Automatically Index a Content Inventory

The content inventory is the most dreaded, soul-deadening task that any Information Architect ever has to tackle. The most tedious part of a content inventory is the hierarchical Index column. The bigger the site, the harder it is to create and maintain that Index column.

To alleviate the headaches of generating the Index column, I created a function in Microsoft Excel called GetUXIndex().

GetUXIndex() automatically generates a perfectly-structured Index column by comparing the indentation level of every Page Title with the indentation level of the row above it.

Why this matters

Most content inventories consist of at least three columns: Index, Page title, and URL. The Index column provides a hierarchical numbering system for each piece of content.

For example, in the image below, the “Home” page has an Index number of 0.0.0.0, which means it is the root of a four-level site hierarchy.

“Mops” has an Index number of 1.1.0.0, which means it is the first child page under Products (1.0.0.0), which is the first child under Home (0.0.0.0)

When implemented correctly, the Index column helps eliminate confusion and helps streamline a variety of UX tasks, including:

• reorganizing the sitemap
• planning a migration strategy
• developing interface and functional specifications

How to use GetUXIndex()

GetUXIndex() does not come packaged with Microsoft Excel.  To use this function, download the Content_Inventory_Kit.xls spreadsheet.

Once you’ve downloaded and opened the Content_Inventory_Kit.xls, you can use the GetUXIndex() function just like any other Excel function like AVG() or SUM().

GetUXIndex() takes two parameters:

• Cell ID, which is the cell reference for the Page Title cell (for example, B9)
• Levels, which determines is the number of decimal places in the Index cell (for example, 4)

To get started, open the Content_Inventory_Kit.xls spreadsheet, and follow these instructions:

1. Starting in column B, enter your indented Page Title fields into column B.
2. Starting in column A, type in =getUXIndex(B9,4) where B9 is the cell ID containing your Home Page and 4 is the number of levels you want to have in your index number.



3. Drag the formula of cell A9 down to the bottom of inventory.



4. The GetUXIndex() function will automatically create a unique index number for each row

And that’s it. You can create a fully detailed hierarchical Index for your entire content inventory in seconds. And because this is a computed field, the GetUXIndex() will update itself whenever you add, delete, or move rows in your content inventory.

Troubleshooting

If you experience problems with the GetUXIndex() function, check the following common problems first:

1. If you start using  GetUXIndex() in row A, the function will return errors.  Make sure that you start using GetUXIndex in row B or after. (Working on a fix for that.)
2. If you get security related errors, you may need to adjust your macro security settings.

If you need additional help, feel free to write to me at don@donbruns.net.