What to change
Pattern-based rules are efficient but can match more than the author intended. Ask the developer to provide a short set of addresses that must move and a contrasting set that must remain untouched. Include current articles sharing similar prefixes with the retired material. The owner should approve the observed results rather than the rule syntax, and the same examples should accompany future changes to that pattern.
A worked example
Illustrative example
Illustrative test: Use similarly named old and current guide slugs to challenge the rule. A routing rule intended for old enquiry guides may also match a newly published article sharing the same address prefix. The supplier tests one intended match and one current guide that must remain independent. Your content owner approves the observed destinations. Those examples stay with the rule's record, so a later adjustment is checked against both desired movement and the important case where no movement should happen.
What this means for your practice
A rule written to move a group of retired pages can accidentally catch newer pages with similar names. Ask your supplier to demonstrate both addresses that should move and addresses that must remain unchanged. Include a current guide sharing the same opening words as the retired group. Your team does not need to approve the rule's code; approve the observed results against the content decisions. Keep those examples with the configuration record so future edits can be checked against them. A test that proves only the intended move works is incomplete, because the harm often lies in an unrelated live article being sent somewhere else.
How to check the result
Retired routes move correctly while current guides remain independently accessible.
A mistake to avoid
Testing only a rule's intended match misses harmful overmatching.
Turn reading into a next step
Your action checklist
Work through these checks with your team or supplier. Tick the ones you have resolved and leave unknowns open.
Record what you know, what is still missing and the answer you need from your team or supplier.
Use project decisions only, without personal, patient or confidential details. Entries stay in this page and are not submitted to Kay & Co. Copy or download before leaving; this page does not save your notes.
Further reading
These sources provide background for the topic. The practice examples and checklist are illustrative planning suggestions from Kay & Co.
Related guides
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