Find out if users can find things in your navigation
Create a tree test in 5 minutes, see exactly where users get lost, and fix your information architecture before you build. Free forever.
No credit card required · Unlimited free studies · Setup in under 5 minutes
What is Tree Testing?
The fastest way to validate your navigation
Tree testing (sometimes called “reverse card sorting”) strips away visual design and asks users one simple question: Can you find this in our navigation? Participants see only your site's hierarchy — labels and structure, nothing else — then try to locate specific items. The result: clear data on where your IA works and where it breaks down.
Success Rate
What percentage of participants found the right answer? Low success = broken navigation.
Directness
Did they go straight to the answer or wander? Low directness = confusing labels.
Time to Complete
How long did it take? Slow tasks reveal friction even when users eventually succeed.
Features
Everything you need to run a tree test
Flexible Tree Builder
Build your navigation tree with unlimited depth. Import from a spreadsheet or build visually with drag-and-drop.
Task-Based Testing
Define tasks with correct answers. Ask participants to find specific pages and measure their success automatically.
Real-Time Results
See success rates, directness scores, and completion times update live as participants complete your test.
Built-in Recruitment
Recruit verified participants (~$3.50/response) or share your test link anywhere. $40 free credit included.
AI Test Responses
Preview your test with AI-generated responses before recruiting real participants. Catch issues early.
No-Friction Participation
Participants open a link and start — no signup, no install. Text-only tree for clean, unbiased results.
How It Works
From setup to insights in three steps
Build your tree
Enter your site's navigation structure and define tasks with correct answers. It takes about 5 minutes. Paste from a spreadsheet or build visually.
Collect responses
Share your test link or recruit participants via built-in recruitment. Participants see a text-only tree and complete tasks by clicking through the hierarchy.
Analyze results
See per-task success rates, directness scores, and average times. Identify exactly which navigation paths confuse users and which labels need work.
Results Dashboard
See exactly where users get lost
Your tree test results update in real-time. Every task gets its own success rate, directness score, and average completion time — so you know exactly which parts of your navigation need attention.
- Per-task success rates and directness scores
- Average completion times
- First-click analysis (where do people start?)
- CSV export for deeper analysis (Pro)
Card Sort → Tree Test
The complete IA validation workflow
Card sorts tell you how users think about your content. Tree tests tell you if they can find it. Use both together in a single ValidateThat project — discover your IA with card sorting, then validate it with tree testing, all in one place.
- Card sorts and tree tests in one project
- Use card sort clusters to inform your tree structure
- Compare before/after tree test results
- Share findings in a stakeholder report
Comparison
Tree testing tools compared
Stop guessing. Start tree testing.
Create a tree test in 5 minutes. Get results in hours. Fix your navigation before you waste development time on the wrong structure.
No credit card · No contracts · Cancel anytime
Use Cases
When to run a tree test
Redesigning navigation
Test your proposed IA before committing to development. Catch findability issues when they're cheap to fix.
After a card sort
You've discovered how users group content. Now validate that your navigation structure actually works with a tree test.
New product launch
Make sure users can find key features and pages before you go live. First impressions are everything.
Poor analytics signals
High bounce rates, low page views on key content, or lots of search queries? Tree test to find the navigation bottleneck.
Merging multiple sites
Combining navigation structures from an acquisition or rebrand? Tree test the merged IA to avoid confusion.
Validating label changes
Renamed a category or restructured a section? A quick tree test confirms users can still find what they need.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Your navigation is either helping users or losing them.
Find out which. Create a free tree test and get clear data on where your IA works and where it breaks down.
No credit card · No contracts · Cancel anytime