Video Strategy
Part of Repurposing a business video library
Retiring videos with obsolete product information
Find every placement of an outdated product video, choose an accurate replacement and check the routes viewers still use.
Retire a product video from active use when it would send viewers to a step, feature or claim that is no longer accurate. Find where it appears, then decide whether to correct, replace or remove it. Where the old video served a task, give people a current answer.
Key Sources and Guidelines for Video Retirement Compliance
- ACCC Advertising Standards
- False or misleading claims are prohibited under Australian Consumer Law.
- Google Search Guidelines
- Crawling errors and outdated content affect search visibility and user experience.
- Video SEO Best Practices
- Accurate transcripts, captions and metadata improve accessibility and indexing.
- Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG)
- Ensure videos are accessible to all users, including those using assistive technologies.
Confirm what is obsolete
Compare the final video with current product information. Record the model or version shown, the affected step or claim, when the change took effect and who verified it.
Check speech, screen recording, graphics, captions, transcript, thumbnail and surrounding page text. A correct paragraph does not resolve a contradictory video on the same page.
Separate a cosmetic change from one that alters what viewers should do or expect. A moved button might allow a focused update if the task and result stay the same.
A removed feature or changed eligibility condition may require a new explanation. Have the product owner verify that any proposed correction covers the affected instructions.
Choose a response for each placement
A video may appear on a help page, product page, event recap and in a sales presentation. List placements before changing the original file. Each audience may need a different replacement.
| Situation | Response to consider |
|---|---|
| One passage is wrong and can be replaced truthfully | Update the video, captions, transcript and page together |
| The task has changed substantially | Publish a current answer and replace the old video in active routes |
| No replacement video is ready | Remove the outdated player and leave accurate written guidance |
| The old version remains relevant to a defined audience | Label its version and audience clearly; keep it out of current-product instructions |
Keep a historical video available only where viewers can tell what it covers and are unlikely to mistake it for current instructions.
Remove stale routes carefully
Update controlled pages, embeds, menus, email templates and other active routes to the old video. Check derivative previews and clips: one may repeat the obsolete claim after the main video is replaced. Record placements outside your control and who can request a change.
Treat a dedicated watch page separately from its video. If the page still gives a useful current answer, update it. If it has moved to a clear replacement, a permanent redirect may be appropriate. If the page is removed with no comparable replacement, return an appropriate unavailable-page response.
Removing one embed does not remove the video from other pages or sites.
Check the result viewers receive
Review affected pages as a visitor would. Is the current instruction easy to find? Do the title, thumbnail, transcript and captions agree with the available video? Does a bookmarked page lead to a suitable answer or an honest unavailable-page response?
Close the maintenance record with the obsolete claim, product owner’s decision, affected video and derivative IDs, placements changed and outstanding external copies. Check the routes under the business’s control before marking retirement complete. Repeat the review when another product change affects the replacement.
