Create a complete inventory
Collect public URLs from the sitemap, navigation, analytics, search tools and internal links. Include downloadable documents and important campaign pages. Record page type, current owner and last known review date where available.
Do not rely on a single crawl source. A page can be absent from navigation yet still receive visits or have valuable inbound links.
Review purpose, accuracy and evidence
For every item, identify its intended audience and job. Check whether the page answers that need, whether details remain accurate and whether claims can be supported.
Mark content that requires subject-matter, legal, privacy or brand review. If proof is missing for a claim, qualify or remove the claim instead of assuming it is correct.
Choose an action for each page
Keep pages that remain useful and accurate. Improve pages with a clear purpose but missing detail. Combine overlapping pages when they answer the same task. Redirect retired URLs to a close equivalent only when one exists; otherwise return a proper not-found response.
Do not redirect every retired page to the homepage. A misleading destination frustrates users and obscures the fact that the content is gone.
Plan redirects and internal links
Before removing a URL, check inbound links and internal references. Map old URLs to the most relevant replacement and update internal links to point directly to it.
Keep a redirect log with the reason and review it after launch. Remove redirects that create chains or lead to irrelevant pages.
Assign ownership and a review rhythm
Each retained page should have an owner and a reason to be reviewed: a schedule, a policy change, a product update or new evidence. This turns the audit into a maintenance practice rather than a one-time spreadsheet.
Track decisions and unresolved questions so stakeholders know what is ready to publish and what still needs approval.