E-commerce site IA card sort template

Run this before you redesign category navigation or argue about where filters live. E-commerce IA fails when product types, policies, and account tasks compete for the same menu space.

This open sort gives participants typical store concepts without pre-baked categories. Watch whether people group by product type, by task (returns vs tracking), or by audience. That split tells you if your nav should lead with shopping, service, or account.

Aim for six to ten participants. Merge CSVs in a spreadsheet and look for label pairs that repeat across people. Rename clusters in plain language and test again with a tree test before you design pixels.