Make it so that there is more than one way to find a web page within your website.
What to do?
- Add a global search
- Add a sitemap linked to every page
- Add a related pages section below content
Exception
- If a page is part of a process (such as a review cart page before you checkout), you don’t have to provide multiple ways to find it
Resources
Plain English Explanation
The idea here is to make it as easy as possible to find pages on your website. If you add a search bar and sitemap, you’ve very likely satisfied this success criterion.
Another idea is to incorporate what is referred to as breadcrumbs. Breadcrumbs are links that show you the path of where a particular page is within a website structure so you can easily know where you are.
Think back to the story of Hansel and Gretel and how Hansel dropped pieces of bread so they could find their way home if they got lost. Website breadcrumbs help you find your way within a website.
Here’s an example from Section508.gov:
This trail of links makes finding your way within Section508.gov easy no matter what page you’re on.
Breadcrumbs are not essential but they can be extremely helpful.
You can go another step further and add a related resources section below content on your website (e.g. links below a blog post to similar posts or related content).
Again, with this success criterion, you’re just trying to make content easy to find by making your website more navigable.