Doing a content audit will give you a comprehensive picture of all the content on your site and whether it’s useful, usable, and up to date.
On this page...
Reasons to do a content audit
It’s a chance to shine a light on the forgotten corners of your website, declutter, reorganise, and improve. It’ll also highlight the gaps and opportunities for new content.
You should do a content audit if you want to:
- prepare for a website redesign or refresh
- take stock of your content, for example if you’ve started a new role
- get back in control of a sprawling website
- identify content to delete or archive
- identify opportunities to improve your content
- support a product/service/campaign launch
- make decisions about content based on data, not personal opinions and feelings
- get into a regular pattern of reviewing and iterating your content
…and reasons why you shouldn't
There aren’t many good reasons not to do a content audit. But there are a couple:
- If you don’t have any content yet, you don’t need to do an audit. But you might want to start planning how you’ll audit content when you do have it.
- If you’re really busy and there’s no material reason to do an audit. If you’re under pressure and the audit won’t help relieve the pressure, don’t do it. An audit needs time, and you can start when the pressure lifts.
Before you move on...
Write down your reasons for doing a content audit, and what your specific goals are. See section 1 in your planner. (If you haven't made your copy yet, the planner is linked on the content audit toolkit homepage.)