Remove or clearly mark an unavailable service, update the places that still advertise it and provide a sensible route for existing enquiries. Preserve historical project descriptions without implying current availability. Review links, downloads and contact prompts so an old reference does not silently invite work you no longer undertake.
Decide what retirement means
Clarify whether the service has ended permanently, is temporarily paused or is being replaced by a materially different offer. These situations need different wording. “Not currently accepting this work” should not imply a reopening date unless one is known. A replacement service needs its own scope and suitability explanation rather than inheriting every promise from the older page. Write a factual status statement that someone arriving through an old link can understand without knowing your internal decision.
Check existing commitments separately from new availability. A public update does not alter work already agreed with a client. Identify open enquiries and engagements so they receive the appropriate response through the authorized relationship, rather than discovering a changed scope only on the website. Do not claim that all past obligations have ended because the offer has been removed. The profile’s job is to state current availability while keeping the historical record accurate.
Find the places still inviting the work
Create an inventory of service pages, navigation labels, profile summaries, comparison tables and contact-form choices. Include downloadable brochures and other materials you control that people may continue to share. Search for the service name and its recognizable older wording. An updated main page is insufficient if a prominent comparison still recommends the unavailable option. Record each location and the action needed so the retirement is a complete editorial change rather than a single deleted paragraph.
Choose the appropriate treatment for the old page. A clear status notice may be useful where external links still bring visitors. A redirect can help when a new page answers the same task, but it should not send people to an unrelated offer without explanation. Historical case studies may remain when permission and accuracy permit; label the work’s period and avoid presenting their contact prompts as invitations to commission a retired service.
Give visitors a truthful next step
Explain what someone can do now. They may review a related current service, ask a question about existing work or simply learn that the offer is unavailable. Do not promise a referral or replacement provider unless you actually offer that assistance. If a successor service covers only part of the original task, state the difference before directing people to it. A useful onward route preserves the visitor’s understanding rather than maximizing contact at the expense of fit.
Check the change from an old visitor’s perspective. Open a saved service link, follow a comparison link and inspect any downloadable material you can update. Confirm that form options and automatic replies match the new status. Schedule a later check if third-party profiles under your control still need editing. Retain a private record of the former offer when needed to interpret historical projects, but keep current public language focused on what you can responsibly discuss or provide now.
Fictional example: ending standalone workshops
A fictional facilitator, Eva, stops offering standalone onboarding workshops while continuing documentation projects. She marks the old workshop page as unavailable and explains that a project may include a separately scoped handover discussion. She does not redirect visitors straight to the project page as though it were the same service. The comparison table, menu and enquiry-form option are updated together.
Eva retains a permitted historical workshop case study with its original date and a note that the standalone offer has ended. Its contact prompt now links to current services rather than requesting a workshop booking. The example demonstrates editorial consistency after retirement; it does not claim that existing commitments were cancelled or that every former visitor will find a suitable alternative.
A checklist for your next step
- Define the service’s current status.
- Separate existing commitments from availability.
- Inventory pages and downloads.
- Update forms and comparisons.
- Check old links and historical prompts.
Common questions
Should I delete every case study about a retired service?
Not necessarily. Keep accurate, permitted history while making current availability clear and updating its enquiry prompts.
Can I redirect the old page to a new offer?
Use a redirect when it supports the same reading task. Explain material differences when the new offer has a different scope.
Further reading
These primary resources provide related background. They do not validate the illustrative example or endorse AliveProfile.
AI-assisted drafting and automated technical checks. Examples are illustrative; no independent expert review or real-world outcome validation is claimed. Read our editorial policy.