A useful starting point
The quick answer
- List the pages and journeys that matter to the redesign.
- Create and check a public-page archive before making changes.
- Keep original assets, a redirect plan and the recovery backup alongside the handoff.
Start with the page inventory
List your main navigation pages, important landing pages, contact details, downloads and legal pages. Add the URLs that bring relevant traffic or support a business task. Record which content will stay, change, merge or move.
For each page, name an owner or reviewer and the intended new destination. This turns a saved website into a practical handoff rather than a folder someone must interpret later.
| Original URL | Decision | Record to keep |
|---|---|---|
| /services | Rewrite | Existing offer and page screenshot |
| /guides/example | Move | Content, new destination and redirect |
| /downloads | Review | Required documents and editions |
Capture the public reference
Use a small Zipasite trial to check the site’s behavior, then choose a page limit suited to the required coverage. Save the finished ZIP with the site name and date. Check the saved page list against your inventory.
Take screenshots of the homepage, navigation, a representative content page and any important form or purchase journey. Keep those screenshots with the source addresses. Public-page files and screenshots provide complementary evidence of the current experience.
Keep authored materials separately
Retain original photographs, logos, downloadable documents and approved copy through your owner tools. Public pages may use resized images or production-minified code. The original materials give the redesign team a better starting point.
Keep a separate recovery backup under the responsible administrator’s process. Record where the backup lives and who can restore it. The archive vs backup guide explains the different checks each copy needs.
Review the handoff before launch
- Open the key archived pages and documents.
- Assign new destinations for moved or merged URLs.
- Compare important copy, contact details and legal information.
- Check replacement forms, search and account flows on the new site.
- Retain the dated archive after launch for comparison.
Keep a record of the new version
After the redesigned site is reviewed, create another dated reference. Keep the two captures separate so page changes are easy to trace. Your inventory provides the connection between old addresses and new ones.