citations. All 20 returned HTTP 200, declared their own apex canonical, were not marked noindex, and had one H1. The article pages had Article and BreadcrumbList structured data; the series index had BreadcrumbList data.
The apex Search Console sitemap submissions reported zero processing errors. URL Inspection showed the AI Search Mastery hub as submitted and indexed. Google still selected the old www homepage as canonical for the apex homepage. The live old homepage returned a permanent redirect to the apex, so we left the redirect and canonical signals stable for recrawling.
How we checked
- Froze the 20 URLs before the final release and kept the two cohorts separate.
- Fetched each live page and recorded status, final URL, redirect count, canonical, robots directive, H1 count, and the presence of matching structured data.
- Compared the live direct sitemap with the published route inventory, rather than assuming a successful submission meant every intended page was listed.
- Read Search Console's submitted-sitemap status and indexed URL Inspection results separately from live HTTP checks.
The CSV records public-page signals at one point in time. It does not measure content accuracy, mobile usability, rankings, or whether every page was indexed. Search Console's indexed view can lag a live redirect; its aggregate Page indexing report was last updated before this migration.
A reusable migration check
For a site move, record the old and new URL, one-hop redirect destination, live HTTP status, declared canonical, sitemap membership, and Google's selected canonical with its last crawl time. Keep the dates alongside the measurements. If the live page is healthy but Google's indexed copy is older, monitor the recrawl before making another broad URL change. If a valuable old path ends in 404, map it to the closest real replacement; avoid redirecting unrelated products or articles merely to clear a report.
Google explains that a move is processed as old and new URLs are recrawled in its site-move guidance. Its AI feature guidance applies ordinary Search eligibility and people-first content; this field report makes no claim that passing the checks guarantees indexing or an AI citation.