Redirects for Discontinued Products: When to Redirect, When to Keep the Page, and When to Return 410

Discontinued products need a clear decision tree

Once a product is truly retired, teams usually choose between three paths: keep the page with context, redirect to a close replacement, or remove it with a clear 410 or 404.

What should guide the choice

The real question is whether users looking for the old product will find the new destination genuinely useful. If not, a redirect can damage trust and create weaker SEO signals.

Practical rule

Redirect only to the closest meaningful replacement. If the old item still attracts useful search demand or support traffic, a retained informational page can outperform a forced redirect.