Information Architecture
Content Gap
Plain English
Content that should exist but doesn’t.
Definition
A content gap is a missing piece of content that users need but cannot currently find within a glossarySystemA system is a collection of interconnected components that work together to achieve a specific function or outcome.Open glossary term or experience.
In practice
Identified through glossaryUser JourneyThe full path a user takes to complete a task, including every step, decision, and interaction along the way.Open glossary term, glossarySearchSearch is the functionality that allows users to find content or information by entering queries. It relies on indexing, metadata, and relevance algorithms to return useful results.Open glossary term glossaryDataData is raw, uninterpreted information collected and stored so it can be analysed, processed, or used to inform decisions. On its own it carries no meaning; context and interpretation are what make it useful.Open glossary term, and audits to highlight where content is missing or insufficient.
In context
Internal glossarySearchSearch is the functionality that allows users to find content or information by entering queries. It relies on indexing, metadata, and relevance algorithms to return useful results.Open glossary term queries with no results, and the questions your sales team answers by email every week, are the two cheapest places to find them.
The reality
Gaps often become visible through user frustration, repeated glossarySearchSearch is the functionality that allows users to find content or information by entering queries. It relies on indexing, metadata, and relevance algorithms to return useful results.Open glossary term, or support glossaryRequestA request is an action sent from a client to a server asking for data or a service.Open glossary term rather than proactive analysis.
Compared with
Content Gap vs Content Debt
A gap is an absence users feel. Debt is a presence that costs you. Filling gaps without clearing debt produces a bigger site that is harder to navigate.
FAQ
Common questions
A few practical answers to the questions that usually come up around this term.
What is a content gap?
A content gap is missing content that users need but cannot find.
How do you identify content gaps?
By analysing glossaryUser JourneyThe full path a user takes to complete a task, including every step, decision, and interaction along the way.Open glossary term, glossarySearchSearch is the functionality that allows users to find content or information by entering queries. It relies on indexing, metadata, and relevance algorithms to return useful results.Open glossary term glossaryBehaviourBehaviour refers to how users interact with a system, including actions, patterns, and responses.Open glossary term, and content audits.
Why are content gaps a problem?
They prevent users from completing tasks or finding information.
How do you fix content gaps?
By creating new content aligned to user needs and journeys.
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