ShallowNavigationDepth [constraint] v1.0.0

Navigation hierarchy depth must stay at 3 levels or fewer — pass: ≤3, warn: 4, block: ≥5.

Metric

navigation depth in levels

Unit

count

Pass

<= 3

Warn

== 4

Block

= 5

Mitigation

Use progressive disclosure, search, and breadcrumbs to replace deep nesting. Merge shallow sibling categories. Favor flat navigation when the product has ≤ 7 top-level destinations (see rule-navigation-flat-when-shallow).

ShallowNavigationDepth [constraint] v1.0.0

Navigation hierarchy depth must stay at 3 levels or fewer — pass: ≤3, warn: 4, block: ≥5.

Metric

navigation depth in levels

Unit

count

Pass

<= 3

Warn

== 4

Block

= 5

Mitigation

Use progressive disclosure, search, and breadcrumbs to replace deep nesting. Merge shallow sibling categories. Favor flat navigation when the product has ≤ 7 top-level destinations (see rule-navigation-flat-when-shallow).

Examples

• Good: Dashboard → Projects → Project Detail (3 levels)
• Good: Settings → Account → Billing (3 levels — acceptable for settings depth)
• Warn: Site → Category → Sub-category → Item → Detail (4 levels — review structure)
• Block: Portal → Module → Section → Sub-section → Item → Sub-item (6 levels — restructure required)

Rationale

Deep navigation hierarchies force users to memorize paths, increase the chance of getting lost, and multiply the clicks required to reach content. Every nesting level adds cognitive load and a click. Most products can be organized in 3 levels or fewer: top-nav → section → item.