Estimated reading time : 4 min · Published
Build a usable inventory
List pages, documents and media with their URL, purpose, audience, language, review date and subject owner. Distinguish lasting information from facts that change often, such as prices, hours, availability, names and cited tools.
For every page, note the next action and related pages. The website brief helps define a page purpose when it is created; an inventory then shows whether it still serves that purpose.
- URL, language and purpose.
- Subject owner and next review.
- Facts, sources and media to verify.
Use proportionate approval
Match approval to the changed information and its consequences. Fictional example: preparation time increases from three to five days; have the handling team approve the rule, then correct placements where it affects decisions. A wording adjustment may follow a shorter process. Keep sources and rights internally without publishing private discussions or supporting documents.
Before release, review the title, introduction, links, images, alternative text, forms and mobile display. If a page exists in several languages, mark which versions await translation or human review. Do not present a draft as a complete equivalent.
Schedule reviews according to how facts age
A durable method guide may need less frequent review than pricing or recruitment. Use an internal next-review date instead of automatically changing the public modified date. When a fact changes, update related pages, metadata and affected translations.
Watch visitor questions and searches without answers. They reveal where a clarification would help. A new page is needed only when the topic deserves separate treatment; a stronger section on an existing page may be enough.
Separate the date of the fact described, the page’s first publication, its substantive revision and its next internal review. A future event can have its own date without becoming the article’s publication date. Google recommends consistency between visible dates and datePublished and dateModified properties; changing a file date or rebuilding the site does not by itself describe an editorial revision.
Before closing a change, compare the fact’s occurrences and their approval states. A new condition may affect an offer, a FAQ and several translations without requiring the same correction on every page. Record the changed passage, source, approver and versions still pending. A check that changes nothing can remain in internal tracking; do not present it as newly written content.
Scroll the table horizontally to read every column. With a keyboard, focus the table area and use the arrow keys.
| Date tracked | What it identifies | Pre-publication check |
|---|---|---|
| First publication | The page’s first availability. | The public label and datePublished describe the same publication. |
| Event or fact described | When the information applies. | This does not replace the article’s publication date. |
| Substantive revision | An actual change to published content. | The change is identifiable and dateModified agrees with the visible date. |
| Next internal review | A future checking deadline. | It does not become a false public last-updated date. |
- Google Search Central : Publication dates
Consulted on 22 October 2026; consistent visible and structured dates, without a search-display guarantee.
Correct, combine or retire cleanly
Identify a reference when pages repeat the same information. Fictional example: a price appears on a service page, in an FAQ and in two translations; document the occurrences or use shared data, then check each journey after changes. Merge pages addressing the same question and correct links. Retaining an address does not justify inaccurate information.
Record the editorial decision, approver and affected pages. The maintenance guide helps make this review routine. Public modification dates should reflect real content changes.
- Decision and reason.
- Links and translations updated.
- Check after publication.
Decide in a concrete situation
Fictional example: an offer changes on one page while a PDF and another language retain an old condition. Identify every related medium before declaring revision complete; the main page is just one occurrence.
Record the changed fact, affected pages and documents, owner and final check. Distinguish event and correction dates; a new date without substantive change does not make information current.
- Verify sources and evidence in web content
Keep a claim register, distinguish primary sources from commentary and plan reviews for facts that may change.
Reference documents
- Google Search Central : Helpful, Reliable Content · Source consulted
- W3C · Data on the Web Best Practices · Source consulted
Content updated on
Documented reference points for this topic
| Reference | Value or syntax | Scope |
|---|---|---|
| HTTP · If-Match | If-Match: "r7" → 412 | If-Match compares a strong validator before a write. Under the illustrated contract, a stale version receives 412; keep the draft to compare changes. |
Dates indicate when references were consulted. These facts are neither a site audit nor an overall compliance statement.