3 clicks. Such a number of transition promises to make users happy and your site efficient. This rule formed the basis for creating site navigation. Let's see if it really keeps its promises?
Jeffrey Zeldman expressed his opinion on this rule in 2001: “It is widely recognized, even by people who are not idiots, that web users are driven by a desire for quick gratification. If they can't find what they're looking for within three clicks, they can move on to another site." More than 10 years have passed since then, but the fear that users will go to competitors due to a large number of clicks still drives customers. They demand to follow this rule, but is it relevant?
I/ Easy navigation drastically improves user experience
Joshua Porter tested the 3-click rule: out of 8,000 clicks for 44 users, the page exited after 3 clicks as well as 25. “The 3-click rule doesn't focus on the real problem. The number of clicks is not what matters to users.” User complaints are not related to clicks, and they are unhappy that they cannot find information. If users find what they want, they don't complain about the number of clicks. D. Porter research, 2003
Jakob Nielsen concluded that user satisfaction directly depends on simplified access to a product or information. J. Nielsen "Usability of websites", 2007
The staff of the University of Barcelona conducted user tests to observe user experience and reactions. Data analysis did not reveal a direct relationship between the number of clicks and the abandonment of searches by users. “The three-click rule doesn't work because there are no users who gave up on a long task after realizing that a third click didn't lead them to the information they were looking for." Study of the 3-click rule, 2018
According to Jared Spool, the purpose of every link is to move users forward. Search makes it easier not the number of clicks, but the presence of the right links. Research by D. Spool, 2004
Access to information should be easy. The clearer the navigation for users, the higher the site's effectiveness. They won't care about the number of clicks if they can get where they want to go.
II/ The site's effectiveness depends on the right user's path
Bob Bailey's first click testing shows that if the first click leads the user down the right path, 87% of users are eventually successful. When a click leads to the wrong path, only 46% of users succeed. “Aim for 90% first click success.” Bob Bailey. First click testing, 2013
In his research on information retrieval, Jakob Nielsen draws an analogy between searching for information on a website and hunting. “Users evaluate the likely success of a given hunt by the trail: whether there are signs along their path that are associated with the desired outcome.” The success of the search depends on the "information smell" that should haunt the user. Research by J. Nielsen, 2003
Steve Krug, in his book Don't Make Me Think, emphasizes the importance of intuitive navigation. “The user does not think about the number of clicks as long as the click passes easily, and he himself remains confident that he is moving in the right direction. The number of clicks will be justified if they can be done without thinking.” S. Krug “Don’t make me think”, 2000
Users should feel close to the target, then the number of clicks will not matter. They will click until they know they are going in the right direction.
III/ Summary
In defense of the “3-click” rule, we can say that it is partly confirmed by the fact that by trial and error, we came to 2- or maximum 3-level navigation. This means that the user can get to any page in 2-3 clicks.
The rule had a special meaning in the early days of web design. It warned against difficult navigation, and at that time, most users had a limited data transfer rate. With a temporary connection to the network, finding the information you needed as quickly as possible was important. Since then, the understanding of website development and analysis of user behavior on it has improved.
With a basic understanding of usability, you can use this rule, but with a deeper understanding, you can neglect it. Since it's not about three clicks, but about the convenience and comfort of user navigation, for example:
If navigation is convenient and the user understands where he is and where he can move on.
The user has an understanding of how far he is from his goal and what progress he has made at the moment.
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