← DictionaryNavigation
also called nav, menu
The system of links that lets people move around a site.
The menu and everything like it.
What It Is
Navigation is part of Website, and more precisely Structure. The working definition is simple: the system of links that lets people move around a site.
It is an idea you reason with rather than a deliverable you hand over, so two teams can both hold it correctly and still apply it differently. Held that way, the term stays useful instead of turning into decoration.
How It's Used
Navigation comes up in site builds, page structure and the technical decisions underneath them. It rarely travels alone — expect it next to Primary Navigation, Footer and Information Architecture. The practical test is whether a decision changes because of it.
Why It Matters
Getting Navigation wrong is expensive in a quiet way. When it is unclear, the site still launches — it just quietly underperforms. The businesses that treat it seriously spend less time redoing work.
Imagine a rule of thumb that helps you choose between options. The menu and everything like it.
Termshift™
How the meaning shifts depending on who is using it, and where.
In agency and in-house rooms, Navigation means exactly the system of links that lets people move around a site.
In plain conversation it comes out as the menu and everything like it.
The Bottom Line
Navigation is not complicated — it is just often left vague. The menu and everything like it. Decide it, write it down, move on.