Your year-end website checklist

The end of the year is one of the best times to step back and look at your website with fresh eyes. Things drift over 12 months — outdated copy, stale promotions, old team photos, and broken links all accumulate quietly. This guide gives you a clear list of what to review before the calendar turns.

When to do this review

Aim to complete your year-end review in the first two weeks of December. That gives you time to make fixes before the holiday rush, and before your team goes on leave.

If December is your busiest trading month, do it in early November instead — the list still applies.

Year-end checklist

Content & copy

• The copyright year in your site footer says the current year (update it to the new year now)
• All prices on service pages, product pages, and any pricing tables are accurate
• Your team or "About us" page reflects your current team — add new starters, remove departed staff
• Staff headshots and bios are current
• Any statistics, "years in business," or milestone numbers are up to date
• Your services list accurately reflects what you actually offer today
• Case studies, testimonials, and portfolio items are current — archive anything outdated
• Blog posts referencing "this year" or specific annual dates still make sense
• Remove or archive any time-limited promotions that have already ended

Legally required pages

• Your privacy policy is current (especially if you changed any tools or collected new types of data this year)
• Terms of service, if you have them, reflect how you currently operate
• Cookie notice or consent banner is still working correctly
• If you are in a regulated industry: verify any compliance statements are still accurate

Navigation & links

• Walk through every link in your main navigation — confirm each one works and goes somewhere sensible
• Check footer links
• Click through any prominent calls-to-action (buttons that say "Book now," "Get a quote," etc.)
• Test your contact form — submit a real message and confirm it reaches your inbox
• If you run an online store: complete a test purchase end-to-end

Visual quality

• Look at your homepage on a desktop browser and on a phone — does it still look sharp?
• Are any images visibly blurry, stretched, or missing?
• Do your brand colors and fonts still match your current branding?
• Are there any old logos or old branding elements that should be updated?

Technical & security

• Your SSL certificate is active — you should see a padlock in the browser address bar (no "Not secure" warnings)
• Google Analytics or your analytics tool is tracking correctly — log in and confirm recent data is flowing in
• Confirm your automated backups are running — check with your host or ask us to verify
• WordPress, plugins, and themes are all up to date (or ask us to check) — see Software updates explained

SEO & search

• Your homepage title and description (the text that appears in Google results) are still accurate
• Your Google Business Profile has current hours, photos, and contact details
• Are there any seasonal pages (e.g. "Summer Sale 2024") that should be archived or redirected?

Set next year's intentions

The year-end review is also a natural time to note what you want to improve in the coming year.

Common questions

Related guides

• Seasonal website checks
• What to check on your site monthly
• Your website health checklist
• Software updates explained
• How backups work