Plan your pages before you pick a single colour

Before doing anything else, a site needs an idea of what it should do.^[1] That's the job of a plan.

This guide takes you through it step by step, with a pen and paper. No software needed.

Start here

Three pages cover the ground you need first.

Decide what the site is for, then list the pages it needs.

The top row of the sitemap becomes the main menu.

Turn the page list into a menu, and decide what the key pages hold.

Write copy that's easy to skim, and collect the files you need.

What's a sitemap?: A sitemap is a list of the pages of a website.^[2] Drawing one on paper shows you what to build.
What's a wireframe?: A wireframe is a visual guide to the skeleton of a website.^[3] It's a rough sketch made of boxes and labels.
Do I need special software?: No. MDN's beginner course suggests you grab pen and paper and sketch out the site.^[1]

It has no ads, no affiliate links and no sponsors.
Facts link to where they came from, such as government guidance, MDN and Wikipedia.
Example sites are made up, and each one is labelled as made up.