On a DIY site that lists several thousand products, the main menu covers only a fraction of the actual hierarchy. Deep categories (marine stainless steel screws, two-component epoxy glues, multilayer fittings by diameter) often remain buried three or four clicks deep. The HTML sitemap addresses this issue by exposing the entire hierarchy on a single page, with active links to each navigation node.
Product taxonomy and depth of hierarchy on a DIY site
A DIY site segments its catalog along several axes: product family, material, usage, brand, dimensions. This segmentation generates a hierarchy that easily exceeds four hierarchical levels. The main menu, limited by display space, cannot expose beyond the second or third level without becoming unreadable.
The HTML sitemap compensates for this limitation. It presents each branch of the taxonomy in the form of a hierarchical list, from the main aisle to the finest subcategory. A DIY enthusiast looking for a specific type of circular saw blade (alternate tooth, specific diameter, given bore) can access the correct page directly without going through successive filters of the catalog.
We observe that sites with more than three levels of categories benefit the most from an HTML sitemap. Below that, the menu is generally sufficient. Beyond that, tree navigation becomes the shortest path to a targeted product.
Navigating via the Oh Brico sitemap illustrates this logic well: each aisle expands down to the terminal subcategories, avoiding the need to guess which menu a product has been classified under.
HTML sitemap and accessibility compliance: obligations since the European Act
The European Accessibility Act, transposed in France by the law of March 9, 2023, and the decree of October 9, 2023, imposes a level of compliance on e-commerce sites that goes beyond classic ergonomics. The sitemap is not just a navigation convenience; it is part of the bypass mechanisms recognized by the RGAA to ensure access to all content.
Four declarative obligations concerning navigation
Since the implementation of these texts, the concerned organizations must combine four elements on their site:
- A declaration of accessibility published on each site, detailing the level of compliance achieved and any possible exemptions.
- A multi-year accessibility plan, accompanied by an annual action plan, describing the scheduled corrections.
- The mention of the compliance status visible from the homepage, usually in the footer.
- An easily identifiable access to these documents from the main navigation or the sitemap.
These elements must themselves be accessible. A well-structured HTML sitemap serves as a safety net: it centralizes links to the accessibility declaration, the multi-year plan, and the action plan, in addition to listing commercial pages.
Screen readers and keyboard navigation
For a screen reader user, navigating a DIY site’s mega-menu (which can contain several hundred links) represents a considerable cognitive effort. The sitemap offers a linear view of the complete hierarchy on a single page, structured by hierarchical headings that the screen reader can navigate by section jumps.
Keyboard navigators find the same advantage: direct access to any section without tabbing through the interactive elements of the header, promotional banners, and product carousels.
HTML sitemap and XML sitemap: two files, two distinct functions
The XML sitemap is intended for indexing robots, not for visitors. It lists the URLs with their metadata (modification date, update frequency, priority) to facilitate crawling. The HTML sitemap, on the other hand, is a visible page intended for humans, built with clickable links organized by business logic.
On a DIY site, confusing the two deprives visitors of a concrete navigation tool. The XML file does not solve anything for a customer looking for a specific category. The HTML sitemap, however, reproduces the complete hierarchy of the catalog in a readable format.
We recommend maintaining both files but treating them as separate projects. The XML follows the technical logic (all indexable URLs). The HTML follows the user logic (grouping by usage, by room in the house, by type of work). A good HTML sitemap is not a raw export of the database: it reflects how a DIY enthusiast thinks about their projects.
Quality criteria for a sitemap for a DIY catalog
Not all sitemaps are created equal. A poorly structured sitemap, with hundreds of flat links without visual hierarchy, becomes as unusable as the absence of a sitemap. Here are the criteria that make the difference for a DIY catalog:
- Explicit visual hierarchy: main aisles (tools, plumbing, electricity, carpentry) appear as headings, subcategories are indented, and terminal product pages are at the last level.
- Update synchronized with the catalog: every addition or removal of a category must be reflected in the sitemap, under penalty of broken links that degrade user trust and crawling.
- Segmentation by usage logic rather than by internal reference: grouping products by project (bathroom renovation, attic insulation) in addition to classification by technical family.
- Correct semantic markup (nested lists
ul/li, Hn headings) so that assistive technologies can interpret the structure.
A sitemap that meets these criteria becomes a true alternative internal search tool, particularly useful when the integrated site search engine returns results that are too broad or poorly classified.
The last point to keep in mind: the sitemap page must remain accessible in one click from the footer. On a DIY site where the average visitor consults several categories per session, this page becomes a structural shortcut that the menu alone cannot replace.
