A content inventory is just a list of all the content in a website. For each item, some descriptive information is included: the URL, a title, the format, etc.
Used for site redesigns, the content inventory can help you in two ways:
You can find the content you no longer need.
You can decide where to put your content on your site.
Components of the Content Inventory
Your content inventory is a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet, with several columns for each page. We fill in the first four—the rest are for your use. Here's a brief description of how you might use these columns.
| Column |
Description |
| ID |
A unique identification number for this content. |
| Page Title |
The title of the HTML page.
|
| URL |
A live link to the content. |
| Format |
The format of this content: HTML, Word document, PDF (Acrobat), Excel, etc. |
| Template |
Left blank for your use. |
| Maintainer |
Left blank for your use. If you have more than one person maintaining your website, who maintains this page? |
| Audience |
Left blank for your use. Who uses this content? Students? Faculty? Applicants? No one? This may be the single most important question you can answer about your content. |
| Keep? |
Left blank for your use. Enter yes or no. |
| Destination |
Left blank for your use. The folder in which you'll place this content on the CMS. See How to Put Your Content in the Right Place for assistance. |
| Notes |
Left blank for your use. |
More Information
For more information about content inventories, and to see other ways that they can be formatted, see the following:
The Content Inventory: Roadmap to a Successful CMS Implementation (if this site asks for a username and password, just click cancel)
Doing a Content Inventory (Or, A Mind-Numbingly Detailed Odyssey Through Your Web Site)
Conduct a Content Inventory
