Content Update Changelog Template

Content Update Changelog (fill-in)

When to use: One row per substantive change to a live page, with old and new claim, source, editor, date, recheck, owners and a completion check.

Content update changelog

One row per substantive change to a live page. Fill the row on the day the edit goes live, not from memory a week later.

Per-row detail (fill for every change)

• Section changed: [H2 or paragraph, with a quote of the first words]
• New text: [exact replacement sentence or figure]
• Why it changed: [source updated / product changed / reader report / error found]
• Change type: [substantive / minor / correction]
• Source checked on: [date you opened the source] - [source owner, such as the maker, regulator or official docs]
• Dates moved: visible "Updated" label [yes / no], dateModified [yes / no], sitemap lastmod [yes / no]
• Reader note: [short note shown on the page, or none]
• Reviewer: [second person who read the change]
• Recheck reason: [why this date, such as the source's next release]

Next action

• Editor: [name] - action: [make the edit and fill the row] by [date]
• Reviewer: [name] - action: read the new text against the source and sign off by [date]
• Content owner: [name] - action: run the recheck on [recheck date] and add a new row if anything moved

Completion check

• Every row quotes the old claim and the new claim, word for word.
• Every new claim links a source someone else can open and check.
• The "Updated" date moved only for substantive changes.
• The visible date, dateModified and sitemap lastmod match for this URL.
• A second person reviewed each substantive change.
• Every row has a recheck date and an owner.

Updated Date Decision Picker

When to use: Decide if an edit is substantive enough to move the Updated date, and if it belongs in the log.

Should this edit move the "Updated" date?

Google's helpful content guidance asks if you change page dates to make them seem fresh when the content has not substantially changed. This picker keeps that answer honest.

Three questions before you change the date

1. Would a reader who read the old version learn something new or different?
2. Can you point to the exact old and new text in the changelog?
3. Would you be happy to show this row to the reader?

Three yes answers: move the date. Any no: leave the date and log it as minor if you log it at all.

Changing only the title tag? Track it in the SEO Title Testing Log Template so the read stays clean.

Date Signals Sync Check

When to use: Match the visible date, dateModified and sitemap lastmod after each logged change, based on Google's guidance.

Keep the date signals in sync

A reader sees the visible date. Google can also read structured data and the sitemap. When they disagree, nobody knows which one is right.

What Google says about byline dates

• Show a clear visible date with a label, such as "Published" or "Last updated".
• In Article or BlogPosting markup, use datePublished and dateModified.
• The visible date and the structured data date should match.
• A time and time zone are optional but recommended. Use the right zone, with daylight saving time.
• Do not use future dates, or the dates of the events the page describes.
• If Google picks the wrong date, consider removing other dates from the page.

What Google says about sitemap lastmod

• lastmod should show the last significant update to the page.
• Changes to the main content, structured data or links are generally significant. A copyright date change is not.
• Google uses lastmod only if it is consistently and verifiably accurate.

Sync check per row

Rebuild the Article markup with the Schema Markup Generator, then crawl the site with the Website Audit to check that structured data validates and the sitemap has no conflicts.

A CMS that bumps dateModified on every save will break this check. Fix the template, not the log.

Source and Recheck Planner

When to use: Pick a source that owns the fact and set a recheck date by claim type, with a weekly recheck queue.

Pick the source and the recheck date

A changelog is only as good as its sources. The recheck date says when the new claim may go stale again.

Source rules

• Use the source that owns the fact: the maker, the regulator, the official docs or the original study.
• Link the exact page, not a home page.
• Note the date you checked it. Many official pages show their own "last updated" date. Log it too.
• If you can only find a second-hand source, mark the row as unverified and do not publish the claim yet.

Recheck interval picker

These intervals are a starting point. Set your own per site and write the reason in the row.

Recheck queue

• Sort the sheet by recheck date every Monday: [owner] takes the rows due this week.
• If the source has not changed, add the check date to the row. Do not move the page's Updated date.
• If it changed, add a new row. Never overwrite the old one.

Checking claims before a page goes live? Use the Editorial Fact-Check Checklist Template. Choosing which pages to refresh? Start with the Content Audit and Refresh Template.

Reader Update Note Builder

When to use: Short, honest notes for updates, corrections, removals and reviews, shown next to the page date.

Write the note readers see

A short note near the date tells readers what changed. It also shows that the new date means something.

Note patterns

• Update: Updated [date]: [what changed] to reflect [source and its date].
• Correction: Correction [date]: an earlier version said [old claim]. It is [new claim].
• Removal: Updated [date]: we removed [item] because [reason].
• Review with no change: Reviewed [date]: [claims] checked against [source]. No changes needed.

Rules for the note

• Keep it to one or two sentences.
• Say what changed, not that the page is "fresh" or "new".
• Name a correction as a correction. Do not hide it in an update.
• Use the same date as the visible Updated label.
• Keep older notes, or link to a full history if the list gets long.
• Show the editor's name in the byline where readers expect one.

Google's helpful content guidance encourages accurate bylines where readers expect them. The changelog gives you the name to show.

After a big rewrite, score the new text against the current top 10 for its main query with the Content Optimizer.

Spreadsheet Header (CSV)

When to use: A paste-ready header row and allowed values to run the changelog in Google Sheets or Excel.

Paste-ready spreadsheet header

Paste this row into cell A1 of Google Sheets or Excel, then split text to columns by comma. One row per change.

change_id,url,section,old_claim,new_claim,source_url,source_owner,source_checked_on,source_last_updated,reason,change_type,editor,reviewer,live_date,updated_label_moved,date_modified_moved,lastmod_moved,reader_note,recheck_date,recheck_reason,recheck_owner,recheck_result,status

Allowed values

• change_type: substantive, minor, correction
• reason: source_updated, product_changed, reader_report, error_found, rule_changed, section_added
• updated_label_moved, date_modified_moved, lastmod_moved: yes, no
• recheck_result: unchanged, changed_new_row, source_gone
• status: drafted, reviewed, live, rechecked, closed

Sheet tips

• Highlight rows where change_type is minor but updated_label_moved is yes. Those need a second look.
• Highlight rows where recheck_date is in the past and status is not rechecked.
• Filter by url to see the full history of one page, oldest first.
• Lock old rows. Add new rows instead of editing history.

Worked Example (fictional home energy publisher)

When to use: Three filled rows for an invented publisher: a figure change, a how-to fix and a typo that did not move the date.

Worked example: Kettlemoor home energy guides

Example only. Kettlemoor is an invented home energy publisher. Its URLs, claims, sources, names, dates and numbers are made up to show a filled-in log.

Row 1: rebate guide

• Change type: substantive. The headline figure readers act on changed.
• Dates moved: Updated label, dateModified and sitemap lastmod all set to 3 Oct 2025.
• Reader note: "Updated 3 Oct 2025: rebate cap changed to 2,400 to reflect the Brackmere Energy Office scheme page."
• Reviewer: Priya Holm checked the figure on the scheme page.

Row 2: thermostat guide

• Change type: substantive. A reader reported the old menu path no longer exists.
• Dates moved: all three set to 10 Oct 2025, with a reader note.

Row 3: insulation guide

• Change type: minor. No date moved and no reader note.

Recheck on 3 Jan 2026

• The scheme page still shows 2,400. Ines adds the check date to row 1. The Updated date stays at 3 Oct 2025.

Why this works

• The two dated changes have a word-for-word old and new claim, so a reader or auditor can check them.
• The typo fix did not move the date, so the Updated label still means real news.
• The recheck confirmed the figure without faking a fresh date.