Website structure: How to plan the perfect site layout

Ever clicked through a website and felt completely lost, unsure where to go next, bouncing between broken links or giving up altogether? That’s often the result of poor website structure.

Website structure is essentially a blueprint that organizes pages and how they connect. It affects everything from how users navigate your site to how search engines index your content.

Without a solid website structure, visitors may abandon your site quickly, and search engines may struggle to crawl and rank your pages.

But with thoughtful planning, you can create a scalable, user-friendly experience that supports both discoverability and growth.

Read on to learn:

• What a website structure is and why it matters
• Types of structures with examples
• Basic components of site structures
• Common issues and practical solutions

What is website structure?

Website structure refers to how content is grouped and connected across a site. It influences how people navigate from page to page and how easily search engines can understand your content. For anyone designing or building a site, defining structure early on helps avoid confusion later—and sets the foundation for a smoother user experience.

Why is the structure of a website important?

The way a website’s content and navigation are organized directly impacts its performance. A well-structured website isn’t just about visual balance but functionality, usability, and discoverability. Good architecture supports a seamless user experience and can even help drive key business outcomes.

Here’s how structure plays a critical role:

• User experience. A logical structure makes it easy for users to navigate, find information, and complete desired actions, like purchasing or filling out a contact form. A confusing or disorganized structure leads to frustration and high bounce rates.
• Search engine optimization (SEO). Search engines like Google rely on site structure to index pages effectively and understand the relationships between them. A clear hierarchy and strong internal linking improve crawlability and ranking potential. A poorly structured site can confuse search engines, leading to lower visibility and reduced organic traffic.
• Content management. A clear structure makes it easier to organize and update content over time. It helps teams know where new pages belong, keeps layouts consistent, and reduces the chance of duplicating or misplacing information.
• Scalability. As your website grows, a well-planned structure allows you to add new pages and features without disrupting the existing user experience or overhauling navigation.

Types of website structures and examples

Website structures serve different purposes, complementing distinct types of content and user behaviors. Web developers and designers can adapt these structures based on a website’s specific needs and goals.

While many modern websites use a mix of models, these core types are a great starting point.

Type 1: Hierarchical/tree model

The hierarchical structure, or the tree model, is one of the most common and intuitive website structures. It organizes content from the top-down. The homepage is at the top, followed by main categories, then subcategories, all branching out like limbs from a tree.

This format gives users a clear path to explore content and helps search engines understand page relationships.

Best for: E-commerce, business websites, or informational sites

Type 2: Linear/sequential model

The linear or sequential model presents pages of content in a fixed order, guiding users through a predefined path. Users move through pages step by step, usually with “next” and “previous” navigation. This structure is great when you want users to follow a specific path—like onboarding flows, tutorials, or multi-step forms.

Sequential website structures often employ storytelling, clear calls to action, and visual hierarchy to guide users. Navigation typically involves “next” and “previous” buttons. This creates a carefully controlled user journey—great for online tutorials or onboarding processes.

Best for: Educational sites and online courses, product walkthroughs, tutorials, sign-up forms, or any other scenario where step-by-step guidance is essential

Type 3: Matrix/web model

The matrix or web model lets users choose their own path through a network of interlinked pages. When the homepage acts as a central hub with numerous links, it’s sometimes called a matrix home page design.

Instead of strict hierarchy, there are flexible connections between related content with several entry and exit points. This model supports exploration and is especially useful for content that doesn’t follow a linear or categorized flow.

Best for: Interactive platforms, knowledge bases, encyclopedias, or personal portfolios

Type 4: Database/dynamic model

The database or dynamic model relies on a database to generate pages on the fly based on user queries or behavior. The website structure is less about a fixed hierarchy and more about organizing information around filters, searches, and user interactions.

This model is common for large websites with a lot of data.

Best for: E-commerce sites with numerous products, news sites, large CMS platforms, or any website requiring real-time content generation based on user input

Type 5: Hybrid models

Most modern websites combine multiple models. For example, a large e-commerce site might use a hierarchical structure for its product categories while also incorporating a matrix-like linking system for related products.

A hybrid approach gives you the flexibility to match the structure to the content.

Best for: Large, complex websites that serve multiple purposes, like educational institutions offering courses (linear) and resources (hierarchical)

Key components of website structures

A well-organized site has a few core building blocks that shape how people move through it and how search engines make sense of it. These elements work together to create a clear, usable experience.

Homepage

The homepage gives visitors a quick sense of what the site offers and directs them to the most important areas. It’s often the anchor for your site’s navigation and overall structure. It sets the stage for everything to come.

Menu navigation

Menus guide users to different parts of a website. The main navigation menu is one of the most critical element of website structure, giving users a clear and consistent path to browse.

Tip: Design clear and consistent navigation that’s easy to understand and use across all devices. Group related pages and use concise, logical, and descriptive labels for menu items.

Categories

If your site has a lot of content, categories help keep things organized. They create a logical hierarchy that’s easy to scan and navigate—both for users and search engines. Each category should reflect a distinct theme or topic and make browsing feel intuitive.

Content pages

These are the pages that carry your message: product info, blog posts, FAQs, case studies, and more. Each one should live in the right place so users know where they are and what’s next. Foundational pages like “About” and “Contact” help build trust and make your site feel complete.

Internal links

Internal links are hyperlinks that connect different pages within the same website. They’re essential for guiding users through content, establishing a clear site hierarchy for search engines, and distributing link equity.

Tip: Create an internal linking strategy that connects relevant content and helps users discover related information. Start by identifying key pages and linking them naturally throughout supporting content.

Footers

The footer is located at the bottom of website pages. It typically contains secondary navigation, copyright information, contact details, social media links, and sometimes a site map. While often overlooked, a well-structured footer can enhance usability and offer users quick access to important information.

Breadcrumbs

Breadcrumbs give users a quick way to see where they are on a site and how they got there. They’re usually shown as a horizontal trail near the top of a page, like: Home → Category → Subcategory → Page. It’s a small detail that helps people backtrack or explore related sections without getting lost.

Tip: Use a clear breadcrumb trail that starts with the homepage and reflects the site’s hierarchy. Place breadcrumbs near the top of the page, use recognizable labels, and make each step clickable so users can easily navigate back to higher-level pages.

URL structure

A website’s URL structure plays a significant role in both user experience and SEO. Clear, concise, and logical URLs make it easier for users to understand the content of a page and for search engines to crawl and index your site effectively.

For example:

• Bad: www.example.com/page?id=123&cat=45
• Good: www.example.com/blog/web-design/website-structure-tips

The improved version uses readable keywords and reflects the site hierarchy, making it more user-friendly and easier for search engines to interpret.

Tip: Optimize your website URL structure by using relevant keywords in the slug and maintaining a consistent hierarchy that reflects your site’s organization. Keep URLs short and use hyphens to separate words.

Common structure challenges and solutions

Even with careful planning, maintaining a strong site structure can be challenging. Below are some common issues and how to address them:

Difficult navigation

A confusing or inconsistent navigation can frustrate users and lead to high bounce rates. This is often the result of an overloaded menu or unclear content hierarchy.

Solution: Simplify your navigation and keep it consistent across all pages. Here’s how:

• Limit the number of menu items.
• Use clear, recognizable labels.
• Make sure important pages are easy to reach.
• Avoid having orphan pages (pages not linked from anywhere else).
• Organize content into well-defined categories and subcategories to make navigation more intuitive.
• Conduct user testing to identify friction points.

Tip: Prioritize a logical hierarchical structure by organizing your content into clear, well-defined categories and subcategories. This makes it easier for users to understand the relationship between different pages and find the information they need.

Broken/dead links

There’s nothing more annoying than clicking on a link and getting a 404 error. Broken links disrupt the user experience and negatively impact SEO, since they signal to users and search engines that the website is not well-maintained.

Solution: Conduct routine audits for broken links using tools like Google Search Console or third-party link checkers. Promptly fix or remove any issues.

Repetitive content

Having multiple pages with very similar or duplicate content confuses search engines and dilutes SEO efforts through cannibalization. In most cases, visitors don’t need to see the same information in multiple places.

Solution: Conduct frequent content audits to identify and consolidate repetitive content, ensuring each page offers unique value. If some duplication is unavoidable, use canonical tags to tell search engines which version of the page is the primary one.

Poor device responsiveness

Rigid layouts that don’t adapt across screen sizes can alienate mobile and tablet users. Inconsistent behavior across devices is a common friction point.

Solution: Use a responsive design framework that adjusts to different screen sizes and input methods. Test your website across devices to ensure layouts, menus, and content remain accessible and user friendly.

Tip: Don’t forget mobile users! Test out how your website looks on various devices. In Google Chrome, right-click any page, click “inspect,” then toggle the device toolbar to preview your layout on different screen sizes.

Build optimized website prototypes with Figma

A well-defined website structure is the foundation of a successful online presence. It directly influences how users interact with your brand, how search engines discover your content, and how efficiently you can manage and scale your site.

From creating a website structure diagram to experimenting with different layouts and user flows, Figma’s intuitive design tools empower designers, developers, and other stakeholders to work together on creating an optimized site structure before a single line of code is written.

• Build and publish responsive sites with ready-made website templates from the Figma Community.
• Design, prototype, and publish all in one place with Figma Sites.
• Use the Free Sitemap Generator and more of Figma’s tools for Web design to make a clear and organized website.