Date table
Site: https://docs.relaybase.example. Audit date 2026-10-29. Substantive means a change to facts, steps, prices or more than a paragraph (default threshold); typo and layout fixes do not count.
| Page | URL | Visible date (label) | datePublished | dateModified | lastmod | Last substantive change (from your change log) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P1 | /guides/webhooks | 2026-10-20 (Last updated) | 2024-03-02 | 2026-10-20 | 2026-10-20 | 2026-10-20: "added retry schedule section and new event types" (substantive) |
| P2 | /guides/rate-limits | 2025-01-15 (no label) | 2025-01-15 | 2025-01-15 | 2026-10-27 | 2025-01-15: "last fact change". The 2026-10-27 edit "fixed a typo in a heading" is minor. |
| P3 | /pricing | 2026-10-28 (Updated) | 2023-11-01 | 2026-10-28 | 2026-10-28 | 2026-04-01: "last price change". The 2026-10-28 edit "footer link fix only" is minor. |
| P4 | /blog/launch-v3 | 2026-02-10 (Published) | 2026-02-10 | 2026-02-10 | 2026-02-10 | none: "no edits since publish", so 2026-02-10 |
| P5 | /guides/auth | 2025-06-01 (Last updated) | 2024-05-01 | 2026-09-14 | 2026-09-14 | 2026-09-14: "replaced API key steps with OAuth steps" (substantive) |
Flags
- P2 Unlabeled: the visible date 2025-01-15 has no label. Google's byline date guidance asks for a visible date labeled with text such as "Published" or "Last updated".
- P2 Inflated: lastmod 2026-10-27 is later than the last substantive change (2025-01-15). The only later edit was the heading typo fix.
- P3 Inflated: the visible "Updated" date, dateModified and lastmod are all 2026-10-28, but the last substantive change was 2026-04-01. The 2026-10-28 edit was a footer link fix. Google's helpful content guidance warns against changing dates to make a page seem fresh when the content has not substantially changed.
- P5 Stale label: the 2026-09-14 OAuth rewrite is substantive, but the page still shows "Last updated 2025-06-01".
- P5 Mismatch: the visible updated date (2025-06-01) differs from dateModified (2026-09-14).
Flag counts
Counted from the Flags list: Unlabeled 1 (P2), Inflated 2 (P2, P3), Stale label 1 (P5), Mismatch 1 (P5). Total 1 + 2 + 1 + 1 = 5 flags on 3 pages (P2, P3, P5). The flag count and page count differ because P2 and P5 each carry two flags.
Fixes
| Page | Field | Current | Should be | Source line |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| P2 | Visible date label | none | "Last updated 2025-01-15" | last fact change 2025-01-15 |
| P2 | sitemap lastmod | 2026-10-27 | 2025-01-15 | typo fix is minor |
| P3 | Visible date | Updated 2026-10-28 | Updated 2026-04-01 | last price change 2026-04-01 |
| P3 | dateModified | 2026-10-28 | 2026-04-01 | same |
| P3 | sitemap lastmod | 2026-10-28 | 2026-04-01 | same |
| P5 | Visible date | Last updated 2025-06-01 | Last updated 2026-09-14 | OAuth rewrite 2026-09-14 |
Six fields need changes, counted from the table above. These are accuracy fixes. They are not a way to gain rankings or AI citations.
Pages with no issues
- P1 /guides/webhooks: all dates match the 2026-10-20 substantive change, and the date is labeled.
- P4 /blog/launch-v3: every date is 2026-02-10 and there have been no edits since publish.
Needs your decision
- Approve the six field changes before anyone edits the CMS, the JSON-LD or the sitemap generator.
- P2 and P3 show a pattern of minor edits moving lastmod or the visible date. Decide whether to configure the CMS so minor edits leave dates unchanged.