Content Inventory

An exhaustive listing of an existing site’s content which can then be reorganized. It is useful for sites that have grown organically over time, because initial information architecture is often not designed to accommodate future content. Once your content has been inventoried, you can create a content strategy that increases ease of navigation and minimizes work for content creation teams.

When to Use

1. To find all the building blocks you’ll need to begin design a solution that can support all the existing content
2. To uncover old and no longer needed sections of your app or website.

Steps

1. Systematically visit every section of the site or app.
2. Screenshot every page and screen.
3. Add each content item to a spreadsheet in an outline form. Include its title, current URL, date added/updated, and any other detail that may be needed (author, tags, keywords, etc).
4. Attempt to find all accessible screens outside of the navigation.
5. Document pages/screens that should be removed or revised and capture where gaps might exist.

References

1. http://practicaluxmethods.com/product/content-audit/
2. https://www.usability.gov/how-to-and-tools/methods/content-inventory.html

Templates (if applicable)

Created by: Joe Steinkamp | Last updated by: Joe Steinkamp