2.4.5: Multiple Ways

What it means

Unless a page is a step in a process, provide at least two ways to find pages on the site — for example navigation, search, and a sitemap. People navigate differently depending on how well they know the site.

Multiple paths reduce dead ends.

How to fix it

• Offer global navigation plus site search on content-heavy sites.
• Publish an HTML sitemap or comprehensive footer links.
• Include breadcrumbs on deep content where helpful.
• Ensure search returns useful results for common tasks.

Quick examples

• Good: Users reach the Returns policy via nav, search, or the footer sitemap.
• Bad: An important help article is only linked from one obscure blog post.
• Good: Breadcrumbs show Home > Support > Billing on nested pages.
• Bad: A 500-page docs site has nav but no search or index.