When a Google help page shows a new date or its layout changes, first confirm whether the substantive guidance changed. Open the current official page, compare the relevant section with your article, and check any linked policies. Do not infer a new rule from a changed date alone. Google is consolidating some Publisher Policies and Restrictions documentation, so links and headings may move while the core instruction remains similar.
Use a source log with URL, page title, date checked, key statement relied on, and your interpretation. If Google changes a requirement, revise the related article and explain the practical effect. If only navigation changed, update the link or screenshot without claiming a policy change. Keep screenshots dated and avoid using obsolete interface images as current instructions.
Example: An article points to an older language version of a privacy page. Replace it with the current English page, confirm the disclosure text still supports the claim, and update the “last reviewed” note. Google’s required privacy content and Publisher Policies should be checked directly for current wording.
Use SiteReadyScore after revising the content to verify that public links and pages remain reachable. The scan does not tell you whether Google changed a rule. Always read the official source and distinguish editorial interpretation from Google’s words.
Source maintenance: Official URL; date checked; exact section; change summary; affected posts; editor; next review date.