What “Navigation” Means
You may have heard the term “navigation” used in lots of different ways when it comes to websites. In simple terms, navigation is how visitors move through your site and find what they need. It’s the system of links and cues that help people understand where they are and how to get somewhere else.
Good navigation feels natural and intuitive. Visitors shouldn’t have to stop and think about where to click next — it should just make sense. Poor navigation, on the other hand, can leave people feeling lost or frustrated.
So when we talk about navigation, we’re not talking about just one thing. It’s all the pieces working together to help people move through your site.
The Many Ways People Navigate
Your site offers several ways for visitors to move between pages. Together, these create a complete navigation system:
- Menus: Show your site’s main sections. Usually at the top or side of a page.
- Breadcrumbs: A short “trail” near the top that shows where the page fits in your site (Home > About > Our History)
- Search: Lets users find content directly by typing keywords
- Links within pages: Inline links, buttons, or “related content” boxes that connect one page to another
Each tool plays a part in helping visitors find what they need and understand how your content connects.
Navigation and Site Structure
Navigation and site structure work hand in hand. Think of your site like a map:
- The structure is where your content lives — the pages and how they’re organized (like cities and towns on a map).
- Navigation is how visitors travel between those places — there are many routes to reach the same destination.
For example, Los Angeles and San Francisco don’t move. But you can reach them in many ways (for example, I-5, Highway 101, or a scenic coastal route). The same is true for your website: pages stay in one place, but there are many paths to reach them, whether through menus, breadcrumbs, links, or search. A clear structure makes navigation feel effortless.