The playbook
Website Sitemap Planning: Template and Field Guide
This website sitemap planning template turns a broad task into a record another person can use. It captures page name, purpose, parent, then connects that information to a decision. Copy the table into your working document or system and create a separate record for each item in scope.
Put the task in context
Add a one-sentence purpose beside each proposed page. If two pages need the same explanation, examine whether they should be combined. Include supporting destinations such as confirmation pages and error states in the production plan even when they are not main navigation items.
Copyable worksheet
| Field | Entry instructions |
|---|---|
| page name | Record the page name associated with this page or interaction record. Use a stable reference so later updates can be matched. |
| purpose | Record the purpose associated with this page or interaction record. Keep the value specific enough for another owner to interpret. |
| parent | Record the parent associated with this page or interaction record. Keep the value specific enough for another owner to interpret. |
| content owner | Record the content owner associated with this page or interaction record. Keep the value specific enough for another owner to interpret. |
| Decision field | Entry instructions |
|---|---|
| Observed problem | Describe the actual condition and where it was observed. |
| Recommended action | State the smallest action that resolves the documented problem. |
| Evidence | Link to the record, observation, or test supporting the action. |
| Owner and next review | Name the accountable person and when the decision should be revisited. |
How to complete the worksheet
Begin with page name. Use the same reference throughout the record so notes are not attached to the wrong item. Then inventory current content and planned offerings. This establishes the information required before the worksheet becomes a request for action.
Next, assign a purpose and parent to each proposed page. Use the observed problem and evidence fields to explain why that step is needed. A useful entry describes an actual condition, such as confusing a planning sitemap with a technical XML sitemap, rather than a broad instruction to “improve performance.”
Finally, remove duplicate pages before production. Put use the plan to define human navigation and create XML separately in the action field only when it addresses the observed condition. If the problem is different, change the action. The template is a structure for judgment, not a reason to apply the same fix everywhere.
Illustrative completed decision
| Part | Illustrative entry |
|---|---|
| Problem | Confusing a planning sitemap with a technical XML sitemap |
| Action | Use the plan to define human navigation and create XML separately |
| First check | Inventory current content and planned offerings |
| Follow-up check | Remove duplicate pages before production |
| Outcome to define | approved pages with clear purpose |
Adapt the fields without losing meaning
You can add fields required by your team, but each should change a decision or preserve necessary context. Keep factual observations separate from recommendations. If purpose changes, record the new value and its effective date instead of silently rewriting the context of an earlier decision.
Use the record in a handoff
Ask the receiving owner to explain the next action using only the worksheet. Missing context becomes visible quickly during that exercise. Repair the record before applying the structure to a larger batch. Keep approved pages with clear purpose connected to the item so the team can later assess whether the action was useful.
Verify the actual visitor journey on a narrow screen and with a keyboard. A design can look complete while hiding an unreachable control or a missing confirmation. Record the task attempted and what happened at the end.
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