How many levels deep is your website?

[Jillian]

I've read that a visitor should be able to navigate to any page on your website within three clicks of your index page.

That makes sense to me. With good site structure and planning, even very large sites should be able to manage this.

What are your thoughts and ideas about this three click rule? And do you think it's feasible for sites of every size?

[Bushgrass]

It makes a lot of sense to me also. It would annoy your visitors to get them perform more than three clicks to reach the page they wants to view.

[Rachael]

It surely makes sense that the visitor should be able to navigate to any page with just 3 clicks. However sometimes it may not be possible to make all information in that way. If some sub categories are involved, 4 to 5 clicks might be required.

[Wallstone]

Yes, I agree with that. As a user, it would turn me off to do several clicks to reach the page I want to view. I would usually end up leaving the website.

[WH-Garry9]

It definitely makes sense. It's not necessary that all the visitors visiting your website are well versed with the internet or browsing the website. Infact, atleast 30-40% visitors on the website are new visitors and some of them are inexperienced in browsing the websites. If your website is complicated, some of the visitors won't bother to look further and may close the website.

[Geoffrey]

I agree with you about some internet users not well versed with the internet. So, make your website as simple and user friendly as possible. Let your visitors get the information they need as fast and easily as they expect.

[Harry]

Yes, deep rooted webpages are usually overlooked by website visitor if any webpage is not linked from home-page. For better exposure try to link inner pages not more then 3 levels from homepage.

[leffler]

If you have a well-organized site map, that is a big help to your visitors in navigating your website in as few clicks as possible. Many webmasters use site maps mainly to help get their pages indexed, and it does, but it also helps your visitors. A site map should be exactly that: a map of your site.

[sonata_scribe]

If your website is small enough, you can link to every page on your website from your main page. Larger sites can have a link from the main page to a broad set of categories. One more click should take care of the rest of your site.

[raleigh]

I like to establish an overall plan for a website with a list of categories, specific pages, etc. that I want to include at some point. Having it mapped out as you go along can help you determine the best linking structure for your site.

[spencerian]

I've always designed my websites so they could be navigated to in two clicks or less. That being said, I have yet to develop a website with many hundreds of pages. For such a site, three clicks is very reasonable.