When should I use a tree test?

The Tree test gives respondents a navigation structure and asks them to find a specific thing in it. It answers whether people can get to what they need through your menus, with nothing but the labels to guide them.

Tree test is an advanced research method, available on Core and Pro.

When to reach for it

Reach for a tree test when you have a navigation structure, existing or proposed, and want to know if it works. It is the right block before you ship a menu redesign, when you want to compare two candidate structures on the same tasks, or when a section is getting complaints about findability.

A tree test strips away visual design, so respondents see only the labels. That isolates the structure itself. If instead you are still designing the structure and want to know how people would group things, a Card sort is the better pick. The two are the information-architecture blocks, and they often run in sequence: card sort to find a structure, tree test to confirm it.

Good to know

The navigation tree and its tasks are set up in the editor. Phrase each task in the respondent’s words, not your menu labels, so you are testing the structure rather than their reading of the question.