How many top-level navigation items should I have?

Research on cognitive load suggests 5-7 items for primary navigation (Miller's law). More than 7 forces users to scan rather than recognize. Fewer than 3 may hide important sections behind extra clicks. If you have more than 7 categories, look for groups that can be combined or demoted to second-level navigation.

Should I organize by user type or by task?

Task-based organization works best for products with a clear, shared workflow. User-type organization works when different users have fundamentally different tasks and never overlap. Most products benefit from task-based primary navigation with role-specific views or filters within sections. Your card sort data should guide this decision. The [user persona template](/templates/user-persona-template) helps clarify how different user types think about the product.

How do I validate IA decisions?

Three methods: (1) Card sorting validates grouping. (2) Tree testing validates findability. Give users a task ("Find where to export a report") and see if they can navigate the hierarchy without the visual design. (3) First-click testing validates whether users click the right top-level category. Tools like Optimal Workshop and UserZoom support all three. See the [usability test report template](/templates/usability-test-report-template) for documenting findings.

When should IA be revisited?

Revisit IA when you add a new major feature that does not fit cleanly into existing categories, when analytics show high search usage for terms that should be navigable, or when user research reveals that the current structure does not match mental models. A lightweight IA review should happen at least annually for products adding features regularly.

How does IA differ for mobile vs. desktop?

The information architecture is the same. The navigation patterns differ. Desktop can show a full top nav with dropdown menus. Mobile typically uses a bottom tab bar (3-5 items), a hamburger menu for secondary items, and contextual back navigation. The key principle: the hierarchy stays consistent, but the number of visible entry points is reduced on smaller screens. The [mobile app design checklist](/templates) covers mobile-specific navigation patterns. ---

Information Architecture Template

What This Template Is For

Information architecture (IA) is the structural design of a product's content, navigation, and labeling. Bad IA is invisible to users when it works and infuriating when it does not. Users who cannot find a feature assume it does not exist. Users who land on the wrong page assume the product is confusing. IA problems show up in analytics as high bounce rates, excessive search usage, and support tickets that start with "Where do I find...?"

This template helps you plan and document IA decisions before building. It covers four layers: the content inventory (what exists), the organization scheme (how it is grouped), the navigation structure (how users move between sections), and the labeling system (what things are called). Each layer builds on the previous one. Skip the content inventory and your navigation will not match what actually exists. Skip the labeling system and your nav items will confuse users.

This pairs well with the user flow documentation template for mapping specific task flows within the IA, and the usability test report template for validating IA decisions with real users. For teams running structured product discovery, IA work typically happens after user research and before wireframing. If your IA decisions involve prioritizing which features to surface prominently, the RICE framework can help rank them by impact.

How to Use This Template

Start with the Content Inventory. List every page, feature, and content type in the product. If you are redesigning, audit what exists today. If you are building from scratch, list what you plan to build.
Run a card sort (open or closed) with 5-8 users to understand how they group content. Record the results in the Card Sort Results section. This prevents your IA from reflecting your internal team structure instead of user mental models.
Define the organization scheme. Choose how content is grouped: by topic, by user type, by task, by lifecycle stage, or a hybrid. Document the rationale.
Build the sitemap. Map the hierarchy visually (use FigJam, Miro, or a simple outline). Aim for 3-7 top-level categories and no more than 3 levels of depth.
Define navigation patterns. Decide which items appear in the global nav, sidebar, tabs, breadcrumbs, and contextual menus.
Create a labeling guide. Define the names for each nav item, page title, and section header. Test labels with users if possible.

The Template

Project Context

Field	Details
Product	[Name]
IA Owner	[Name]
Date	[Date]
Scope	New product / Redesign / Section addition
Target users	[Primary and secondary user types]
Key user tasks	[Top 3-5 tasks users perform]

Content Inventory

List all existing or planned content, features, and pages.

#	Content / Feature	Current Location	Category (proposed)	Priority	Notes
1	[Page or feature name]	[Current nav path or URL]	[Proposed group]	High / Med / Low	[Notes]
2	[Page or feature name]	[Current nav path]	[Proposed group]	[Priority]	[Notes]
3	[Page or feature name]	[Current nav path]	[Proposed group]	[Priority]	[Notes]

Content count: [Total pages/features]

Orphaned content: [Pages with no navigation path, listed for triage]

Redundant content: [Pages that overlap or duplicate, candidates for merging]

Card Sort Results

Field	Details
Method	Open sort / Closed sort / Hybrid
Participants	[Count and user types]
Tool	[e.g., Optimal Workshop, UserZoom, physical cards]

Top groupings identified by users:

Group Name (user-generated)	Items Placed Here	Agreement %
[Group name]	[List of items]	[% of users who grouped these together]
[Group name]	[Items]	[Agreement %]
[Group name]	[Items]	[Agreement %]

Key insights:

☐ [Insight about user mental models]
☐ [Unexpected grouping or naming pattern]
☐ [Items users struggled to categorize]

Organization Scheme

Primary scheme: [Topic-based / Task-based / User type-based / Hybrid]

Rationale: [Why this scheme matches user mental models. Reference card sort data.]

Top-level categories:

#	Category	Contains	Rationale
1	[Category name]	[Pages/features in this group]	[Why these belong together]
2	[Category name]	[Contents]	[Rationale]
3	[Category name]	[Contents]	[Rationale]

Cross-references: [Items that logically belong in multiple categories. Document how you handle them: duplicate links, breadcrumbs, "See also" references.]

Sitemap

Document the full hierarchy. Keep to 3-7 top-level items and no more than 3 levels deep.

Home
├── [Category 1]
│   ├── [Subcategory 1.1]
│   │   ├── [Page 1.1.1]
│   │   └── [Page 1.1.2]
│   └── [Subcategory 1.2]
├── [Category 2]
│   ├── [Page 2.1]
│   └── [Page 2.2]
├── [Category 3]
│   ├── [Subcategory 3.1]
│   └── [Subcategory 3.2]
└── [Category 4]
    └── [Page 4.1]

Total depth: [Maximum levels from root]

Total pages: [Count]

Average items per category: [Count]

Pattern	Where Used	Items
Global nav (persistent top bar)	All pages	[List of nav items]
Sidebar nav	[Specific sections]	[List of nav items]
Tab bar	[Specific pages]	[List of tabs]
Breadcrumbs	[Which sections]	Auto-generated from hierarchy
Contextual links	[Specific pages]	[Related items, "See also"]
Search	Global	[Search scope and behavior]

Mobile navigation:

☐ [How global nav collapses on mobile: hamburger, bottom tab bar, etc.]
☐ [Which items are prioritized on small screens]
☐ [Whether sidebar converts to bottom sheet or overlay]

Labeling Guide

Location	Label	Alternatives Considered	Why Chosen
Global nav item 1	[Label]	[Alternatives]	[Rationale]
Global nav item 2	[Label]	[Alternatives]	[Rationale]
Sidebar section 1	[Label]	[Alternatives]	[Rationale]

Labeling principles:

☐ Use user language, not internal jargon
☐ Keep labels to 1-2 words where possible
☐ Use consistent grammatical form (all nouns or all verbs, not mixed)
☐ Test ambiguous labels with users before implementing
☐ Avoid acronyms unless the user base universally uses them

Filled Example: B2B Project Management Tool

Project Context

Field	Details
Product	TaskFlow (B2B project management)
IA Owner	Alex Chen
Date	March 2026
Scope	Full product redesign
Target users	PMs (primary), Engineers (secondary), Executives (tertiary)
Key user tasks	Create and assign tasks, View project status, Run reports, Manage team settings

Card Sort Results (Condensed)

Group Name	Items	Agreement %
My Work	My tasks, My calendar, Notifications, Time tracking	82%
Projects	Project list, Boards, Timelines, Milestones	78%
Reporting	Dashboards, Reports, Analytics, Export	71%
Team	Members, Roles, Permissions, Activity log	68%

Key insight: Users grouped "Dashboards" with "Reporting" (71%), but the current product places it under "Projects." This explains why 40% of support tickets about dashboards start with "Where do I find dashboards?"

Sitemap

Home (Dashboard)
├── My Work
│   ├── Tasks
│   ├── Calendar
│   └── Notifications
├── Projects
│   ├── [Project Name]
│   │   ├── Board
│   │   ├── Timeline
│   │   ├── Milestones
│   │   └── Files
│   └── Templates
├── Reports
│   ├── Dashboards
│   ├── Team Velocity
│   └── Export
└── Settings
    ├── Profile
    ├── Team
    ├── Integrations
    └── Billing

Labeling Decisions

Location	Label	Alternatives Considered	Why Chosen
Global nav	My Work	My Tasks, Inbox, Home	Card sort: 82% used "My Work" as the group label
Global nav	Projects	Workspaces, Spaces	"Projects" is the universal term in PM tools
Global nav	Reports	Analytics, Insights	"Reports" matched user language in card sort (71%)

Key Takeaways

Start with a content inventory before designing navigation. You cannot organize what you have not cataloged
Use card sorting to validate groupings against user mental models, not internal team structure
Aim for 5-7 top-level categories and no more than 3 levels of depth
Test labels with users. What seems obvious internally is often confusing externally
Document cross-references for items that logically belong in multiple categories

About This Template

Created by: Tim Adair

Last Updated: 3/4/2026

Version: 1.0.0

License: Free for personal and commercial use

Information Architecture Template