What is content parity?
Content parity is how closely a migrated site matches the content of the original: the same pages, text, images, links and metadata, in the right places. It’s measured by comparing the old and new sites page by page, and it’s the clearest evidence that nothing was lost when you changed platforms.
What gets compared
- Pages: every page that should exist on the new site does.
- Text: body copy and headings match.
- Images and media, including alt text.
- Links and downloads, including files such as PDFs.
- Metadata: page titles and meta descriptions.
- Structured data and forms.
How it’s measured
- Inventory the old siteCapture every page and what’s on it before the move.
- Map old to newPair each old page with its new home, or mark it as retired on purpose.
- Compare automaticallyUse a tool to compare text, media, links and metadata on every pair.
- Review the differencesA person decides which differences are intended and which are mistakes.
- ReportRecord the result and fix or list what doesn’t match.
Content parity and visual parity
Content parity is about what’s on the page. Visual parity is about how the page looks at each screen size. A migration that also redesigns the site changes the look on purpose, but it should still keep content parity, except for content retired deliberately.
How Cypher handles this
Content parity of 98% or better is part of the migration playbook’s definition of done, checked page by page, alongside visual parity at three breakpoints. Anything that doesn’t match is listed in the known-gaps report, in writing.
Questions people ask
Why not aim for 100%?
Some differences are intended: retired pages, rewritten copy and removed duplicates. A good report shows which differences were deliberate and which need fixing.
Who checks content parity?
Ideally an automated comparison of every page, then a person reviewing the differences it finds.
Does content parity matter for SEO?
Yes. Missing pages and missing text are common causes of lost rankings after a migration.