A website can contain useful pages that never appear in its navigation. An old project link, shared PDF or archived article may still bring readers. That is why I do not build an inventory simply by copying the menu.
Make the coverage visible
Pages, downloadable files, images and language versions can require separate records. Sitemaps, publishing records, accessible site files and available search-performance data provide different views. I do not assume any one source is complete.
I also record areas that could not be accessed or verified. Not found is not equivalent to nonexistent. A page loading successfully does not establish whether it is indexed by a search engine.
Give each row a decision-making purpose
Address, title, language, content type, last update and owner form a useful starting point. The reader question, overlap with other content and reason for preservation add editorial meaning. A PDF’s value may lie in its project record or external references, not in its file size.
Information requiring verification should be flagged. An old role, discontinued product or expired statement should not be updated through guesswork. I record the source and who can resolve the uncertainty.
Similar subjects are not always duplicates
Two pages using the same vocabulary may serve different purposes. One could introduce a subject while the other answers a specific advanced question. The relevant issue is whether they satisfy the same reader need in the same way.
An imaginary launch announcement and project retrospective might discuss the same work while preserving different moments and functions. Keeping both may be appropriate. The decision comes from their purpose rather than title similarity.
Keep the record useful through the redesign
Documenting subsequent decisions turns the inventory into more than a one-off list. Was the material preserved, updated in place or moved? URL decisions should draw on this record.
I consider the inventory useful when the team can explain why important material is being retained or changed, not merely when the spreadsheet has become long.