When a campaign ends, decide by remaining value: a clearly dated archive, updated evergreen page, equivalent redirect or removal. Disable expired actions and correct active links. Redirecting to a different offer without explanation can mislead visitors.
Keep an archive when it still informs
A past programme, presented resources or an event report may retain value. Mark the campaign as finished, show its period and remove actions that no longer work. Link to a current edition only if one really exists and is worth comparing.
Update a recurring URL deliberately
A permanent page may serve each season if its subject and role remain stable. Rewrite dates, conditions, images and metadata; do not leave an old promotion in a snippet or social preview. Preserve important archives on their own pages when they answer a distinct historical need.
Redirect to a genuinely equivalent destination
When the old page has no remaining useful content and a new one answers the same need, a redirect can make sense. Avoid sending every old offer to the homepage, which loses the context of the original link. If no relevant destination exists, an explicit ended page or appropriate 404 may serve people better than a misleading redirect.
Clean up entry points
Remove banners, buttons and navigation links that promise an expired action. Check prepared emails, social links, category pages and on-site search results. The campaign planning guide recommends inventorying these placements from the outset.
Check an old link yourself
Open a URL shared during the campaign on a phone. The first screen should tell you what has finished and where current information lives. Review remaining visits before removing a useful archive; low traffic alone does not prove it lacks documentary value.
Verification workshop: evidence before a decision
A proposed exercise on a chosen scope, using fictional data where needed. Record what you observe; this scenario describes no test already performed on your website.
- Action to try
For a fictional finished campaign, decide whether the need has become an archive, lasting information or an offer actually replaced.
- Record to retain
Keep end date, decision, old journey and registration state. If a target is chosen, compare the information it provides.
- What this evidence does not establish
A redirect must not imply the old offer remains available. A campaign ending does not make all its content useless.
Decide what a seasonal page should become
Registration has closed but the campaign page still receives visitors. The team removes the inactive form, keeps a useful summary and points to the next edition only once its date is confirmed. Old links do not lead to a misleading page.
Archive when the content retains distinct value; redirect when another page really answers the same need. Check internal links and messages after the deadline.
Plan a seasonal website campaign without leaving stale pages →
