Inventory destinations before discussing the new menu
A redesigned menu can look complete while quietly dropping a useful download or a less visible support page. Before changing the interface, collect the destinations that the existing site exposes. Record the URL, resource type, language, source links and the reader task it supports. Include links in content and shared components, not just the main navigation.
Keep the inventory separate from a proposed visual hierarchy. Its purpose is to preserve knowledge of what the site currently offers, including resources that should later be retired. A redesign does not necessarily require URL changes. Mark unchanged addresses explicitly so a new layout does not accidentally become an unplanned migration.
Combine evidence without pretending coverage is perfect
Start with the content inventory and supplement it with a crawl, sitemap and authorized usage records where available. Google’s migration guidance describes several sources for discovering existing URLs and includes media resources in migration planning. Record the source of each inventory entry and the date of collection.
Investigate discrepancies: a downloadable checklist may appear in content but not in the navigation crawl, while an old campaign page may remain in the sitemap. Do not delete an entry merely because one source omitted it. Assign an owner to decide whether it is active, historical or obsolete, and mark unresolved cases visibly rather than guessing.
Assign a disposition and a testable destination
Give each resource a disposition: retain the address, move to an equivalent address, combine with a genuinely suitable resource or retire following the site’s agreed policy. For every move, record the intended destination and the reason it meets the same need. Keep unresolved rows out of the implementation-ready list.
Add a test to each important row: what should a reader find after following this link? A successful response code alone cannot establish equivalence. For a download, name the expected file; for a guide, name the relevant procedure. Separate this destination decision from later edits to internal links and deployment of redirect rules.
Illustrative example: a checklist missed by a mockup
Imagine a service website redesign has six navigation items. Its old preparation checklist is linked only from two help articles and is absent from the mockup. The inventory identifies the checklist, assigns its content owner and records the task “prepare documents before a visit.” These details are fictional and illustrate the method, not a completed customer project.
The owner confirms the checklist is current. The team keeps its URL and adds its source links to the acceptance list, without forcing the checklist into the main menu. Another obsolete event resource is marked for a separate retirement decision. The inventory prevents a visual omission from silently determining whether content survives.
Use the map as an acceptance record
Before launch, walk through important source links in the redesigned site and compare their destinations with the approved rows. Check language, files, section links and access requirements as relevant. If addresses change, verify the planned old-to-new behavior independently. Record actual results and unresolved issues, not simply that a page was opened.
After launch, retain the inventory as a baseline and investigate missing-resource reports against it. A crawl or SEO audit can provide additional technical evidence, but content owners must judge whether destinations still fulfill their tasks. The map is a release control and maintenance record; it does not guarantee unchanged traffic, rankings or immediate search indexing.