NavigationFlatWhenShallow [rule] v1.0.0

When a product or section has ≤ 7 primary destinations, use flat top-level navigation (all items visible at once in a horizontal nav bar, tab bar, or sidebar list) rather than grouping them behind nested menus or accordions. Nesting structure that does not exist adds navigation overhead without benefit.

Label

Use Flat Navigation When the Structure is Shallow

Applies When

designing primary navigation for any section with ≤ 7 top-level destinations

Verify By

Count primary nav items. If ≤ 7, they should all be visible at the top level — no group headers or accordion wrappers needed.

Threshold

7 items — use flat navigation; > 7 items — consider grouping with clear section headers

Severity

warning

NavigationFlatWhenShallow [rule] v1.0.0

When a product or section has ≤ 7 primary destinations, use flat top-level navigation (all items visible at once in a horizontal nav bar, tab bar, or sidebar list) rather than grouping them behind nested menus or accordions. Nesting structure that does not exist adds navigation overhead without benefit.

Label

Use Flat Navigation When the Structure is Shallow

Applies When

designing primary navigation for any section with ≤ 7 top-level destinations

Verify By

Count primary nav items. If ≤ 7, they should all be visible at the top level — no group headers or accordion wrappers needed.

Threshold

7 items — use flat navigation; > 7 items — consider grouping with clear section headers

Severity

warning

Examples

• SaaS app with 5 sections (Dashboard, Projects, Team, Billing, Settings) → flat sidebar list, no accordions
• 6-tab admin panel → horizontal tab bar, all tabs visible simultaneously
• 3-item mobile nav → bottom tab bar with 3 icon+label tabs
• Bad: 5 items wrapped in 2 accordion groups 'Main' and 'Admin' — unnecessary nesting

Rationale

Every level of nesting adds a click and a cognitive load unit. Hick's Law: decision time grows logarithmically with the number of choices. For shallow structures (≤ 7 items), flat navigation is faster and more discoverable than hierarchical nesting. Users can see all options simultaneously, applying recognition over recall.

Label

Use Flat Navigation When the Structure is Shallow

Applies When

designing primary navigation for any section with ≤ 7 top-level destinations

Verify By

Count primary nav items. If ≤ 7, they should all be visible at the top level — no group headers or accordion wrappers needed.

Threshold

7 items — use flat navigation; > 7 items — consider grouping with clear section headers

Severity

warning