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A research method where people group topics written on cards into categories that make sense to them, revealing how users expect content to be organized. It helps designers build menus around real mental models.

A complete list of all the content on a site, usually in a spreadsheet, recording each page's title, location, type, and status. It is the audit that shows exactly what exists before reorganizing it.

A fixed, approved list of terms used to label and describe content so the same idea is always named the same way. It prevents the confusion of one thing being called several different names.

A way of organizing content by several independent attributes at once, so an item can be found through many combinations of filters. It is what powers filter panels like size, color, and price on a shopping site.

How easily people can locate a specific piece of content or feature, whether by browsing menus or searching. High findability means users reach what they want without frustration or dead ends.

A way of organizing content by letting ordinary users attach their own freeform tags to items, instead of relying on an official, pre-approved set of categories. The structure grows bottom-up from what people actually call things.

The main set of menu links that stays the same on every page, usually across the top, giving access to a site's major sections. It is the consistent, always-present menu users rely on to move anywhere.

The practice of organizing, structuring, and labeling the content of a website or app so people can find what they need and understand where they are. It is the underlying skeleton of how information is arranged.

The idea that people hunt for information online much the way animals hunt for food: they follow the strongest trail of clues toward a likely payoff and abandon a path once the effort stops feeling worth it.

The cues in a link, label, or icon that tell people whether clicking it will get them closer to what they are looking for. Strong scent guides people confidently; weak or misleading scent makes them hesitate and give up.

The set of links that appears within a particular section of a site, showing the pages and sub-pages available in that area. It helps users move around inside a section without leaving it.

Data that describes other content, such as an article's author, date, tags, or topic. It is the behind-the-scenes information that lets systems sort, filter, and find things.

The menus, links, and controls people use to move around a site or app and reach different sections. It is the visible system that turns the underlying structure into paths users can follow.

When someone bounces back and forth between a list of results and the pages it links to, because none of the pages turn out to be what they wanted. It is a strong sign that the results or their labels are misleading people.

An arrangement where a single item belongs to more than one category at the same time, so it can be reached by several different paths. It reflects that real content often fits neatly into more than one place.

A system of categories and subcategories used to group related content in a consistent, agreed-upon way. It is the naming and grouping scheme that decides what belongs where.

A method for checking whether people can find items in a site's category structure, using only the text menu without any visual design. It measures how well the organization itself works.

A small set of secondary links, often in a corner or top strip, for account, search, cart, language, or help. It holds tools and shortcuts that support the main content rather than being the main content.