A redesign can remove useful content by accident. The old site may contain a service explanation, downloadable guide, or frequently shared link that nobody remembers during design meetings. Inventory the current pages before choosing what the new site will contain.
You do not need elaborate software for a small website. A spreadsheet with one row per public URL is enough to make the decisions visible.
Record what each page actually does
Start with the URL, page title, audience, main action, and person responsible for accuracy. Add available evidence such as inquiries associated with the page, search visits, or links from customer emails. Mark unknown values as unknown rather than treating them as zero.
Include PDFs, old campaign pages, and pages outside the main menu. Review the sitemap and any available analytics, then compare them with the pages staff regularly share. No single source necessarily lists everything.
Give every page a decision
Use four practical statuses: keep, rewrite, combine, or retire. “Keep” means the page still serves a purpose, not that every sentence must remain. “Combine” needs a named destination so the content does not disappear into a vague future category.
For example, a company might have separate pages for two service names customers use interchangeably. Combining them can make sense if the offering is genuinely the same. If the services require different equipment, pricing, or eligibility, separate pages may still help people decide.
Preserve details that help sales and support
Ask the people answering customer questions which pages save them time. A modest FAQ page may matter more operationally than a visually impressive homepage section.
Copy essential facts into the inventory: exclusions, preparation instructions, compatibility information, and contact paths. Assign an owner to verify them. This prevents old inaccuracies from being copied into a fresh design simply because the text was already available.
Plan URL changes before launch
Whenever a URL will change, record the closest relevant replacement. Do not send every retired page to the homepage. Visitors following an old link should arrive at content that addresses the same need where such a replacement exists. Follow the redirect planning guide for implementation and testing.
Turn the inventory into a review queue
Sort by business importance and uncertainty. Review the pages that generate inquiries or contain frequently changing information first. Add a final sign-off column with a real reviewer and date.
The finished inventory should explain why each page exists, who checked it, and where it will live. That gives the designer a concrete content plan and gives the business a way to verify the new site before the old one is switched off.