Three kinds of sitemap
| Type | What it does | Who uses it |
|---|---|---|
| Planning sitemap | Maps every page and its place before design starts | You, the designer, the developer and the writer |
| XML sitemap | Lists live URLs for search engines to discover | Google and other search engines |
| HTML sitemap | A clickable page list for visitors on large sites | Visitors who cannot find a page |
This answer covers the planning sitemap. For the search engine file, read what an XML sitemap is.
What a planning sitemap looks like
- HomepageWho you help, what you offer and the next step.
- Main sectionsServices, locations, reviews, about and contact.
- Detail pagesOne page for each service, city and team member.
A planning sitemap shows the site's information architecture. NN/g treats structure and navigation as two layers. Structure decides where content lives, and menus are one route to it.
Why it comes first
The sitemap decides which pages you write, how menus work and how pages link to each other. Changing it after design means redesigning menus and rewriting links. Settling it first keeps the project on budget.
Good example. A law firm's sitemap puts each practice area under one Practice Areas section, with each attorney's bio linked from the areas they handle.
Bad example. A law firm adds pages as ideas come up, so the same service appears under two menus and some pages have no way in.
How to build one
- List every page you need today.
- Group the pages into a few main sections.
- Decide which pages sit under each section.
- Mark the pages that bring calls or bookings.
- Check that each page has at least one way in.
Our web design projects settle the sitemap during discovery, before anyone opens a design tool.