A Content Inventory is simply a list that contains all of the content on a website. The inventory will typically include all text, images, applications, and documents. In order to gain knowledge from the inventory, it is necessary to assess each individual piece of content. Doing this will aid in understanding what exactly is on the site, if it is in the proper location, and if the content is up-to-date. Before the invention of content inventory tools, performing this process would be almost painstaking, and not completely free from errors. Whether someone was performing the content inventory by hand or entering it into a spreadsheet, there is always room for mistakes. With the invention of content inventory tools, like those provided by DYNO Mapper, anyone that has access to the internet can perform a content inventory. This will jumpstart the process of a website redesign, or will simply give the webmaster a look into the sitemap of the website. Once a website's content inventory is assessed, the webmaster can refer back to it when comparing progress on the new site map or redesign of the website.

A content inventory is one of the most important phases during content management system changes, upgrades or website redesigns. The inventory also doubles as a useful long-term content management tool. Without a clear understanding of why you are undertaking a content inventory, your expected results and who your target audience is, it is quite easy to find the exercise confusing.  Here are some of the considerations you need to make before embarking on the process.

A content inventory is the result and process of creating a comprehensive list of all content within a website. All website assets, regardless of their use should be accounted for and also where each is located. Your content inventory should also include an inventory of all links, internal and external and whether the link is good or bad.

A content inventory of all of your website assets will help you decide what type of analytic metrics are needed for a website content audit. If you do not know what type of content is on a website, it is impossible to know what to measure. For example, if a website contains embedded video, some great analytics data can be retrieved from 3rd party video websites like YouTube and Vimeo.