Capture more than the menu.
An inventory is not just a count. Without that record, a redesign can quietly remove the page a customer needed or leave two pages competing for the same job.
The main navigation shows only part of a site. Include service pages, location pages, old campaigns, downloadable resources, blog posts, portfolio entries, FAQs, and pages reached through search or direct links. Record current URL, visible title, page type, main action, content owner, and last known update. Add whether the page is public, restricted, redirected, or missing. Do not place private client or staff URLs into a proposed public content plan.
For a small site, a spreadsheet and manual review may be enough. A larger site benefits from a crawl, but a crawler cannot judge whether a service claim is true or a page is helpful. Pair machine output with a human read of representative pages. Check the rendered page, not only the CMS title.
Give every page one disposition.
Use a plain-language action for each URL: keep, improve, consolidate, redirect, archive, or remove. “Keep” means the page still serves a visitor task and its claims can be supported. “Improve” means the purpose remains useful but the answer needs work. “Consolidate” means several pages answer the same question and one stronger page could serve them better. “Redirect” is the technical consequence when an old URL has a new destination. “Archive” or “remove” requires a reason, especially if the page has external links or customer bookmarks.
Record uncertainty instead of forcing a premature call. A page may need a sales owner to confirm the offer or a client permission check before its proof can appear. An inventory should show that gap explicitly in the working record. It should not turn unverified copy into a public claim.
Evaluate by visitor task, not word count alone.
Ask what a first-time visitor would want from the page. A short contact page can be complete if it explains the next step and works reliably. A long service page can still be thin if it repeats broad promises and hides scope. Note the primary question, the answer, and whether another page already owns that question. Look for pages that send visitors in circles or ask them to choose from unclear labels.
Also track the route’s role in a journey. A service overview may help people compare options. A single service page should explain the specific work. A resource may help someone make a decision before they are ready to inquire. Those purposes deserve different evaluation criteria.
If the inventory’s main question is which published pages still serve searchers, use the SEO content audit guide for its separate usefulness, intent, and consolidation decisions. This inventory is the broader redesign record, including ownership, assets, and migration work.
Turn the inventory into decisions.
Sort pages by importance and unresolved risk. Start with core conversion routes and pages that carry current offers or important search demand. Make an old-to-new URL map before any route changes. Assign a person to check forms, links, proof permissions, and content accuracy for the pages they own. Then use page prioritization to order the writing and design work.
What page would a customer miss if it disappeared tomorrow? That is a better first review candidate than whichever page looks least attractive in the CMS list.
If the inventory reveals a structure problem, information architecture can help connect pages to user journeys. Talk to a specialist with the inventory and the decisions you cannot settle internally.
