Site Architecture
Corey HainesCommunityCreated by Corey Haines
- Skill
- Guidelines
- Software development
- MIT
- No issues found
AutoGineer summary
Written by AutoGineer from the skill’s own files, not by the author
Site Architecture provides a structured approach to designing the information architecture of a website. It guides users through defining page hierarchies, navigation systems, URL patterns, and internal linking strategies. By focusing on logical organization and user experience, this skill helps ensure that websites are intuitive for visitors and optimized for search engines. It includes templates for various site types, such as SaaS, e-commerce, and documentation, and provides methods for visualizing site structures using ASCII trees and Mermaid diagrams.
What it does
- Maps out page hierarchy and site structure
- Designs navigation systems including headers, footers, and breadcrumbs
- Defines consistent, human-readable URL patterns
- Develops internal linking strategies to improve site authority and navigation
- Creates visual sitemaps using Mermaid diagrams
- Provides templates for common site types like SaaS, blogs, and e-commerce
When to use it
- When planning a new website from scratch
- When restructuring an existing website to improve navigation or SEO
- When adding new sections like a blog or documentation to an existing site
- When defining URL structures for a new project
- When auditing internal linking to ensure no orphan pages exist
Advantages
- Ensures a logical and scalable site structure
- Improves user experience through intuitive navigation
- Supports SEO best practices with clean URL patterns and internal linking
- Provides clear, visual documentation for development teams
- Reduces the risk of broken links and poor site organization
Usage examples
- “I am building a new SaaS marketing site. Can you help me plan the page hierarchy and URL structure?”
- The agent will ask for business context, then provide a recommended page hierarchy, URL map, and navigation plan tailored to a SaaS site.
- “Our current website is messy. How should I organize my site navigation and internal linking?”
- The agent will analyze the current state, suggest a flatter hierarchy, propose a header/footer navigation structure, and outline an internal linking plan.
Install
Download the skill as a ZIP:
https://mp-staging.autogineer.com/agent-skills/coreyhaines31/site-architecture/downloadUnzip it into the cross-client skills folder of your project:
mkdir -p .agents/skills && unzip site-architecture.zip -d .agents/skills
Documentation by Corey Haines
Site Architecture
You are an information architecture expert. Your goal is to help plan website structure — page hierarchy, navigation, URL patterns, and internal linking — so the site is intuitive for users and optimized for search engines.
Before Planning
Check for product marketing context first:
If .agents/product-marketing.md exists (or .claude/product-marketing.md, or the legacy product-marketing-context.md filename, in older setups), read it before asking questions. Use that context and only ask for information not already covered or specific to this task.
Gather this context (ask if not provided):
1. Business Context
What does the company do?
Who are the primary audiences?
What are the top 3 goals for the site? (conversions, SEO traffic, education, support)
2. Current State
New site or restructuring an existing one?
If restructuring: what's broken? (high bounce, poor SEO, users can't find things)
Existing URLs that must be preserved (for redirects)?
What platform is it on, and is a platform change on the table? (For choosing a platform, adding a section to an existing site, or migrating, see references/platforms-and-migration.md.)
3. Site Type
SaaS marketing site
Content/blog site
E-commerce
Documentation
Hybrid (SaaS + content)
Small business / local
4. Content Inventory
How many pages exist or are planned?
What are the most important pages? (by traffic, conversions, or business value)
Any planned sections or expansions?
Site Types and Starting Points
| Site Type | Typical Depth | Key Sections | URL Pattern |
|---|---|---|---|
| SaaS marketing | 2-3 levels | Home, Features, Pricing, Blog, Docs | /features/name, /blog/slug |
| Content/blog | 2-3 levels | Home, Blog, Categories, About | /blog/slug, /category/slug |
| E-commerce | 3-4 levels | Home, Categories, Products, Cart | /category/subcategory/product |
| Documentation | 3-4 levels | Home, Guides, API Reference | /docs/section/page |
| Hybrid SaaS+content | 3-4 levels | Home, Product, Blog, Resources, Docs | /product/feature, /blog/slug |
| Small business | 1-2 levels | Home, Services, About, Contact | /services/name |
For full page hierarchy templates: See references/site-type-templates.md
Page Hierarchy Design
The 3-Click Rule
Users should reach any important page within 3 clicks from the homepage. This isn't absolute, but if critical pages are buried 4+ levels deep, something is wrong.
Flat vs Deep
| Approach | Best For | Tradeoff |
|---|---|---|
| Flat (2 levels) | Small sites, portfolios | Simple but doesn't scale |
| Moderate (3 levels) | Most SaaS, content sites | Good balance of depth and findability |
| Deep (4+ levels) | E-commerce, large docs | Scales but risks burying content |
Rule of thumb: Go as flat as possible while keeping navigation clean. If a nav dropdown has 20+ items, add a level of hierarchy.
Hierarchy Levels
| Level | What It Is | Example |
|---|---|---|
| L0 | Homepage | / |
| L1 | Primary sections | /features, /blog, /pricing |
| L2 | Section pages | /features/analytics, /blog/seo-guide |
| L3+ | Detail pages | /docs/api/authentication |
ASCII Tree Format
Use this format for page hierarchies:
Homepage (/)
├── Features (/features)
│ ├── Analytics (/features/analytics)
│ ├── Automation (/features/automation)
│ └── Integrations (/features/integrations)
├── Pricing (/pricing)
├── Blog (/blog)
│ ├── [Category: SEO] (/blog/category/seo)
│ └── [Category: CRO] (/blog/category/cro)
├── Resources (/resources)
│ ├── Case Studies (/resources/case-studies)
│ └── Templates (/resources/templates)
├── Docs (/docs)
│ ├── Getting Started (/docs/getting-started)
│ └── API Reference (/docs/api)
├── About (/about)
│ └── Careers (/about/careers)
└── Contact (/contact)When to use ASCII vs Mermaid:
ASCII: quick hierarchy drafts, text-only contexts, simple structures
Mermaid: visual presentations, complex relationships, showing nav zones or linking patterns
Navigation Design
Navigation Types
| Nav Type | Purpose | Placement |
|---|---|---|
| Header nav | Primary navigation, always visible | Top of every page |
| Dropdown menus | Organize sub-pages under parent | Expands from header items |
| Footer nav | Secondary links, legal, sitemap | Bottom of every page |
| Sidebar nav | Section navigation (docs, blog) | Left side within a section |
| Breadcrumbs | Show current location in hierarchy | Below header, above content |
| Contextual links | Related content, next steps | Within page content |
Header Navigation Rules
4-7 items max in the primary nav (more causes decision paralysis)
CTA button goes rightmost (e.g., "Start Free Trial," "Get Started")
Logo links to homepage (left side)
Order by priority: most important/visited pages first
If you have a mega menu, limit to 3-4 columns
Footer Organization
Group footer links into columns:
Product: Features, Pricing, Integrations, Changelog
Resources: Blog, Case Studies, Templates, Docs
Company: About, Careers, Contact, Press
Legal: Privacy, Terms, Security
Breadcrumb Format
Home > Features > Analytics
Home > Blog > SEO Category > Post TitleBreadcrumbs should mirror the URL hierarchy. Every breadcrumb segment should be a clickable link except the current page.
For detailed navigation patterns: See references/navigation-patterns.md
URL Structure
Design Principles
Readable by humans —
/features/analyticsnot/f/a123Hyphens, not underscores —
/blog/seo-guidenot/blog/seo_guideReflect the hierarchy — URL path should match site structure
Consistent trailing slash policy — pick one (with or without) and enforce it
Lowercase always —
/Aboutshould redirect to/aboutShort but descriptive —
/blog/how-to-improve-landing-page-conversion-ratesis too long;/blog/landing-page-conversionsis better
URL Patterns by Page Type
| Page Type | Pattern | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Homepage | / | example.com |
| Feature page | /features/{name} | /features/analytics |
| Pricing | /pricing | /pricing |
| Blog post | /blog/{slug} | /blog/seo-guide |
| Blog category | /blog/category/{slug} | /blog/category/seo |
| Case study | /customers/{slug} | /customers/acme-corp |
| Documentation | /docs/{section}/{page} | /docs/api/authentication |
| Legal | /{page} | /privacy, /terms |
| Landing page | /{slug} or /lp/{slug} | /free-trial, /lp/webinar |
| Comparison | /compare/{competitor} or /vs/{competitor} | /compare/competitor-name |
| Integration | /integrations/{name} | /integrations/slack |
| Template | /templates/{slug} | /templates/marketing-plan |
Common Mistakes
Dates in blog URLs —
/blog/2024/01/15/post-titleadds no value and makes URLs long. Use/blog/post-title.Over-nesting —
/products/category/subcategory/item/detailis too deep. Flatten where possible.Changing URLs without redirects — Every old URL needs a 301 redirect to its new URL. Without them, you lose backlink equity and create broken pages for anyone with the old URL bookmarked or linked.
IDs in URLs —
/product/12345is not human-readable. Use slugs.Query parameters for content —
/blog?id=123should be/blog/post-title.Inconsistent patterns — Don't mix
/features/analyticsand/product/automation. Pick one parent.
Breadcrumb-URL Alignment
The breadcrumb trail should mirror the URL path:
| URL | Breadcrumb |
|---|---|
/features/analytics | Home > Features > Analytics |
/blog/seo-guide | Home > Blog > SEO Guide |
/docs/api/auth | Home > Docs > API > Authentication |
Visual Sitemap Output (Mermaid)
Use Mermaid graph TD for visual sitemaps. This makes hierarchy relationships clear and can annotate navigation zones.
Basic Hierarchy
graph TD
HOME[Homepage] --> FEAT[Features]
HOME --> PRICE[Pricing]
HOME --> BLOG[Blog]
HOME --> ABOUT[About]
FEAT --> F1[Analytics]
FEAT --> F2[Automation]
FEAT --> F3[Integrations]
BLOG --> B1[Post 1]
BLOG --> B2[Post 2]With Navigation Zones
graph TD
subgraph Header Nav
HOME[Homepage]
FEAT[Features]
PRICE[Pricing]
BLOG[Blog]
CTA[Get Started]
end
subgraph Footer Nav
ABOUT[About]
CAREERS[Careers]
CONTACT[Contact]
PRIVACY[Privacy]
end
HOME --> FEAT
HOME --> PRICE
HOME --> BLOG
HOME --> ABOUT
FEAT --> F1[Analytics]
FEAT --> F2[Automation]For more Mermaid templates: See references/mermaid-templates.md
Internal Linking Strategy
Link Types
| Type | Purpose | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Navigational | Move between sections | Header, footer, sidebar links |
| Contextual | Related content within text | "Learn more about analytics" |
| Hub-and-spoke | Connect cluster content to hub | Blog posts linking to pillar page |
| Cross-section | Connect related pages across sections | Feature page linking to related case study |
Internal Linking Rules
No orphan pages — every page must have at least one internal link pointing to it
Descriptive anchor text — "our analytics features" not "click here"
5-10 internal links per 1000 words of content (approximate guideline)
Link to important pages more often — homepage, key feature pages, pricing
Use breadcrumbs — free internal links on every page
Related content sections — "Related Posts" or "You might also like" at page bottom
Hub-and-Spoke Model
For content-heavy sites, organize around hub pages:
Hub: /blog/seo-guide (comprehensive overview)
├── Spoke: /blog/keyword-research (links back to hub)
├── Spoke: /blog/on-page-seo (links back to hub)
├── Spoke: /blog/technical-seo (links back to hub)
└── Spoke: /blog/link-building (links back to hub)Each spoke links back to the hub. The hub links to all spokes. Spokes link to each other where relevant.
Link Audit Checklist
[ ] Every page has at least one inbound internal link
[ ] No broken internal links (404s)
[ ] Anchor text is descriptive (not "click here" or "read more")
[ ] Important pages have the most inbound internal links
[ ] Breadcrumbs are implemented on all pages
[ ] Related content links exist on blog posts
[ ] Cross-section links connect features to case studies, blog to product pages
Output Format
When creating a site architecture plan, provide these deliverables:
1. Page Hierarchy (ASCII Tree)
Full site structure with URLs at each node. Use the ASCII tree format from the Page Hierarchy Design section.
2. Visual Sitemap (Mermaid)
Mermaid diagram showing page relationships and navigation zones. Use graph TD with subgraphs for nav zones where helpful.
3. URL Map Table
| Page | URL | Parent | Nav Location | Priority |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Homepage | / | — | Header | High |
| Features | /features | Homepage | Header | High |
| Analytics | /features/analytics | Features | Header dropdown | Medium |
| Pricing | /pricing | Homepage | Header | High |
| Blog | /blog | Homepage | Header | Medium |
4. Navigation Spec
Header nav items (ordered, with CTA)
Footer sections and links
Sidebar nav (if applicable)
Breadcrumb implementation notes
5. Internal Linking Plan
Hub pages and their spokes
Cross-section link opportunities
Orphan page audit (if restructuring)
Recommended links per key page
Task-Specific Questions
Is this a new site or are you restructuring an existing one?
What type of site is it? (SaaS, content, e-commerce, docs, hybrid, small business)
How many pages exist or are planned?
What are the 5 most important pages on the site?
Are there existing URLs that need to be preserved or redirected?
Who are the primary audiences, and what are they trying to accomplish on the site?
Related Skills
content-strategy: For planning what content to create and topic clusters
programmatic-seo: For building SEO pages at scale with templates and data
seo-audit: For technical SEO, on-page optimization, and indexation issues
cro: For optimizing individual pages for conversion
schema: For implementing breadcrumb and site navigation structured data
competitors: For comparison page frameworks and URL patterns
launch: For site go-live QA after a build or migration
Files
- ATTRIBUTION.mdAdded by AutoGineer895 B
- LICENSELicence file added by AutoGineer1.0 KiB
- SKILL.md13.7 KiB
- evals/evals.json8.2 KiB
- references/mermaid-templates.md4.8 KiB
- references/navigation-patterns.md10.5 KiB
- references/platforms-and-migration.md9.7 KiB
- references/site-type-templates.md9.4 KiB
evals/evals.json
{
"skill_name": "site-architecture",
"evals": [
{
"id": 1,
"prompt": "Help me plan the site architecture for our new SaaS marketing website. We have a homepage, product page, pricing page, about page, blog, and want to add competitor comparison pages and integration pages.",
"expected_output": "Should check for product-marketing.md first. Should apply the page hierarchy design principles (3-click rule, flat vs deep). Should create an ASCII tree showing the full site structure. Should organize pages logically: main nav (Home, Product, Pricing, About, Blog), comparison pages section, integrations hub. Should recommend URL structure patterns for each section. Should provide navigation design recommendations (4-7 header items). Should include internal linking strategy (hub-and-spoke for comparisons and integrations). Should provide the full deliverable set: hierarchy, URL map, nav spec.",
"assertions": [
"Checks for product-marketing.md",
"Applies 3-click rule and flat vs deep principles",
"Creates ASCII tree for site structure",
"Organizes pages logically",
"Recommends URL structure for each section",
"Provides navigation design (4-7 header items)",
"Includes internal linking strategy",
"Provides hierarchy, URL map, and nav spec"
],
"files": []
},
{
"id": 2,
"prompt": "Our website has grown organically and the navigation is a mess. We have 50+ pages and users can't find anything. Help us reorganize.",
"expected_output": "Should treat this as a site architecture audit and redesign. Should recommend starting with a content inventory of all 50+ pages. Should apply the page hierarchy design to reorganize: group related pages, establish clear parent-child relationships, apply the 3-click rule. Should redesign the navigation (reduce header items, use mega-menu or dropdowns for deeper pages). Should provide before/after ASCII tree structure. Should address URL redirects for any pages that move. Should include a visual sitemap (Mermaid).",
"assertions": [
"Recommends content inventory first",
"Groups related pages logically",
"Applies 3-click rule",
"Redesigns navigation structure",
"Provides ASCII tree or visual sitemap",
"Addresses URL redirects for moved pages",
"Reduces header navigation items"
],
"files": []
},
{
"id": 3,
"prompt": "what should our url structure look like? we keep debating between /blog/post-name vs /resources/blog/post-name and /product/feature vs /features/feature-name",
"expected_output": "Should trigger on casual phrasing. Should apply the URL structure patterns guidance. Should recommend clean, descriptive URLs: prefer shorter paths (/blog/post-name over /resources/blog/post-name), use consistent patterns, avoid unnecessary nesting. Should provide URL structure recommendations for each section type (blog, features, comparisons, integrations). Should address SEO implications of URL structure. Should provide a complete URL map as a reference.",
"assertions": [
"Triggers on casual phrasing",
"Applies URL structure patterns",
"Recommends shorter, cleaner paths",
"Provides recommendations for each section type",
"Addresses SEO implications",
"Provides URL map reference"
],
"files": []
},
{
"id": 4,
"prompt": "We're adding programmatic SEO pages — 200 integration pages and 50 comparison pages. How should these fit into our site architecture?",
"expected_output": "Should address how to integrate scaled content into the site architecture. Should recommend hub pages for both sections (/integrations and /compare or /vs). Should apply the hub-and-spoke internal linking model. Should address navigation: these shouldn't clutter the main nav, but should be accessible via hub pages. Should provide URL structure for both sections. Should address crawl budget considerations for 250 new pages. Should cross-reference programmatic-seo for the content strategy.",
"assertions": [
"Recommends hub pages for each section",
"Applies hub-and-spoke internal linking",
"Keeps programmatic pages out of main nav",
"Provides URL structure for both sections",
"Addresses crawl budget for 250 pages",
"Cross-references programmatic-seo skill"
],
"files": []
},
{
"id": 5,
"prompt": "Can you create a visual sitemap for our site? We want something we can share with our design team.",
"expected_output": "Should provide a visual sitemap using Mermaid diagram format. Should organize the sitemap hierarchically showing page relationships. Should use the Mermaid graph syntax that can be rendered by most tools. Should include all major sections and key pages. Should be clear enough for a design team to use as a reference for navigation and wireframing.",
"assertions": [
"Provides visual sitemap in Mermaid format",
"Shows hierarchical page relationships",
"Includes all major sections",
"Uses clear, readable format",
"Suitable for sharing with design team"
],
"files": []
},
{
"id": 6,
"prompt": "Our XML sitemap hasn't been updated in 6 months and we have crawl errors in Search Console. Can you fix our technical SEO?",
"expected_output": "Should recognize this is a technical SEO audit task, not a site architecture design task. Should defer to or cross-reference the seo-audit skill, which handles XML sitemaps, crawl errors, and technical SEO issues. Site-architecture focuses on page hierarchy, navigation, and URL structure design — not technical SEO troubleshooting.",
"assertions": [
"Recognizes this as technical SEO, not site architecture",
"References or defers to seo-audit skill",
"Explains site-architecture covers design, not technical SEO"
],
"files": []
},
{
"id": 7,
"prompt": "We're a 20-person B2B SaaS on Webflow. Marketing wants a new blog and about 300 integration pages, and someone suggested moving the whole site to an AI website builder. What should we do?",
"expected_output": "Should start from the architecture and the questions in the platforms reference (who edits, page volume and data, integrations, lock-in, cost at real size) rather than naming a platform first. Should keep the current platform (Webflow) in the running and note that moving platforms often costs more than it fixes when the site works. Should compare a shortlist (e.g., staying on Webflow's CMS within its item limits, a reverse-proxied subpath from another tool, or an AI-native platform) with tradeoffs. Any Verified Partner tool named (e.g., Ploy) carries the disclosure and an alternative. Should cover subpath vs subdomain for the new sections and, if migrating, the redirect map and SEO checks.",
"assertions": [
"Asks or reasons through the platform criteria before recommending",
"Keeps the current platform as a real option",
"Gives a shortlist with tradeoffs, not a single answer",
"Discloses any partner tool and names an alternative",
"Covers subpath vs subdomain for the new sections"
],
"files": []
},
{
"id": 8,
"prompt": "We're migrating our marketing site from WordPress to a new platform next month. How do we not lose our SEO traffic?",
"expected_output": "Should lay out the migration plan from the platforms reference: crawl and save every URL with metadata, pull top pages by clicks/conversions/backlinks, keep URLs where possible, check what the CMS import carries (many don't move routes, metadata, redirects), build a one-to-one 301 map (never all to homepage), deploy redirects at switch time, submit the new sitemap, spot-check top pages, verify tracking and forms, and monitor Search Console for 404s afterwards.",
"assertions": [
"Crawls and saves current URLs and metadata first",
"Builds a one-to-one 301 redirect map",
"Warns that imports may not carry routes, metadata, or redirects",
"Includes launch-day checks and post-launch Search Console monitoring"
],
"files": []
}
]
}
Requirements and compatibility
Works with: Claude Code, Claude apps, OpenAI Codex, GitHub Copilot, Cursor, Gemini CLI, Kiro, OpenCode, Goose, Amp, Roo Code, JetBrains Junie, Factory Droid, Devin (ex-Windsurf), Mistral Vibe, OpenHands, Letta
“Works with” means the tool reads the open Agent Skills format; a skill written for one tool may use features others lack.
Needs: Needs Node.js
Security
No issues found by our static scan· No issues found
A static scan is not a guarantee. Skills are third-party content: review a skill before you let an agent use it.
Attribution and licence
- Created by
- Corey Haines
- Publisher
- Corey Haines (Community)
- Source
- coreyhaines31/marketingskills · skills/site-architecture · commit 96798cf
- Licence
- MIT License (redistribution allowed)
- LICENSE (added by AutoGineer from LICENSE)
- ATTRIBUTION.md (written by AutoGineer)
- Synced
AutoGineer is not affiliated with or endorsed by Corey Haines.
Download ZIP
The ZIP holds the skill’s files, its licence files and an ATTRIBUTION.md. Download site-architecture.zip