Build a website content migration inventory
Create a page-by-page content inventory for a website migration, with keep, rewrite, merge and retire decisions, owners and approval checkpoints.
A content migration inventory connects the old website to the new one. It should show what exists, what will happen to it and who must supply or approve the destination content. Without that record, teams can rebuild the visible navigation while overlooking landing pages, downloads and unresolved content decisions.
Create an inventory before requesting rewritten copy
Start with the available URL list and confirm how it was assembled. Navigation links, a content-system export, a sitemap and analytics records may reveal different parts of the site. Record gaps in the inventory so nobody mistakes a partial list for a complete one.
For each entry, capture a recognizable page title, current URL, content type and business owner. Include important downloads and campaign pages that may not appear in the main menu. Keep technical migration planning connected to the content inventory, but do not assume the content owner is responsible for implementing redirects.
The goal is an agreed set of source material. Ask the client to review the list before the team starts rewriting or transferring it. The website redesign questionnaire helps surface pages and dependencies that a simple export may not explain.
Give each page a deliberate disposition
Use a small, understandable set of decisions: keep, rewrite, merge or retire. “Keep” still requires checking that the information is current. “Rewrite” needs an owner and a brief. “Merge” needs a clear destination and a decision about which content survives. “Retire” should be approved by someone who understands the page’s business purpose.
Avoid using a vague “to be reviewed” status as a permanent holding area. If the decision is unresolved, assign a person and date. The inventory should make uncertainty visible enough to manage, not make it disappear behind a neutral label.
For URL changes, coordinate the content decisions with the technical migration map. Google’s site-move guidance describes mapping old URLs to new destinations. Your content decisions are an input to that work; they do not replace implementation and verification by the responsible person.
Scroll sideways to see all columns.
| Current item | Decision | Required input |
|---|---|---|
| Main service page | Rewrite | Approved service scope and copy owner |
| Two overlapping FAQs | Merge | Agreed destination and retained answers |
| Current team page | Keep with updates | Approved names, roles and photos |
| Expired campaign page | Review for retirement | Business owner confirms destination decision |
Turn decisions into individual content requests
A disposition becomes useful when it creates a specific next action. For a rewritten service page, request the approved service list, audience, supporting evidence and final copy. For a merged FAQ, request a decision on conflicting answers before asking someone to format the destination page.
Separate writing from approval. The person drafting the copy may not have authority to confirm a product claim or remove an outdated offer. Name both responsibilities when necessary. A single owner field can hide that distinction if everyone assumes it means the same thing.
Use the content collection workflow to organize the requests. Link each item back to the inventory entry so the delivery team can identify which page it belongs to. This avoids a folder full of documents named “final copy” with no reliable connection to the approved page list.
- Source page and proposed destination.
- Content decision and business owner.
- Writer, reviewer and final approver where different.
- Current file link, status and due date.
Review the destination content as a complete page
Do not mark a page ready simply because text has been copied. Check the page title, headings, body copy, images, links and call to action together. A link may still point to an old document or a paragraph may refer to a service that the new page no longer offers.
For a merged page, read the result for duplication and contradictions. Two accurate source pages can create an incoherent destination if they use different terminology or describe different versions of the process. Ask the business owner to resolve those conflicts rather than making an unrecorded editorial assumption.
Use a review status that reflects the intended stage. Content can be ready for layout while image permissions remain unresolved, but it should not then appear as fully approved for publication. The received-versus-reviewed guide provides a useful distinction for managing that transition.
Close the inventory with a handoff, not a color change
Before launch, identify unresolved content decisions and explain their effect. Some may block publication; others may be deliberately deferred. Each exception needs an owner and a next review date. A green spreadsheet should not be the only evidence that the new site’s content was checked.
Hand the approved page list, content links and exceptions to the person implementing the site. Keep technical checks, such as redirect behavior and form delivery, assigned to the appropriate workstream. The content register should help that team find the right inputs without pretending to certify tasks it did not perform.
Build the requests with Gather’s free website kickoff checklist, then use the project handoff workflow to prepare a summary. Reusing the inventory structure on the next migration is useful; copying the old client’s answers and approval history into a new project is not.