Content governance checklist for multi‑site Sitecore estates
Content governance checklist
Use this checklist to review and tighten governance when your marketing team is running at capacity. It fits on two A4 pages when printed.
1. Roles and responsibilities
Role | Core duties | Typical weekly effort |
|---|---|---|
Local content author | Draft copy, select imagery, add metadata | 2–6 hrs |
Local approver (optional) | Quick brand sense‑check | 1–2 hrs |
Global brand reviewer | Tone, visual identity, legal phrasing | 3–5 hrs |
Compliance / legal | Regulated content sign‑off | As needed |
Web operations | Workflow configuration, publish, rollback | <1 hr |
2. Workflow design
Single source of truth – one content item per locale; variants handled via language versions, not duplicates.
Local draft → global approve path – keeps velocity high while safeguarding brand.
Parallel compliance lane – trigger legal review only for SKUs or markets that need it.
Automated notifications – no manual emailing; the CMS handles task alerts and overdue nudges.
Rollback guardrails – one‑click reversion; who can trigger it and how long versions are retained.
3. Content standards
Readability target (Flesch 60+ or reading age 12).
Mandatory metadata: H1, meta description, alt text, CTA label.
Accessibility: heading hierarchy, colour contrast, tab order.
Image rules: approved style guide, minimum resolution, no text in images.
SEO policy: target keyword, canonical URL, schema markup where relevant.
4. Compliance and approvals
Checklists inside the CMS – inline help for claims, disclaimers, privacy copy.
Digital paper‑trail – approval comments stored against each version.
Expiry dates – set review cycles (e.g. every 12 months) to keep content fresh.
Audit extracts – exportable CSV/PDF of approvals for regulators.
5. Localisation and translation
Approved translation memory in TMS or Content Hub.
Locked elements (legal, brand slogans) to avoid re‑translation.
Automated hand‑off via connector; no copy‑paste into Word.
Language QA checklist: layout integrity, truncation, direction (RTL), cultural imagery.
6. Asset management
Named single owner for each digital asset group.
Asset lifecycle: draft → approved → retire.
Rendition automation: CMS generates responsive sizes; authors never upload multiples.
Rights management: usage expiry dates and territory limits stored as metadata.
7. Metrics and feedback loops
Metric | Target | Owner |
|---|---|---|
Time‑to‑publish | ≤ 3 working days end‑to‑end | Ops lead |
First‑time approval rate | ≥ 80 % | Brand lead |
LCP (mobile) | < 2.5 s | DevOps |
Orphan pages | 0 per quarter | SEO lead |
Accessibility violations | 0 criticals / 10k pages | QA lead |
Data pulled weekly from Sitecore Analytics + monitoring tool.
8. Continuous improvement
Monthly retros – 30‑minute call: what slowed us down? what sped us up?
Quarterly governance review – update roles, SLAs, and playbooks.
Training refresh – micro‑videos < 5 min for any new workflow step.
Backlog grooming – prioritise CMS enhancements that shave time off authoring.
Quick self‑assessment
Statement (0 = never, 2 = always) | 0 | 1 | 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
All content passes two sets of eyes before going live | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
Authors spend <10 % of their time chasing approvals | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
No‑one stores final copy outside the CMS | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
We can trace who approved any page in <60 s | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
Content performance metrics are reviewed monthly | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
Total out of 10: 8–10 = healthy; 5–7 = review; 0–4 = overhaul needed.
How to use this checklist
Print or share as PDF.
Walk through each section with your local and global teams.
Highlight gaps, agree actions, assign owners.
Re‑run the self‑assessment each quarter to track progress.
Last updated: July 2025.
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James Mayhew
Commercial Director
Codehouse