The playbook
Content Pruning: Checklist
Use this content pruning checklist before a new release, a handoff, or a scheduled review. Its purpose is to verify the decisions that affect redundant or stale pages resolved. Check an actual page or query record; a box marked complete without evidence does not show that the customer journey works.
Put the task in context
Review a low-traffic page's purpose, external references, seasonality, and unique information before removing it. Combine pages that answer the same task when a stronger destination is possible. Preserve useful specialized resources even when their audience is naturally small.
Before you use the checklist
Name the exact item being checked and its purpose. Gather URL, purpose, evidence, decision, destination. If one of those details is unknown, mark it as unknown and assign a way to resolve it. An invented value makes the checklist look complete while weakening every later decision.
Working checklist
| Check | Evidence to keep | Responsible role |
|---|---|---|
| Review purpose quality links and performance together | A dated observation showing how URL was verified | SEO lead |
| Identify overlap and outdated unsupported content | A dated observation showing how purpose was verified | content or development owner |
| Choose a destination or removal plan for each affected URL | A dated observation showing how evidence was verified | analytics owner |
Check the failure path
- Look specifically for this failure: deleting pages solely because recent traffic is low.
- Consider seasonal demand references and the page's unique purpose. Record the actual correction, not just the intention to make it.
- Repeat the affected task after the correction and check destination.
- Make sure the next owner can find the decision and supporting evidence.
Use three outcomes for each check
Mark an item as complete only when the expected behavior or information has been observed. Mark it as incomplete when a required condition is absent. Use not applicable when the condition genuinely does not belong to the chosen scope, and write a short reason. These states keep a review useful without forcing every process into an identical mold.
For example, if the check is “Review purpose quality links and performance together,” a meeting about the subject is not the evidence itself. Retain the relevant URL and purpose, the decision made from them, and the result of checking that decision. The record should allow someone who missed the meeting to understand what changed.
Decide what must be resolved first
An incomplete item that prevents decide which existing pages to improve combine retain or retire deserves attention before a cosmetic improvement. Assign an owner and a next action to that issue. Keep optional refinements visible, but do not let them obscure a failure in the core process.
Close the review
Recheck corrected items and note anything still uncertain. The checklist is finished when the next owner understands what was verified and what remains open. Follow redundant or stale pages resolved using a consistent definition so later reviews can connect execution quality with useful results.
Test representative templates as well as individual URLs. When a problem appears on several pages built from the same component, a template correction may be more useful than a series of one-off edits. Verify the affected pages after the shared change.
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