Start with the decisions the inventory needs to support
A content inventory is a working list of what is on your website and what should happen to it. It does not need to be a perfect record of every image and sentence. For a small organization, its main purpose is to prevent useful information from being lost, outdated information from being carried forward and pages from being rebuilt without a clear reason.
Before opening a spreadsheet, agree on the decisions you need to make. Typically, each page will be kept, improved, combined with another page or removed. A page about an active service may need updating; two pages answering the same question may be better combined. Write down who can approve those decisions. If no one owns a page, flag it rather than assuming the website editor can settle a question about organizational policy.
Make a page list your team can work through
Create one row per page, using your existing navigation and any page list available from your website platform as a starting point. Include pages that are easy to miss, such as thank-you pages, event archives and older campaign pages. If the site is large, inventory the most visited sections and essential service pages first, then work through the rest in batches. The goal is a dependable working list, not an elaborate audit that stalls the project.
Useful columns include page address, page title, section, intended audience, visitor task, content owner, last known review, proposed action and decision status. Add a notes column for issues that need investigation. Keep descriptions short: “Explains how to request a room booking” is more helpful than copying the entire page into the spreadsheet. Store the inventory where the people making decisions can access and update the same version.
Review pages for usefulness, not just age
Open each page and ask what someone came to do there. Can they find the answer, understand what to do next and tell whether the information applies to them? Check for broken or confusing paths, missing contact details, unexplained terminology and files that contain essential information not available on the page. An old page is not automatically unnecessary; a newer page is not automatically useful.
Give particular attention to practical barriers. A page that says “click here” repeatedly may be hard to scan. An image containing important text may leave some visitors without that information. A downloadable form might be difficult to complete on a phone. Record the problem and the needed change in ordinary language. For example: “Put eligibility requirements on the page, and give the form a descriptive link label.” These notes make the eventual writing and design work easier to estimate.
Record a clear action and owner for every page
Use a small set of action labels consistently. “Keep” means the page still serves a purpose and needs only routine checks. “Improve” means its purpose remains valid but its content or presentation needs work. “Combine” means another page will carry its useful information. “Remove” means the information is no longer needed or belongs elsewhere. For combined or removed pages, record where visitors should go instead; that gives the team a plan for handling old links.
Assign an owner to confirm the facts and an editor to prepare changes if those are different people. Set a reasonable review date for pages involving changing details, such as opening hours or application steps. If a decision depends on someone outside the project team, mark it “awaiting decision” with a named person and a next step. This is more actionable than leaving a blank cell that may be mistaken for approval.
Turn the inventory into a manageable work plan
Sort the inventory by action and importance. Start with pages people need to complete essential tasks, then address duplicated or outdated material that could create confusion. Group similar edits so the team can work efficiently, but do not postpone an important correction just because the rest of its section is not ready. Use the inventory to estimate how many pages need writing, review and approval, rather than treating every existing page as ready to move.
Once revised pages are live, check whether visitors can reach the intended information and complete the task the page supports. Simple signals might include common search terms on the site, repeated contact questions or patterns in page visits, interpreted alongside what staff hear from visitors. For ideas about what to check after launch, browse Website Measurement · Small Site Workshop. Keep the inventory as a lightweight record of page owners and review needs; it can remain useful long after the redesign is complete.
