Tree Testing
01 Definition
Tree Testing meaning: Testing whether people can find items in a text-only version of your site structure.
Tree testing asks participants to locate items within a bare menu hierarchy, without visual design or search. It measures whether labels and structure lead people to the right place. Because it strips out design and search cues, it isolates the navigation structure but does not reflect the full page experience.
Also called
Why it matters
How Tree Testing fits the work
It reveals whether your category names and hierarchy actually help people find things, so you can fix a confusing structure before building pages around it.
In context
A tree test found only 30 percent of users located the warranty page, so the team renamed the vague support resources label.
Practical note
Test the tree before visual design so layout and imagery do not mask structural problems; a low success rate points to unclear labels or misplaced items.