Restinhalte

Restinhalte is a German term used in information science and digital media to denote content that remains within a system but is not part of the currently published product. The word combines rest (leftover) and Inhalte (contents). In practice it describes textual blocks, images, media files, metadata or draft assets stored in a content repository, CMS or editorial workflow but not shown to end users.

In content management Restinhalte include drafts, placeholders, notes, unpublished revisions, or media variants kept for potential future use. For example, a newsroom CMS may retain several versions of an article and related assets in a project workspace; only the final version is published while earlier drafts and auxiliary materials remain Restinhalte. In web design, unused image variants or layout components kept for testing or future campaigns can also be classified as Restinhalte. In digital libraries and archives, Restinhalte refer to holdings retained for provenance or completeness but not currently visible in the public catalog.

Handling and governance: Repositories typically implement policies for tagging, reviewing, retention, and access control of Restinhalte. Depending on policy, they may be archived, migrated to long-term storage, or deleted after a defined period to control storage costs and minimize privacy or legal risks.

Relevance and scope: The concept supports content lifecycle management, version control, and data governance. It highlights the distinction between public content and non-published assets, and it underscores the need for clear retention policies to avoid confusion and leakage of outdated information.