The navigation menu is among the first elements users interact with, shaping their initial impressions. Get this right, and you'll encourage further exploration.
However, designing and organizing a SaaS navigation menu can be challenging. Having worked with many high-growth tech companies on website redesigns and site architecture, we know the complex decisions that undoubtedly arise.
You may be already asking yourself, “what should we include in our top-level navigation items?” or “what belongs in each submenu?”.
These choices will ultimately have significant impacts on the user experience and the paths users take through your menu navigation to explore your website.
With the right approach, you can create simple menu designs that prioritize high-value pages while encompassing your entire website.
In this article, we’ll share the most effective tips for arranging your SaaS navigation.
What Is Usually Included in a SaaS Navigation Menu?
One of the most common mistakes in SaaS navigation is trying to cram too much into the menu.
Overloading your nav with every possible page might seem helpful, but it often leads to confusion, clutter, and a poor user experience.
Instead, it’s best to focus your SaaS menu on high-impact pages that guide users through your product, value proposition, and conversion paths.
While every product is different, there are a few core items that most SaaS navigation menus include:
The following are the other less common items found in a navigation menu:
Tips for SaaS Navigation Menu Design
The navigation menu is one of the first things people interact with on a SaaS website. It helps users explore the product, understand what’s being offered, and decide what to do next. But many companies add too many links or organize them in a way that’s hard to follow.
A SaaS navigation menu should highlight key pages, match how users think about the product, and make it easy to take action.
The tips below cover common patterns, things to avoid, and how to build a menu navigation system that supports your users and your business goals.
Tip #1: Structure Navigation Around User and Business Needs
Before designing your SaaS navigation, map out your site’s core content. Group pages into logical categories like Product, Solutions, Resources, and Company.
Tools like Miro or Octopus.do can help you build a visual sitemap that makes gaps and redundancies easier to spot, especially useful during a redesign or as your product offerings grow.
B2B teams with multiple user types or product tiers should pay special attention to clarity. The menu should help visitors quickly self-identify and find relevant information without guesswork.
Use Labels People Actually Understand
Avoid jargon, vague terms, or branded menu items that don’t clearly say what’s behind them. Enterprise buyers and busy stakeholders don’t have time to click around and explore. Use straightforward labels like “Pricing,” “Features,” or “Use Cases” that reflect how your audience searches for solutions. Internal naming should never leak into your nav menu.
Test and Evolve Your Navigation
Even an organized navigation menu can break down as your product or audience changes. Regular usability testing via heatmaps, click tracking, or user interviews can uncover where people get stuck or drop off. Pay attention to where users hesitate, what they overlook, and which items get ignored.
Back your findings with data. Use analytics tools to see which paths lead to signups, demo requests, or high-value actions.
Tip #2: Implement Mega Menus to Improve Navigation for Large Websites
Mega menus are fantastic for showing links to more pages while minimizing the design complexities. Combining similar pages into a single menu item helps users navigate the website more intuitively and reduces unnecessary scrolling and clicks by 50%. Logical grouping can also reveal related functionalities users may have overlooked.
Use Visual Elements to Enable Quick Recognition
Visual cues are a major component of mega menus, providing:
Tip #3: Embrace Icons as Visual Cues
You may have a clear target audience, but your users will inherently come from diverse backgrounds, and you should cater to their needs.
For instance, most people instantly understand icons like a magnifying glass for search or gear for settings, allowing all users to navigate the interface effortlessly regardless of language proficiency or cultural profile.
Maintain Consistency in Iconography
Create a cohesive visual language within the SaaS navigation bar with standardized icons across different features and functions. This will help your users quickly become familiar with the visual cues needed to move around the website.
Whether using the same icon for settings throughout the design or consistently representing notifications with a bell symbol, iconography consistency ensures that users understand how the interface works.
Provide Tooltip Descriptions for Icons to Improve Clarity
Universal icons are invaluable, but some users may still require extra guidance. This is why you should develop a tooltip with additional context and clarification.
These short explanations appear when users hover over or interact with an icon, clarifying its function or purpose.
Tip #4: Tailor Designs for Compact Screens
Since nearly 96% of the global digital population had connected to the internet using a mobile phone in mid-2023, not having a mobile-optimized website is a big no. That means users should face no friction with a mobile SaaS navigation menu.
A responsive mega menu design requires consistent elements in a predictable and logical location.
For example, users will expect to find the SaaS hamburger menu in the top corner of the interface, as this is a simple way to access additional menu options on smaller screens.
Prioritize Essential Menu Items and Collapse Less Critical Ones
When optimizing the SaaS nav bar for smaller screens, go for a simplified structure. This involves using straightforward language and adjusting button sizes to accommodate finger touch.
However, also consider the navigation context. For instance, mobile device users typically look for specific information and need quick access. Cater to their on-the-go needs by making the most important navigation features more accessible and collapsing those they use less frequently.
Use a Mobile-Friendly Hamburger Menu to Conserve Space
Known for its three horizontal lines, the SaaS hamburger mobile menu collapses the menu items into a compact icon that users can expand by clicking or tapping. Thanks to that, it saves screen space while giving access to all menu options. Plus, users can easily access the menu without unnecessary clutter, ensuring steady navigation.
Tip #5: Employ Microinteractions to Provide Subtle and Effective Feedback
Clicking on a menu item and not getting any response causes poor UX, leaving users wondering whether the system recognized their actions. Animated cues, whether a subtle hover effect or a smooth transition, add a much-needed layer of responsiveness.
Provide Timely Feedback
Website navigation is not a strictly one-sided interaction. Users expect feedback messages that let them know whether, for example, they submitted a form successfully.
An immediate response, such as a concise submission message, reassures users that the system has received and processed their input.
Tip #6: Optimize Accessibility with Sticky Navigation Menus
The functionalities that users click on the most (e.g., dashboard) should be brought to the forefront and readily available at all times. This way, users don't have to spend extensive time searching for key features and can quickly perform tasks.
Minimize the Need for Scrolling To Find Navigation
Users often find long scrolling tedious and time-consuming, which poses a risk you don’t want to take, especially if your SaaS website has multiple features.
Design compact and concise sticky menus to provide quick access to the necessary functionalities and simplify moving to other parts of the site.
Test the Sticky Navigation Across Browsers and Devices to Ensure Consistency
The following tests can help you verify whether the sticky menu functions well on every device and browser:
Tip #7: Use Breadcrumbs to Illuminate User Pathways
While not directly embedded in the menu, breadcrumbs are still a valuable navigation tool that cannot be overlooked. These trails help visualize the pathway from the homepage to the current page, making it easy to understand the overall organization and navigate between different website levels.
You can use breadcrumbs to help users find their way on their website by including adding location-based breadcrumbs. For instance:
You are here: Home > Category > Subcategory > Page Title
Breadcrumb trails should be simple, visible, and easy to interpret. Make them more noticeable with contrasting stylings, such as distinct colors, typography, or background styles.
Although you can place them near the top of the page or just below the header, they should be far enough from other navigation menus to avoid clutter.
Best SaaS Navigation Menu Examples
Take a look at these examples of SaaS navigation menus to find inspiration:
Monday.com
Thanks to its neat and well-organized navigation, we couldn't start our best SaaS navigation menu examples without placing Monday at the forefront. The primary navigation bar features four sections that users most frequently click on to get their work going, and each collapses into a helpful dropdown menu when clicked on. However, Monday earns this spot primarily for its clear typography, intuitive icons, and accessibility!
Key highlights of the mega menu:
ClickUp
You must love ClickUp's accessible navigation menu, which includes all the vital sections in hierarchical order, starting with the Product feature. It leaves no room for confusion, ensuring clear labels and subtle microinteractions, such as changing the color when you hover over a category. But we must give special kudos to ClickUp for its responsive design and SaaS navigation menu that adapts to different devices with ease.
Top callouts for adaptive design:
UpKeep
Fast, responsive, and easy to navigate — what's not to like? UpKeep will capture your attention on the website and encourage you to keep clicking because its navigation menu effortlessly provides concise labels and intuitiveness. A humble brag from us and a shout-out to our Webstacks design team for crushing this navigation menu design!
Things that make UpKeep's microinteractions stand out:
Hotjar
At first sight, Hotjar's navigation menu appears simple and minimalist, reflecting the overall aesthetic of the website. But this platform plays with visual cues differently by fading out every other item when you click on a particular feature in the dropdown menu. The font choice, size, and weight boost the menu's visual appeal while ensuring readability.
What elevates Hotjar's iconography:
Stripe
Stripe is the champion of navigation menu simplicity and clear labels, making it easy to find information and resources. Dropdown menus appear the moment you hover over the main items, collapsing into colorful and intuitive icons. But Stripe primarily made it to our list thanks to its consistent design language.
Key points for consistency:
ServiceTitan
We must applaud the logical order of the navigation menu, which leaves no room for ambiguity. ServiceTitan ensures comprehensive coverage, providing access to everything you may need when interested in their software, from products to trades. What we particularly appreciated were the clear CTAs that can encourage users to choose this company.
Why ServiceTitan's CTAs stand out:
Lattice
Lattice's navigation menu uses clear language and focuses on the website’s core features. The straightforward pathways and intuitive labels prioritize the SaaS menu UX. Moreover, the sticky menu ensures continuous access to navigation options regardless of how far you scroll down.
Top Callouts:
Ready to Design a SaaS Navigation Menu That Wows Users?
We equipped you with all the information you need to create an effective, visually appealing, and accessible SaaS nav menu. If you’re looking for help building a navigation system that scales with your product and aligns with your go-to-market goals, Webstacks can help.
We partner with fast-growing SaaS companies to design and develop websites that drive results.
