Update when topic, intent and URL remain the same. Publish a new entry when the event has its own date, consequence or distinct angle.

The useful answer depends on the purpose of the page, the people allowed to edit it and the cost of an error. A reliable workflow separates editorial decisions, technical delivery and final verification instead of hiding all three inside one automated operation.

The decision to make first

A correction or general availability may enrich an existing item. A major version, sanction or compatibility break often deserves a new linked page.

A practical method

  1. Summarise the existing intent in one sentence.
  2. Estimate how much actually changes.
  3. Check for an independent date and source.
  4. Choose update, new page or merge.
  5. Add contextual links between relevant versions.

Checks before publishing

  • The source of truth is explicit and can be restored.
  • URLs, dates and visible claims match the delivered page.
  • A human reviewer can reproduce the check without a hidden service.

The main pitfall

A URL for every minor change fragments authority, while rewriting old news can erase history.

Recommended next step

Use this rule: same intent and product means update; autonomous event or different consequence means a new item.