20 · Marketing · Website Architecture

Website Information Architecture

Plan page hierarchy, navigation, stable URL patterns and useful internal links for a website.

site-architecturenavigationinternal-linkingsitemapinformationsarchitekturseitenstrukturnavigation-planung

Website Information Architecture · Original SKILL.md

---
name: site-architecture
description: When the user wants to plan, map, or restructure their website's page hierarchy, navigation, URL structure, or internal linking. Also use when the user mentions "sitemap," "site map," "visual sitemap," "site structure," "page hierarchy," "information architecture," "IA," "navigation design," "URL structure," "breadcrumbs," "internal linking strategy," "website planning," "what pages do I need," "how should I organize my site," or "site navigation." Use this whenever someone is planning what pages a website should have and how they connect. NOT for XML sitemaps (that's technical SEO — see seo-audit). For SEO audits, see seo-audit. For structured data, see schema.
metadata:
  version: 2.0.0
---

# 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.md` exists (or `.claude/product-marketing.md`, or the legacy `product-marketing-context.md` filename, 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
- **cro**: For optimizing individual pages for conversion
- **schema**: For implementing breadcrumb and site navigation structured data
- **competitors**: For comparison page frameworks and URL patterns

When to use

Plan page hierarchy, navigation, stable URL patterns and useful internal links for a website.

What you get

An ASCII page hierarchy, Mermaid sitemap draft, URL map, navigation specification and internal-linking plan, with three complete supporting templates.

How it works

Inventory existing pages and key user tasks; propose a usable hierarchy and navigation without assuming that logical grouping requires new URL paths.

Requirements

Business and audience, website type, existing URLs and important pages, access boundaries and any migration constraints. Optional product-marketing context files can be replaced by user-provided context. No crawler, renderer or runtime is installed. All three local reference files are included. Named related skills are optional and may not exist under their original names in M11.

M11 review boundaries

The original three-click, menu-count and internal-link-density rules are heuristics, not universal usability or ranking requirements. Test task success, clear labels, keyboard/touch operation and focus visibility with the actual audience. Breadcrumbs represent a useful user hierarchy and need not mirror URL segments; preserve stable flat skill URLs when that is the product architecture. Do not migrate working URLs merely to match these templates. Header links are not categorically strongest, and footer links are not assigned a fixed lower SEO value. Crawlable links need real anchor href destinations; JavaScript-inserted anchors can also be crawlable. Do not infer poor usability from bounce rate alone. For genuine permanent URL moves, plan relevant destination redirects and update internal links; never redirect every removed URL to an unrelated page. Templates are starting points, not a requirement to create every named page or make private/account pages publicly crawlable. Mermaid examples are text templates, not installed or rendering-tested components; the hub diagram needs explicit reverse edges if bidirectional links are intended. No website edits, redirects or deployments are authorized by loading this guidance.

Primary checks: https://www.nngroup.com/articles/3-click-rule/, https://developers.google.com/search/docs/appearance/structured-data/breadcrumb, https://developers.google.com/search/docs/crawling-indexing/links-crawlable

Starting prompt

Plan the information architecture for [WEBSITE]. Ask for key user tasks, current URLs and migration constraints. Deliver hierarchy, URL map, navigation and internal-linking plan. Preserve stable routes and test navigation assumptions; do not change the site without an implementation request.

Not for

XML sitemap generation, full technical SEO audits, guaranteed rankings, automatic URL migrations or live website changes.

What M11 added

Complete reference packaging and explicit corrections for overgeneralized navigation/SEO rules. The original three-click, menu-count and internal-link-density rules are heuristics, not universal usability or ranking requirements. Test task success, clear labels, keyboard/touch operation and focus visibility with the actual audience. Breadcrumbs represent a useful user hierarchy and need not mirror URL segments; preserve stable flat skill URLs when that is the product architecture. Do not migrate working URLs merely to match these templates. Header links are not categorically strongest, and footer links are not assigned a fixed lower SEO value. Crawlable links need real anchor href destinations; JavaScript-inserted anchors can also be crawlable. Do not infer poor usability from bounce rate alone. For genuine permanent URL moves, plan relevant destination redirects and update internal links; never redirect every removed URL to an unrelated page. Templates are starting points, not a requirement to create every named page or make private/account pages publicly crawlable. Mermaid examples are text templates, not installed or rendering-tested components; the hub diagram needs explicit reverse edges if bidirectional links are intended. No website edits, redirects or deployments are authorized by loading this guidance.

Original authorship remains with coreyhaines31/marketingskills · Original source ↗

Included reference: references/site-type-templates.md

Corey Haines · MIT · SHA-256 3c3cd7ce5e31c502dc071baf82bb58cb30f5edf4a2fd8ca052fbc8f3777db140

# 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.

MIT License

Copyright (c) 2025 Corey Haines

Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy
of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal
in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights
to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell
copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is
furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:

The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in all
copies or substantial portions of the Software.

THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR
IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY,
FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE
AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER
LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM,
OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE
SOFTWARE.

Included reference: references/navigation-patterns.md

Corey Haines · MIT · SHA-256 2efa772709b753e33d5018c007147ca30aaa95a04b04dc0df6227ea5a053078b

# 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"

MIT License

Copyright (c) 2025 Corey Haines

Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy
of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal
in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights
to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell
copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is
furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:

The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in all
copies or substantial portions of the Software.

THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR
IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY,
FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE
AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER
LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM,
OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE
SOFTWARE.

Included reference: references/mermaid-templates.md

Corey Haines · MIT · SHA-256 362190c7d3f419d5f445170f1fb17beecc163937d2068922893b7a69eeb25f0f

# 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

MIT License

Copyright (c) 2025 Corey Haines

Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy
of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal
in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights
to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell
copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is
furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:

The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in all
copies or substantial portions of the Software.

THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR
IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY,
FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE
AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER
LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM,
OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE
SOFTWARE.

Original license & copyright

MIT License

Copyright (c) 2025 Corey Haines

Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy
of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal
in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights
to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell
copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is
furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:

The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in all
copies or substantial portions of the Software.

THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR
IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY,
FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE
AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER
LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM,
OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE
SOFTWARE.

Source SHA-256: a47f693c6a4f45db89276d8c341b3aa3054090cc8002dd4a2635448d7d152492
Snapshot checked: 2026-09-28T12:27:37.660171+00:00

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