10 Sitemap Design Examples That Lead to Results | Key Creation Points Explained
July 10, 2026
Author: Shusaku Yosa
A sitemap is often thought of as merely a page that lists links to each page, but by putting thought into its design, you can make it easier for users to reach the information they want, and greatly change the overall usability and browsing rate of the site. In this article, we first organize the types of sitemaps as a premise, then introduce 10 design examples of easy-to-read sitemaps that lead to results. We also explain the key points of creation for choosing a design that suits your own site, so if you are about to design a sitemap, please use this as a reference.
First: organizing the three types of sitemaps
The word "sitemap" refers to different things depending on the context, making it an easy term to confuse. Before getting into the design discussion, let's first grasp the differences between the three types.
- HTML sitemap: a page that guides users who visit the site by listing what pages exist within the site. This is the target of the "design" covered in this article
- XML sitemap: a file for telling search engines the structure of the site. It is not seen by users, and the concept of design does not apply
- Sitemap as a structure diagram: a design document that diagrams the overall structure in the planning stage of site production. Created with Excel, PowerPoint, or diagramming tools
The design examples introduced in this article mainly target the HTML sitemap that users actually view.
10 sitemap design examples that lead to results
There is no single correct answer for sitemap design; the optimal pattern changes depending on the site's purpose, industry, and number of pages. Here we introduce 10 representative design examples, along with their characteristics and the kinds of sites they suit.
1. Simple type (vertical text list)
A standard design that minimizes decoration and lists page names vertically from top to bottom by category. Because it is composed of text only, links are easy to add even as pages increase, making it suited to long-term operation. When in doubt, this form is the basic starting point.
2. Hierarchy-visualization type (tree type)
A design that visualizes the relationship of large, medium, and small categories in a tree shape. Because it shows at a glance which pages belong to which category, it is effective for sites with many pages and a large volume of information.
3. Purpose / concern type
A design that structures categories from the viewpoint of "who uses it and for what purpose," rather than by page type. For a hospital, for example, you might classify by "For first-time patients" and "For medical professionals"; for an EC site, "Find a gift" and "Choose for yourself." It is especially effective for sites where visitors have diverse purposes.
4. Category color-coding type
A design that assigns a color to each category within the site to distinguish them. Category boundaries are visually easy to grasp, and it can also create a lively impression. It suits sites with many categories, or sites that want to make use of brand colors.
5. Icon / illustration type
A design that adds icons or illustrations to each category, letting users grasp the content more intuitively than text alone. Users can quickly understand what the content covers, and approachability also increases.
6. Multi-column (2-3 columns) type
A design that divides the screen into multiple columns and arranges categories horizontally. Because many items fit on one screen, scroll volume stays low even with many pages. It excels at scannability on PC, but the design premise is that it switches to a single vertical column on smartphones.
7. Alphabetical / dictionary type
A dictionary-like design that arranges services or pages in alphabetical order. Users who roughly know the name of the item they want can quickly find the relevant page. It suits large-scale sites with many services.
8. Accordion expand/collapse type
An accordion-style design where clicking a large category expands its lower-level pages. It keeps the initial display compact while letting users expand only the parts they need. It can look tidy even with many pages, and is especially compatible with smartphones.
9. Prioritized-popular-items type
A design that places frequently accessed pages or high-priority items in a prominent position in advance. Rather than arranging all pages equally, prioritizing the path to pages with high user demand makes it easier to lead to browsing and conversions.
10. Footer-placement type
A design that incorporates the sitemap into the footer common to all pages, rather than creating an independent sitemap page. Because you can survey the entire site from any page, it prompts even users who visited for another purpose to take interest in other pages, raising the browsing rate.
Key points for creating an easy-to-read sitemap
Before choosing a design pattern, it is important to organize the pages to include and the hierarchical structure. Proceeding with the following four steps lets you create it efficiently while preventing omissions.
- Put the site's purpose and target into words (clarify the goal, such as increasing inquiries or strengthening recruitment)
- List all pages (URLs) within the site (for existing sites, extract them with Search Console or analytics tools)
- Classify into categories from the user's viewpoint and build the hierarchical structure
- Review the whole, adjusting missing or duplicate pages and optimizing category names
Keep the hierarchy within three clicks from the top
From a UX and SEO perspective, it is desirable to keep the hierarchy within three clicks from the top page. If the hierarchy is too deep, it takes time for users to reach the page they want, which becomes a cause of drop-off. Using the sitemap creation as an opportunity to review whether the hierarchy has become too deep is also effective.
Classify from the user's viewpoint, not the operator's
The most important thing in categorization is to categorize from the user's viewpoint rather than the operator's convenience. Even if you divide things as "General Affairs" and "Sales" along the internal organization chart, it does not convey to visitors where to find what. Design the paths while imagining what purpose users come with and in what order they search for information.
Choose a design that matches the page volume
When choosing a design, pay attention to whether content is easy to find, whether the format matches the page volume, and whether over-emphasizing design has conversely made it hard to read. Building a tree type for a site with few pages becomes excessive, while a simple vertical list alone for a site with many pages makes searching hard. Choosing a form that matches the scale is the key to readability.
Update it in line with structural changes after publishing
A sitemap is not something you make once and are done. When you add pages or change the site structure or link destinations, update the sitemap each time. If old structures or broken links remain, users cannot reach the pages they want, and the page conversely becomes hard to use.
Summary
Sitemap designs range from structure-based ones such as the simple type and tree type, to ones that emphasize user experience such as the purpose/concern type and color-coding type. What matters is to choose a form that matches your site's purpose, industry, and number of pages, and to classify in an easy-to-understand way from the user's viewpoint. First organize the pages to include and the hierarchy, and while keeping paths within three clicks in mind, design a sitemap that leads to browsing and conversions.
