site-architecture

# 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 Type | Typical Depth | Key Sections | URL Pattern |
|-----------|--------------|--------------|-------------|
| SaaS marketing | 2-3 levels | Home, Features, Pricing, Blog, Docs | `/features/name`, `/blog/slug` |
| Content/blog | 2-3 levels | Home, Blog, Categories, About | `/blog/slug`, `/category/slug` |
| E-commerce | 3-4 levels | Home, Categories, Products, Cart | `/category/subcategory/product` |
| Documentation | 3-4 levels | Home, Guides, API Reference | `/docs/section/page` |
| Hybrid SaaS+content | 3-4 levels | Home, Product, Blog, Resources, Docs | `/product/feature`, `/blog/slug` |
| Small business | 1-2 levels | Home, Services, About, Contact | `/services/name` |

**For full page hierarchy templates**: See [references/site-type-templates.md](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

| Approach | Best For | Tradeoff |
|----------|----------|----------|
| Flat (2 levels) | Small sites, portfolios | Simple but doesn't scale |
| Moderate (3 levels) | Most SaaS, content sites | Good balance of depth and findability |
| Deep (4+ levels) | E-commerce, large docs | Scales 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

| Level | What It Is | Example |
|-------|-----------|---------|
| L0 | Homepage | `/` |
| L1 | Primary sections | `/features`, `/blog`, `/pricing` |
| L2 | Section 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 Type | Purpose | Placement |
|----------|---------|-----------|
| Header nav | Primary navigation, always visible | Top of every page |
| Dropdown menus | Organize sub-pages under parent | Expands from header items |
| Footer nav | Secondary links, legal, sitemap | Bottom of every page |
| Sidebar nav | Section navigation (docs, blog) | Left side within a section |
| Breadcrumbs | Show current location in hierarchy | Below header, above content |
| Contextual links | Related content, next steps | Within 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](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 Type | Pattern | Example |
|-----------|---------|---------|
| 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:

| URL | Breadcrumb |
|-----|-----------|
| `/features/analytics` | Home > Features > Analytics |
| `/blog/seo-guide` | Home > Blog > SEO Guide |
| `/docs/api/auth` | Home > 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

```mermaid
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

```mermaid
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](references/mermaid-templates.md)

---

## Internal Linking Strategy

### Link Types

| Type | Purpose | Example |
|------|---------|---------|
| Navigational | Move between sections | Header, footer, sidebar links |
| Contextual | Related content within text | "Learn more about [analytics](/features/analytics)" |
| Hub-and-spoke | Connect cluster content to hub | Blog posts linking to pillar page |
| Cross-section | Connect related pages across sections | Feature 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

| Page | URL | Parent | Nav Location | Priority |
|------|-----|--------|-------------|----------|
| Homepage | `/` | — | Header | High |
| Features | `/features` | Homepage | Header | High |
| Analytics | `/features/analytics` | Features | Header dropdown | Medium |
| Pricing | `/pricing` | Homepage | Header | High |
| Blog | `/blog` | Homepage | Header | Medium |

### 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

{
  "skill_name": "site-architecture",
  "evals": [
    {
      "id": 1,
      "prompt": "Help me plan the site architecture for our new SaaS marketing website. We have a homepage, product page, pricing page, about page, blog, and want to add competitor comparison pages and integration pages.",
      "expected_output": "Should check for product-marketing-context.md first. Should apply the page hierarchy design principles (3-click rule, flat vs deep). Should create an ASCII tree showing the full site structure. Should organize pages logically: main nav (Home, Product, Pricing, About, Blog), comparison pages section, integrations hub. Should recommend URL structure patterns for each section. Should provide navigation design recommendations (4-7 header items). Should include internal linking strategy (hub-and-spoke for comparisons and integrations). Should provide the full deliverable set: hierarchy, URL map, nav spec.",
      "assertions": [
        "Checks for product-marketing-context.md",
        "Applies 3-click rule and flat vs deep principles",
        "Creates ASCII tree for site structure",
        "Organizes pages logically",
        "Recommends URL structure for each section",
        "Provides navigation design (4-7 header items)",
        "Includes internal linking strategy",
        "Provides hierarchy, URL map, and nav spec"
      ],
      "files": []
    },
    {
      "id": 2,
      "prompt": "Our website has grown organically and the navigation is a mess. We have 50+ pages and users can't find anything. Help us reorganize.",
      "expected_output": "Should treat this as a site architecture audit and redesign. Should recommend starting with a content inventory of all 50+ pages. Should apply the page hierarchy design to reorganize: group related pages, establish clear parent-child relationships, apply the 3-click rule. Should redesign the navigation (reduce header items, use mega-menu or dropdowns for deeper pages). Should provide before/after ASCII tree structure. Should address URL redirects for any pages that move. Should include a visual sitemap (Mermaid).",
      "assertions": [
        "Recommends content inventory first",
        "Groups related pages logically",
        "Applies 3-click rule",
        "Redesigns navigation structure",
        "Provides ASCII tree or visual sitemap",
        "Addresses URL redirects for moved pages",
        "Reduces header navigation items"
      ],
      "files": []
    },
    {
      "id": 3,
      "prompt": "what should our url structure look like? we keep debating between /blog/post-name vs /resources/blog/post-name and /product/feature vs /features/feature-name",
      "expected_output": "Should trigger on casual phrasing. Should apply the URL structure patterns guidance. Should recommend clean, descriptive URLs: prefer shorter paths (/blog/post-name over /resources/blog/post-name), use consistent patterns, avoid unnecessary nesting. Should provide URL structure recommendations for each section type (blog, features, comparisons, integrations). Should address SEO implications of URL structure. Should provide a complete URL map as a reference.",
      "assertions": [
        "Triggers on casual phrasing",
        "Applies URL structure patterns",
        "Recommends shorter, cleaner paths",
        "Provides recommendations for each section type",
        "Addresses SEO implications",
        "Provides URL map reference"
      ],
      "files": []
    },
    {
      "id": 4,
      "prompt": "We're adding programmatic SEO pages — 200 integration pages and 50 comparison pages. How should these fit into our site architecture?",
      "expected_output": "Should address how to integrate scaled content into the site architecture. Should recommend hub pages for both sections (/integrations and /compare or /vs). Should apply the hub-and-spoke internal linking model. Should address navigation: these shouldn't clutter the main nav, but should be accessible via hub pages. Should provide URL structure for both sections. Should address crawl budget considerations for 250 new pages. Should cross-reference programmatic-seo for the content strategy.",
      "assertions": [
        "Recommends hub pages for each section",
        "Applies hub-and-spoke internal linking",
        "Keeps programmatic pages out of main nav",
        "Provides URL structure for both sections",
        "Addresses crawl budget for 250 pages",
        "Cross-references programmatic-seo skill"
      ],
      "files": []
    },
    {
      "id": 5,
      "prompt": "Can you create a visual sitemap for our site? We want something we can share with our design team.",
      "expected_output": "Should provide a visual sitemap using Mermaid diagram format. Should organize the sitemap hierarchically showing page relationships. Should use the Mermaid graph syntax that can be rendered by most tools. Should include all major sections and key pages. Should be clear enough for a design team to use as a reference for navigation and wireframing.",
      "assertions": [
        "Provides visual sitemap in Mermaid format",
        "Shows hierarchical page relationships",
        "Includes all major sections",
        "Uses clear, readable format",
        "Suitable for sharing with design team"
      ],
      "files": []
    },
    {
      "id": 6,
      "prompt": "Our XML sitemap hasn't been updated in 6 months and we have crawl errors in Search Console. Can you fix our technical SEO?",
      "expected_output": "Should recognize this is a technical SEO audit task, not a site architecture design task. Should defer to or cross-reference the seo-audit skill, which handles XML sitemaps, crawl errors, and technical SEO issues. Site-architecture focuses on page hierarchy, navigation, and URL structure design — not technical SEO troubleshooting.",
      "assertions": [
        "Recognizes this as technical SEO, not site architecture",
        "References or defers to seo-audit skill",
        "Explains site-architecture covers design, not technical SEO"
      ],
      "files": []
    }
  ]
}

# 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.

```mermaid
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.

```mermaid
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.

```mermaid
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.

```mermaid
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.

```mermaid
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.

```mermaid
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.

```mermaid
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

```html
<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):

```json
{
  "@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

| Problem | Fix |
|---------|-----|
| Too many nav items | Group into dropdowns or mega menus |
| Users can't find pages | Add search, improve labeling |
| High bounce from nav | Simplify choices, use clearer labels |
| SEO pages not linked | Add to footer or resource sections |
| Mobile nav is broken | Test 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

| Page | URL | Nav Location | Priority |
|------|-----|-------------|----------|
| Homepage | `/` | Header (logo) | Critical |
| Features | `/features` | Header | High |
| Feature pages | `/features/{slug}` | Header dropdown | Medium |
| Pricing | `/pricing` | Header | Critical |
| Customers | `/customers` | Header | Medium |
| Case studies | `/customers/{slug}` | Customers dropdown | Medium |
| Blog | `/blog` | Header (Resources) | High |
| Blog posts | `/blog/{slug}` | — | Medium |
| Integrations | `/integrations` | Header | Medium |
| Docs | `/docs` | Header | Medium |
| Compare | `/compare/{slug}` | Footer | High (SEO) |
| About | `/about` | Footer | Low |
| Pricing CTA | `/pricing` | Header (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

| Page | URL | Nav Location | Priority |
|------|-----|-------------|----------|
| Homepage | `/` | Header (logo) | Critical |
| Blog index | `/blog` | Header | High |
| Categories | `/blog/category/{slug}` | Header dropdown | Medium |
| Posts | `/blog/{slug}` | — | Medium |
| Newsletter | `/newsletter` | Header (CTA) | High |
| Guides | `/resources/guides` | Header | Medium |
| About | `/about` | Header | Low |

### 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

| Page | URL | Nav Location | Priority |
|------|-----|-------------|----------|
| Homepage | `/` | Header (logo) | Critical |
| Shop | `/shop` | Header | Critical |
| Categories | `/shop/{category}` | Header mega menu | High |
| Products | `/shop/{category}/{product}` | — | High |
| Collections | `/collections/{slug}` | Header | Medium |
| Sale | `/sale` | Header (highlighted) | High |
| Cart | `/cart` | Header (icon) | Critical |
| Account | `/account` | Header (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

| Page | URL | Nav Location | Priority |
|------|-----|-------------|----------|
| Docs home | `/docs` | Header | High |
| Getting Started | `/docs/getting-started` | Sidebar (top) | Critical |
| Guides | `/docs/guides` | Sidebar | High |
| API Reference | `/docs/api` | Sidebar | High |
| Changelog | `/docs/changelog` | Sidebar (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

| Page | URL | Nav Location | Priority |
|------|-----|-------------|----------|
| Homepage | `/` | Header (logo) | Critical |
| Services | `/services` | Header | High |
| Service pages | `/services/{slug}` | Header dropdown | High |
| About | `/about` | Header | Medium |
| Testimonials | `/testimonials` | Header | Medium |
| Blog | `/blog` | Header | Medium |
| Contact | `/contact` | Header (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.