ElasticFlow
AI SkillPlan Site StructureMarketingv1.1.0

Site Architecture — Build a Site Structure That Scales

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Plan website structure, navigation, and URL hierarchy to support SEO and UX

  • Map the full page hierarchy from homepage to deep content pages
  • Design URL structure and naming conventions for all page types
  • Plan main navigation and footer link architecture
  • Create internal linking strategy to distribute page authority
  • Identify orphan pages and crawl depth issues affecting SEO

Who this is for

SEO Specialist

You live in Search Console and think in crawl budgets. These skills automate audits, generate schema markup, plan site architecture, and build programmatic SEO pages.

See skills for this role
Growth Marketer

You run experiments, optimize funnels, and own the numbers from signup to revenue. These skills handle the audit, analysis, and testing setup — so you spend time on strategy, not spreadsheets.

See skills for this role

What it does

Planning a new SaaS website from scratch

Maps the full page structure including core marketing pages, feature pages, blog, and resources — with URL conventions and nav design

Restructuring a site with poor SEO crawlability

Audits current site architecture for depth issues, orphan pages, and poor linking, then recommends a simplified structure

Planning a content hub or resource center

Designs the hub architecture with pillar pages, cluster pages, URL structure, and internal linking logic for topical authority

How it works

1

Describe your product, target audience, and content goals

2

Share your current sitemap or URL list if restructuring

3

Skill maps the proposed page hierarchy and URL conventions

4

Designs navigation structure and internal linking priorities

5

Delivers a visual sitemap spec and implementation notes

Metrics this improves

Bounce Rate
Intuitive navigation helps visitors find what they need, reducing frustration-driven bounce
Marketing
Crawl Depth
Flat, logical URL hierarchies and strong internal linking reduce crawl depth and improve page discovery
Marketing
Indexed Pages
Correct site architecture ensures all important pages are crawlable and indexed by search engines
Marketing
Organic Traffic
Well-structured site architecture improves crawlability and topical authority, driving organic traffic growth
Marketing
Rankings
Internal link equity distribution and topic clustering from good architecture improve keyword rankings
Marketing

Works with

Ahrefs
manual

Analyze internal link equity distribution and identify orphaned pages

Google Search Console
manual

Identify crawl errors, indexation gaps, and page coverage issues in current architecture

Screaming Frog
manual

Crawl the site to audit URL structure, internal linking, and crawl depth

Semrush
manual

Audit site structure against SEO best practices and competitor architectures

View on GitHub

Site Architecture

You are an information architecture expert. Your goal is to help plan website structure — page hierarchy, navigation, URL patterns, and internal linking — so the site is intuitive for users and optimized for search engines.

Before Planning

Check for product marketing context first: If .agents/product-marketing-context.md exists (or .claude/product-marketing-context.md in older setups), read it before asking questions. Use that context and only ask for information not already covered or specific to this task.

Gather this context (ask if not provided):

1. Business Context

  • What does the company do?
  • Who are the primary audiences?
  • What are the top 3 goals for the site? (conversions, SEO traffic, education, support)

2. Current State

  • New site or restructuring an existing one?
  • If restructuring: what's broken? (high bounce, poor SEO, users can't find things)
  • Existing URLs that must be preserved (for redirects)?

3. Site Type

  • SaaS marketing site
  • Content/blog site
  • E-commerce
  • Documentation
  • Hybrid (SaaS + content)
  • Small business / local

4. Content Inventory

  • How many pages exist or are planned?
  • What are the most important pages? (by traffic, conversions, or business value)
  • Any planned sections or expansions?

Site Types and Starting Points

Site TypeTypical DepthKey SectionsURL Pattern
SaaS marketing2-3 levelsHome, Features, Pricing, Blog, Docs/features/name, /blog/slug
Content/blog2-3 levelsHome, Blog, Categories, About/blog/slug, /category/slug
E-commerce3-4 levelsHome, Categories, Products, Cart/category/subcategory/product
Documentation3-4 levelsHome, Guides, API Reference/docs/section/page
Hybrid SaaS+content3-4 levelsHome, Product, Blog, Resources, Docs/product/feature, /blog/slug
Small business1-2 levelsHome, Services, About, Contact/services/name

For full page hierarchy templates: See references/site-type-templates.md

Page Hierarchy Design

The 3-Click Rule

Users should reach any important page within 3 clicks from the homepage. This isn't absolute, but if critical pages are buried 4+ levels deep, something is wrong.

Flat vs Deep

ApproachBest ForTradeoff
Flat (2 levels)Small sites, portfoliosSimple but doesn't scale
Moderate (3 levels)Most SaaS, content sitesGood balance of depth and findability
Deep (4+ levels)E-commerce, large docsScales but risks burying content

Rule of thumb: Go as flat as possible while keeping navigation clean. If a nav dropdown has 20+ items, add a level of hierarchy.

Hierarchy Levels

LevelWhat It IsExample
L0Homepage/
L1Primary sections/features, /blog, /pricing
L2Section pages/features/analytics, /blog/seo-guide
L3+Detail pages/docs/api/authentication

ASCII Tree Format

Use this format for page hierarchies:

Homepage (/)
├── Features (/features)
│   ├── Analytics (/features/analytics)
│   ├── Automation (/features/automation)
│   └── Integrations (/features/integrations)
├── Pricing (/pricing)
├── Blog (/blog)
│   ├── [Category: SEO] (/blog/category/seo)
│   └── [Category: CRO] (/blog/category/cro)
├── Resources (/resources)
│   ├── Case Studies (/resources/case-studies)
│   └── Templates (/resources/templates)
├── Docs (/docs)
│   ├── Getting Started (/docs/getting-started)
│   └── API Reference (/docs/api)
├── About (/about)
│   └── Careers (/about/careers)
└── Contact (/contact)

When to use ASCII vs Mermaid:

  • ASCII: quick hierarchy drafts, text-only contexts, simple structures
  • Mermaid: visual presentations, complex relationships, showing nav zones or linking patterns

Navigation Design

Navigation Types

Nav TypePurposePlacement
Header navPrimary navigation, always visibleTop of every page
Dropdown menusOrganize sub-pages under parentExpands from header items
Footer navSecondary links, legal, sitemapBottom of every page
Sidebar navSection navigation (docs, blog)Left side within a section
BreadcrumbsShow current location in hierarchyBelow header, above content
Contextual linksRelated content, next stepsWithin page content

Header Navigation Rules

  • 4-7 items max in the primary nav (more causes decision paralysis)
  • CTA button goes rightmost (e.g., "Start Free Trial," "Get Started")
  • Logo links to homepage (left side)
  • Order by priority: most important/visited pages first
  • If you have a mega menu, limit to 3-4 columns

Footer Organization

Group footer links into columns:

  • Product: Features, Pricing, Integrations, Changelog
  • Resources: Blog, Case Studies, Templates, Docs
  • Company: About, Careers, Contact, Press
  • Legal: Privacy, Terms, Security

Breadcrumb Format

Home > Features > Analytics
Home > Blog > SEO Category > Post Title

Breadcrumbs should mirror the URL hierarchy. Every breadcrumb segment should be a clickable link except the current page.

For detailed navigation patterns: See references/navigation-patterns.md

URL Structure

Design Principles

  1. Readable by humans — /features/analytics not /f/a123
  2. Hyphens, not underscores — /blog/seo-guide not /blog/seo_guide
  3. Reflect the hierarchy — URL path should match site structure
  4. Consistent trailing slash policy — pick one (with or without) and enforce it
  5. Lowercase always — /About should redirect to /about
  6. Short but descriptive — /blog/how-to-improve-landing-page-conversion-rates is too long; /blog/landing-page-conversions is better

URL Patterns by Page Type

Page TypePatternExample
Homepage/example.com
Feature page/features/{name}/features/analytics
Pricing/pricing/pricing
Blog post/blog/{slug}/blog/seo-guide
Blog category/blog/category/{slug}/blog/category/seo
Case study/customers/{slug}/customers/acme-corp
Documentation/docs/{section}/{page}/docs/api/authentication
Legal/{page}/privacy, /terms
Landing page/{slug} or /lp/{slug}/free-trial, /lp/webinar
Comparison/compare/{competitor} or /vs/{competitor}/compare/competitor-name
Integration/integrations/{name}/integrations/slack
Template/templates/{slug}/templates/marketing-plan

Common Mistakes

  • Dates in blog URLs — /blog/2024/01/15/post-title adds no value and makes URLs long. Use /blog/post-title.
  • Over-nesting — /products/category/subcategory/item/detail is too deep. Flatten where possible.
  • Changing URLs without redirects — Every old URL needs a 301 redirect to its new URL. Without them, you lose backlink equity and create broken pages for anyone with the old URL bookmarked or linked.
  • IDs in URLs — /product/12345 is not human-readable. Use slugs.
  • Query parameters for content — /blog?id=123 should be /blog/post-title.
  • Inconsistent patterns — Don't mix /features/analytics and /product/automation. Pick one parent.

Breadcrumb-URL Alignment

The breadcrumb trail should mirror the URL path:

URLBreadcrumb
/features/analyticsHome > Features > Analytics
/blog/seo-guideHome > Blog > SEO Guide
/docs/api/authHome > Docs > API > Authentication

Visual Sitemap Output (Mermaid)

Use Mermaid graph TD for visual sitemaps. This makes hierarchy relationships clear and can annotate navigation zones.

Basic Hierarchy

graph TD
    HOME[Homepage] --> FEAT[Features]
    HOME --> PRICE[Pricing]
    HOME --> BLOG[Blog]
    HOME --> ABOUT[About]

    FEAT --> F1[Analytics]
    FEAT --> F2[Automation]
    FEAT --> F3[Integrations]

    BLOG --> B1[Post 1]
    BLOG --> B2[Post 2]

With Navigation Zones

graph TD
    subgraph Header Nav
        HOME[Homepage]
        FEAT[Features]
        PRICE[Pricing]
        BLOG[Blog]
        CTA[Get Started]
    end

    subgraph Footer Nav
        ABOUT[About]
        CAREERS[Careers]
        CONTACT[Contact]
        PRIVACY[Privacy]
    end

    HOME --> FEAT
    HOME --> PRICE
    HOME --> BLOG
    HOME --> ABOUT

    FEAT --> F1[Analytics]
    FEAT --> F2[Automation]

For more Mermaid templates: See references/mermaid-templates.md

Internal Linking Strategy

Link Types

TypePurposeExample
NavigationalMove between sectionsHeader, footer, sidebar links
ContextualRelated content within text"Learn more about analytics"
Hub-and-spokeConnect cluster content to hubBlog posts linking to pillar page
Cross-sectionConnect related pages across sectionsFeature page linking to related case study

Internal Linking Rules

  1. No orphan pages — every page must have at least one internal link pointing to it
  2. Descriptive anchor text — "our analytics features" not "click here"
  3. 5-10 internal links per 1000 words of content (approximate guideline)
  4. Link to important pages more often — homepage, key feature pages, pricing
  5. Use breadcrumbs — free internal links on every page
  6. Related content sections — "Related Posts" or "You might also like" at page bottom

Hub-and-Spoke Model

For content-heavy sites, organize around hub pages:

Hub: /blog/seo-guide (comprehensive overview)
├── Spoke: /blog/keyword-research (links back to hub)
├── Spoke: /blog/on-page-seo (links back to hub)
├── Spoke: /blog/technical-seo (links back to hub)
└── Spoke: /blog/link-building (links back to hub)

Each spoke links back to the hub. The hub links to all spokes. Spokes link to each other where relevant.

Link Audit Checklist

  • Every page has at least one inbound internal link
  • No broken internal links (404s)
  • Anchor text is descriptive (not "click here" or "read more")
  • Important pages have the most inbound internal links
  • Breadcrumbs are implemented on all pages
  • Related content links exist on blog posts
  • Cross-section links connect features to case studies, blog to product pages

Output Format

When creating a site architecture plan, provide these deliverables:

1. Page Hierarchy (ASCII Tree)

Full site structure with URLs at each node. Use the ASCII tree format from the Page Hierarchy Design section.

2. Visual Sitemap (Mermaid)

Mermaid diagram showing page relationships and navigation zones. Use graph TD with subgraphs for nav zones where helpful.

3. URL Map Table

PageURLParentNav LocationPriority
Homepage/—HeaderHigh
Features/featuresHomepageHeaderHigh
Analytics/features/analyticsFeaturesHeader dropdownMedium
Pricing/pricingHomepageHeaderHigh
Blog/blogHomepageHeaderMedium

4. Navigation Spec

  • Header nav items (ordered, with CTA)
  • Footer sections and links
  • Sidebar nav (if applicable)
  • Breadcrumb implementation notes

5. Internal Linking Plan

  • Hub pages and their spokes
  • Cross-section link opportunities
  • Orphan page audit (if restructuring)
  • Recommended links per key page

Task-Specific Questions

  1. Is this a new site or are you restructuring an existing one?
  2. What type of site is it? (SaaS, content, e-commerce, docs, hybrid, small business)
  3. How many pages exist or are planned?
  4. What are the 5 most important pages on the site?
  5. Are there existing URLs that need to be preserved or redirected?
  6. Who are the primary audiences, and what are they trying to accomplish on the site?

Related Skills

  • content-strategy: For planning what content to create and topic clusters
  • programmatic-seo: For building SEO pages at scale with templates and data
  • seo-audit: For technical SEO, on-page optimization, and indexation issues
  • page-cro: For optimizing individual pages for conversion
  • schema-markup: For implementing breadcrumb and site navigation structured data
  • competitor-alternatives: For comparison page frameworks and URL patterns

Reference documents

Mermaid Diagram Templates

Copy-paste-ready Mermaid diagrams for visual sitemaps. Customize node labels and connections for your site.

Basic Hierarchy

Simple top-down page hierarchy.

graph TD
    HOME["Homepage<br/>/"] --> FEAT["Features<br/>/features"]
    HOME --> PRICE["Pricing<br/>/pricing"]
    HOME --> BLOG["Blog<br/>/blog"]
    HOME --> ABOUT["About<br/>/about"]

    FEAT --> F1["Analytics<br/>/features/analytics"]
    FEAT --> F2["Automation<br/>/features/automation"]
    FEAT --> F3["Integrations<br/>/features/integrations"]

    BLOG --> B1["Post: SEO Guide<br/>/blog/seo-guide"]
    BLOG --> B2["Post: CRO Tips<br/>/blog/cro-tips"]

Hierarchy with Navigation Zones

Uses subgraphs to show which pages appear in which navigation area.

graph TD
    subgraph "Header Nav"
        HOME["Homepage"]
        FEAT["Features"]
        PRICE["Pricing"]
        BLOG["Blog"]
        CTA["Get Started ★"]
    end

    subgraph "Feature Pages"
        F1["Analytics"]
        F2["Automation"]
        F3["Integrations"]
    end

    subgraph "Footer Nav"
        ABOUT["About"]
        CAREERS["Careers"]
        CONTACT["Contact"]
        PRIVACY["Privacy"]
        TERMS["Terms"]
    end

    HOME --> FEAT
    HOME --> PRICE
    HOME --> BLOG
    FEAT --> F1
    FEAT --> F2
    FEAT --> F3
    HOME --> ABOUT
    ABOUT --> CAREERS
    HOME --> CONTACT

Hierarchy with URL Labels

Each node shows the page name and URL path.

graph TD
    HOME["Homepage<br/><small>/</small>"] --> PROD["Product<br/><small>/product</small>"]
    HOME --> PRICE["Pricing<br/><small>/pricing</small>"]
    HOME --> BLOG["Blog<br/><small>/blog</small>"]
    HOME --> DOCS["Docs<br/><small>/docs</small>"]
    HOME --> ABOUT["About<br/><small>/about</small>"]

    PROD --> P1["Analytics<br/><small>/product/analytics</small>"]
    PROD --> P2["Reports<br/><small>/product/reports</small>"]

    DOCS --> D1["Getting Started<br/><small>/docs/getting-started</small>"]
    DOCS --> D2["API Reference<br/><small>/docs/api</small>"]

Hub-and-Spoke Content Model

Shows a hub page connected to spoke articles, with spokes linking to each other.

graph TD
    HUB["SEO Guide<br/>(Hub Page)"]

    HUB --> S1["Keyword Research"]
    HUB --> S2["On-Page SEO"]
    HUB --> S3["Technical SEO"]
    HUB --> S4["Link Building"]

    S1 -.-> S2
    S2 -.-> S3
    S3 -.-> S4

    style HUB fill:#f9f,stroke:#333,stroke-width:2px

Legend:

  • Solid lines = primary hub-spoke links
  • Dashed lines = cross-links between spokes

Internal Linking Flow

Shows how different site sections link to each other.

graph LR
    subgraph "Marketing"
        HOME["Homepage"]
        FEAT["Features"]
        PRICE["Pricing"]
    end

    subgraph "Content"
        BLOG["Blog"]
        GUIDE["Guides"]
        CASE["Case Studies"]
    end

    subgraph "Product"
        DOCS["Docs"]
        API["API Ref"]
        CHANGE["Changelog"]
    end

    BLOG --> FEAT
    BLOG --> CASE
    CASE --> FEAT
    CASE --> PRICE
    FEAT --> DOCS
    GUIDE --> BLOG
    GUIDE --> DOCS
    HOME --> FEAT
    HOME --> BLOG
    HOME --> CASE

Before/After Restructuring

Compare current and proposed site structures side by side.

graph TD
    subgraph "Before"
        B_HOME["Homepage"] --> B_P1["Page 1"]
        B_HOME --> B_P2["Page 2"]
        B_HOME --> B_P3["Page 3"]
        B_HOME --> B_P4["Page 4"]
        B_HOME --> B_P5["Page 5"]
        B_HOME --> B_P6["Page 6"]
        B_HOME --> B_P7["Page 7"]
        B_HOME --> B_P8["Page 8"]
    end

    subgraph "After"
        A_HOME["Homepage"] --> A_S1["Features"]
        A_HOME --> A_S2["Resources"]
        A_HOME --> A_S3["Company"]
        A_S1 --> A_P1["Feature A"]
        A_S1 --> A_P2["Feature B"]
        A_S2 --> A_P3["Blog"]
        A_S2 --> A_P4["Guides"]
        A_S3 --> A_P5["About"]
        A_S3 --> A_P6["Contact"]
    end

Color-Coding Conventions

Use styles to highlight page status, priority, or type.

graph TD
    HOME["Homepage"] --> FEAT["Features"]
    HOME --> PRICE["Pricing"]
    HOME --> BLOG["Blog"]
    HOME --> NEW["New Section"]
    HOME --> REMOVE["Deprecated Page"]

    FEAT --> F1["Existing Feature"]
    FEAT --> F2["New Feature"]

    style HOME fill:#4CAF50,color:#fff
    style PRICE fill:#4CAF50,color:#fff
    style FEAT fill:#4CAF50,color:#fff
    style BLOG fill:#4CAF50,color:#fff
    style F1 fill:#4CAF50,color:#fff
    style NEW fill:#2196F3,color:#fff
    style F2 fill:#2196F3,color:#fff
    style REMOVE fill:#f44336,color:#fff

Color key:

  • Green (#4CAF50): Existing pages (no changes)
  • Blue (#2196F3): New pages to create
  • Red (#f44336): Pages to remove or redirect
  • Yellow (#FFC107): Pages to restructure or move
  • Purple (#9C27B0): High-priority / CTA pages

Navigation Patterns

Detailed navigation patterns for different site types and contexts.

Header Navigation

Simple Header (4-6 items)

Best for: small businesses, simple SaaS, portfolios.

[Logo]   Features   Pricing   Blog   About   [CTA Button]

Rules:

  • Logo always links to homepage
  • CTA button is rightmost, visually distinct (filled button, contrasting color)
  • Items ordered by priority (most visited first)
  • Active page gets visual indicator (underline, bold, color)

Mega Menu Header

Best for: SaaS with many features, e-commerce with categories, large content sites.

[Logo]   Product ▾   Solutions ▾   Resources ▾   Pricing   Docs   [CTA]

When "Product" is hovered/clicked:

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│  Features           Platform        Integrations │
│  ─────────          ─────────       ──────────── │
│  Analytics           Security       Slack         │
│  Automation          API            HubSpot       │
│  Reporting           Compliance     Salesforce    │
│  Dashboards                         Zapier        │
│                                                   │
│  [See all features →]                             │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Mega menu rules:

  • 2-4 columns max
  • Group items logically (by feature area, use case, or audience)
  • Include a "See all" link at the bottom
  • Don't nest dropdowns inside mega menus
  • Show descriptions for items when labels alone aren't clear

Split Navigation

Best for: apps with both marketing and product nav.

[Logo]   Features   Pricing   Blog        [Login]   [Sign Up]
├── Marketing nav (left) ──────┘          └── Auth nav (right) ──┤

Right side handles authentication actions. Left side handles page navigation.

Footer Navigation

Column-Based Footer (Standard)

Best for: most sites. Organize links into 3-5 themed columns.

┌──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                                                          │
│  Product          Resources        Company       Legal   │
│  ─────────        ──────────       ─────────     ─────   │
│  Features         Blog             About         Privacy │
│  Pricing          Guides           Careers       Terms   │
│  Integrations     Templates        Contact       GDPR    │
│  Changelog        Case Studies     Press                 │
│  Security         Webinars         Partners              │
│                                                          │
│  [Logo]  © 2026 Company Name                             │
│  Social: [Twitter] [LinkedIn] [GitHub]                   │
│                                                          │
└──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Minimal Footer

Best for: simple sites, landing pages.

┌──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│  [Logo]                                                  │
│  © 2026 Company  ·  Privacy  ·  Terms  ·  Contact        │
└──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Expanded Footer

Best for: sites using footer for SEO (comparison pages, location pages, resource links).

┌──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│  Product     Resources    Compare         Use Cases      │
│  Features    Blog         vs Competitor A  For Startups  │
│  Pricing     Guides       vs Competitor B  For Enterprise│
│  API         Templates    vs Competitor C  For Agencies  │
│                                                          │
│  Integrations             Popular Posts                  │
│  Slack       Zapier       How to Do X                    │
│  HubSpot     Salesforce   Guide to Y                     │
│                           Template: Z                    │
│                                                          │
│  [Logo]  © 2026  ·  Privacy  ·  Terms  ·  Security      │
└──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Sidebar Navigation

Documentation Sidebar

Persistent left sidebar with collapsible sections.

Getting Started
  ├── Installation
  ├── Quick Start
  └── Configuration

Guides
  ├── Authentication
  ├── Data Models
  └── Deployment

API Reference
  ├── REST API
  │   ├── Users
  │   ├── Projects
  │   └── Webhooks
  └── GraphQL

Examples
  ├── Next.js
  ├── Rails
  └── Python

Changelog

Rules:

  • Current page highlighted
  • Sections collapsible (expanded by default for active section)
  • Search at top of sidebar
  • "Previous / Next" page navigation at bottom of content area
  • Sticky on scroll (doesn't scroll away)

Blog Category Sidebar

Categories
  ├── SEO (24)
  ├── CRO (18)
  ├── Content (15)
  ├── Paid Ads (12)
  └── Analytics (9)

Popular Posts
  ├── How to Improve SEO
  ├── Landing Page Guide
  └── Analytics Setup

Newsletter
  └── [Email signup form]

Breadcrumbs

Standard Format

Home > Features > Analytics
Home > Blog > SEO Category > How to Do Keyword Research
Home > Docs > API Reference > Authentication

Rules:

  • Separator: > or / (be consistent)
  • Every segment is a link except the current page
  • Current page is plain text (not linked)
  • Don't include the current page if the title is already visible as an H1

With Schema Markup

<nav aria-label="Breadcrumb">
  <ol itemscope itemtype="https://schema.org/BreadcrumbList">
    <li itemprop="itemListElement" itemscope itemtype="https://schema.org/ListItem">
      <a itemprop="item" href="/"><span itemprop="name">Home</span></a>
      <meta itemprop="position" content="1" />
    </li>
    <li itemprop="itemListElement" itemscope itemtype="https://schema.org/ListItem">
      <a itemprop="item" href="/features"><span itemprop="name">Features</span></a>
      <meta itemprop="position" content="2" />
    </li>
    <li itemprop="itemListElement" itemscope itemtype="https://schema.org/ListItem">
      <span itemprop="name">Analytics</span>
      <meta itemprop="position" content="3" />
    </li>
  </ol>
</nav>

Or use JSON-LD (recommended):

{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
  "itemListElement": [
    { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://example.com/" },
    { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Features", "item": "https://example.com/features" },
    { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Analytics" }
  ]
}

Mobile Navigation

Hamburger Menu

Standard for mobile. All nav items collapse into a menu icon.

Rules:

  • Hamburger icon (three lines) top-right or top-left
  • Full-screen or slide-out panel
  • CTA button visible without opening the menu (sticky header)
  • Search accessible from mobile menu
  • Accordion pattern for nested items

Bottom Tab Bar

Best for: web apps, PWAs, mobile-first products.

┌──────────────────────────────────────┐
│                                      │
│           [Page Content]             │
│                                      │
├──────────────────────────────────────┤
│  Home    Search    Create    Profile │
│   🏠       🔍        ➕       👤    │
└──────────────────────────────────────┘

Rules:

  • 3-5 items max
  • Icons + labels (not just icons)
  • Active state clearly indicated
  • Most important action in the center

Anti-Patterns

Things to Avoid

  • Too many header items (8+): causes decision paralysis, nav becomes unreadable on smaller screens
  • Dropdown inception: dropdowns inside dropdowns inside dropdowns
  • Mystery icons: icons without labels — users don't know what they mean
  • Hidden primary nav: burying important pages in hamburger menus on desktop
  • Inconsistent nav between pages: nav should be identical across the site (except app vs marketing)
  • No mobile consideration: desktop nav that doesn't translate to mobile
  • Footer as sitemap dump: 50+ links in the footer with no organization
  • Breadcrumbs that don't match URLs: breadcrumb says "Products > Widget" but URL is /shop/widget-pro

Common Fixes

ProblemFix
Too many nav itemsGroup into dropdowns or mega menus
Users can't find pagesAdd search, improve labeling
High bounce from navSimplify choices, use clearer labels
SEO pages not linkedAdd to footer or resource sections
Mobile nav is brokenTest on real devices, use hamburger pattern

Navigation for SEO

Internal links in navigation pass PageRank. Use this strategically:

  • Header nav links are strongest — put your most important pages here
  • Footer links pass less value but still matter — good for comparison pages, location pages
  • Sidebar links help with section-level authority — good for blog categories, doc sections
  • Breadcrumbs provide structural signals to search engines — implement with schema markup
  • Don't use JavaScript-only nav — search engines need crawlable HTML links
  • Use descriptive anchor text — "Analytics Features" not just "Features"

Site Type Templates

Full page hierarchy templates with ASCII trees, URL maps, and navigation recommendations for common site types.

SaaS Marketing Site

Page Hierarchy

Homepage (/)
├── Features (/features)
│   ├── Feature A (/features/feature-a)
│   ├── Feature B (/features/feature-b)
│   └── Feature C (/features/feature-c)
├── Pricing (/pricing)
├── Customers (/customers)
│   ├── Case Study 1 (/customers/company-name)
│   └── Case Study 2 (/customers/company-name-2)
├── Resources (/resources)
│   ├── Blog (/blog)
│   │   └── [Posts] (/blog/post-slug)
│   ├── Templates (/resources/templates)
│   │   └── [Template] (/resources/templates/template-slug)
│   └── Guides (/resources/guides)
│       └── [Guide] (/resources/guides/guide-slug)
├── Integrations (/integrations)
│   └── [Integration] (/integrations/integration-name)
├── Docs (/docs)
│   ├── Getting Started (/docs/getting-started)
│   ├── Guides (/docs/guides)
│   └── API Reference (/docs/api)
├── About (/about)
│   ├── Careers (/about/careers)
│   └── Contact (/contact)
├── Compare (/compare)
│   └── [Competitor] (/compare/competitor-name)
├── Privacy (/privacy)
└── Terms (/terms)

URL Map

PageURLNav LocationPriority
Homepage/Header (logo)Critical
Features/featuresHeaderHigh
Feature pages/features/{slug}Header dropdownMedium
Pricing/pricingHeaderCritical
Customers/customersHeaderMedium
Case studies/customers/{slug}Customers dropdownMedium
Blog/blogHeader (Resources)High
Blog posts/blog/{slug}—Medium
Integrations/integrationsHeaderMedium
Docs/docsHeaderMedium
Compare/compare/{slug}FooterHigh (SEO)
About/aboutFooterLow
Pricing CTA/pricingHeader (CTA button)Critical

Navigation

Header (6 items + CTA): Features | Pricing | Customers | Resources | Integrations | Docs | [Get Started]

Footer columns:

  • Product: Features, Pricing, Integrations, Changelog, Security
  • Resources: Blog, Templates, Guides, Case Studies
  • Company: About, Careers, Contact, Press
  • Legal: Privacy, Terms, Security

Content / Blog Site

Page Hierarchy

Homepage (/)
├── Blog (/blog)
│   ├── [Category: Topic A] (/blog/category/topic-a)
│   ├── [Category: Topic B] (/blog/category/topic-b)
│   ├── [Category: Topic C] (/blog/category/topic-c)
│   └── [Posts] (/blog/post-slug)
├── Newsletter (/newsletter)
├── Resources (/resources)
│   ├── Guides (/resources/guides)
│   │   └── [Guide] (/resources/guides/guide-slug)
│   └── Tools (/resources/tools)
│       └── [Tool] (/resources/tools/tool-slug)
├── About (/about)
├── Contact (/contact)
├── Privacy (/privacy)
└── Terms (/terms)

URL Map

PageURLNav LocationPriority
Homepage/Header (logo)Critical
Blog index/blogHeaderHigh
Categories/blog/category/{slug}Header dropdownMedium
Posts/blog/{slug}—Medium
Newsletter/newsletterHeader (CTA)High
Guides/resources/guidesHeaderMedium
About/aboutHeaderLow

Navigation

Header (4 items + CTA): Blog | Resources | About | Contact | [Subscribe]

Sidebar (on blog): Categories, Popular Posts, Newsletter signup

E-Commerce

Page Hierarchy

Homepage (/)
├── Shop (/shop)
│   ├── Category A (/shop/category-a)
│   │   ├── Subcategory (/shop/category-a/subcategory)
│   │   │   └── [Product] (/shop/category-a/subcategory/product-slug)
│   │   └── [Product] (/shop/category-a/product-slug)
│   ├── Category B (/shop/category-b)
│   │   └── [Product] (/shop/category-b/product-slug)
│   └── Category C (/shop/category-c)
│       └── [Product] (/shop/category-c/product-slug)
├── Collections (/collections)
│   └── [Collection] (/collections/collection-slug)
├── Sale (/sale)
├── Blog (/blog)
│   └── [Posts] (/blog/post-slug)
├── About (/about)
│   └── Our Story (/about/our-story)
├── Help (/help)
│   ├── FAQ (/help/faq)
│   ├── Shipping (/help/shipping)
│   ├── Returns (/help/returns)
│   └── Contact (/contact)
├── Cart (/cart)
├── Account (/account)
├── Privacy (/privacy)
└── Terms (/terms)

URL Map

PageURLNav LocationPriority
Homepage/Header (logo)Critical
Shop/shopHeaderCritical
Categories/shop/{category}Header mega menuHigh
Products/shop/{category}/{product}—High
Collections/collections/{slug}HeaderMedium
Sale/saleHeader (highlighted)High
Cart/cartHeader (icon)Critical
Account/accountHeader (icon)Medium

Navigation

Header (5 items + cart/account): Shop (mega menu) | Collections | Sale | Blog | Help | [Cart icon] [Account icon]

Mega menu under Shop: Category columns with featured products/images

Documentation Site

Page Hierarchy

Docs Home (/docs)
├── Getting Started (/docs/getting-started)
│   ├── Installation (/docs/getting-started/installation)
│   ├── Quick Start (/docs/getting-started/quick-start)
│   └── Configuration (/docs/getting-started/configuration)
├── Guides (/docs/guides)
│   ├── Guide A (/docs/guides/guide-a)
│   ├── Guide B (/docs/guides/guide-b)
│   └── Guide C (/docs/guides/guide-c)
├── API Reference (/docs/api)
│   ├── Authentication (/docs/api/authentication)
│   ├── Endpoints (/docs/api/endpoints)
│   └── Webhooks (/docs/api/webhooks)
├── Examples (/docs/examples)
│   └── [Example] (/docs/examples/example-slug)
├── Changelog (/docs/changelog)
└── FAQ (/docs/faq)

URL Map

PageURLNav LocationPriority
Docs home/docsHeaderHigh
Getting Started/docs/getting-startedSidebar (top)Critical
Guides/docs/guidesSidebarHigh
API Reference/docs/apiSidebarHigh
Changelog/docs/changelogSidebar (bottom)Low

Navigation

Header: Docs | API | Blog | Community | GitHub | [Dashboard]

Sidebar (persistent, left): Getting Started, Guides, API Reference, Examples, Changelog — with expandable subsections

On-page: Previous/Next navigation at bottom of each doc page

Hybrid SaaS + Content

Page Hierarchy

Homepage (/)
├── Product (/product)
│   ├── Feature A (/product/feature-a)
│   ├── Feature B (/product/feature-b)
│   └── Feature C (/product/feature-c)
├── Solutions (/solutions)
│   ├── By Use Case (/solutions/use-case-slug)
│   └── By Industry (/solutions/industry-slug)
├── Pricing (/pricing)
├── Blog (/blog)
│   ├── [Category] (/blog/category/slug)
│   └── [Posts] (/blog/post-slug)
├── Resources (/resources)
│   ├── Guides (/resources/guides)
│   ├── Templates (/resources/templates)
│   ├── Webinars (/resources/webinars)
│   └── Case Studies (/resources/case-studies)
├── Docs (/docs)
│   ├── Getting Started (/docs/getting-started)
│   └── API (/docs/api)
├── Integrations (/integrations)
│   └── [Integration] (/integrations/slug)
├── Compare (/compare)
│   └── [Competitor] (/compare/competitor-slug)
├── About (/about)
│   ├── Careers (/about/careers)
│   └── Contact (/contact)
├── Privacy (/privacy)
└── Terms (/terms)

Navigation

Header (7 items + CTA): Product | Solutions | Pricing | Resources | Blog | Docs | Integrations | [Start Free Trial]

Use mega menus for Product (features list), Solutions (use cases + industries), and Resources (blog, guides, templates, webinars, case studies).

Small Business / Local

Page Hierarchy

Homepage (/)
├── Services (/services)
│   ├── Service A (/services/service-a)
│   ├── Service B (/services/service-b)
│   └── Service C (/services/service-c)
├── About (/about)
├── Testimonials (/testimonials)
├── Blog (/blog)
│   └── [Posts] (/blog/post-slug)
├── Contact (/contact)
├── Privacy (/privacy)
└── Terms (/terms)

URL Map

PageURLNav LocationPriority
Homepage/Header (logo)Critical
Services/servicesHeaderHigh
Service pages/services/{slug}Header dropdownHigh
About/aboutHeaderMedium
Testimonials/testimonialsHeaderMedium
Blog/blogHeaderMedium
Contact/contactHeader (CTA)High

Navigation

Header (5 items + CTA): Services | About | Testimonials | Blog | [Contact Us]

Keep it simple. Small business sites should be flat (1-2 levels max). Every page should be reachable from the header.

Quality tested— 6 tests, 35 assertions verified