Content URL hierarchy lets selected root tags own structured URLs. Use it when help guides, documentation, resource libraries, or other content trees need predictable category and article paths.

What this guide helps you do

• Plan a content tree with a root tag, child tags, and article posts.
• Enable nested tag URLs for the right root tags.
• Add an ordered content navigation manifest when the reading order should be controlled.
• Render content-tree navigation and previous/next links in a theme template.

Before you start

• Create the root tag and child tags you want to use.
• Attach each article to the deepest relevant child tag in the tree.
• Use this only for structured content such as help guides, docs, knowledge bases, or grouped resource libraries.
• Decide whether the tree should follow tag order or a specific docs reading order.

Do it manually

1. Open Settings, then Content URLs.
2. Enable nested tag URLs.
3. Choose the root tag that should own the hierarchy.
4. Enable strip root prefix when child tag slugs include the root prefix and you want cleaner paths.
5. If the section needs a controlled docs order, add a content navigation manifest under hierarchical_tag_permalinks.content_navigation.
6. Save changes.
7. Open a category URL and an article URL to confirm the structure works.

What content navigation controls

content_navigation is an ordered manifest for a content tree. It lives inside the hierarchical_tag_permalinks Content URLs setting. The manifest does not replace tags or post slugs. Tags still define the public URL hierarchy, and article slugs still define article paths. The manifest controls the order and grouping used by the generated content-tree context.

Use it when a docs or help section needs a deliberate reading order, a root article, grouped sidebar sections, or previous/next links that do not match publish date or alphabetical order.

Manifest shape

Each tree points at the tag slug that owns the section. root is the first article slug for that tree or group. children can contain article slugs or nested group objects.

{
  "content_navigation": {
    "version": 1,
    "trees": [
      {
        "tag": "help-content-urls",
        "title": "Content URLs",
        "root": "update-content-url-settings",
        "children": [
          "configure-content-url-hierarchy",
          {
            "title": "Troubleshooting",
            "root": "fix-a-help-category-404",
            "children": [
              "rename-a-help-category-safely"
            ]
          }
        ]
      }
    ]
  }
}

The tag value should match the tag slug for the section, not the display name. The root and string entries in children should match article slugs. A nested group can have its own title, optional root, and children.

Template helpers

Use the content-tree helpers inside a tree-backed content template. The template must opt in with contentTree="true".

{{#faster:content contentTree="true"}}
  {{faster:content-tree-nav}}
  {{faster:content-tree-prev-next}}
  {{{content}}}
{{/faster:content}}

{{faster:content-tree-nav}} renders a navigation list from the manifest-backed contentTree.navigation when a manifest is present. If no manifest is present, it falls back to the current section's direct posts.

{{faster:content-tree-prev-next}} renders previous and next article links from contentTree.prev and contentTree.next. These links follow the manifest order when one applies.

Common options for {{faster:content-tree-nav}} include class, ariaLabel, title, grouped, includeRoot, listOnly, itemsOnly, currentClass, itemClass, linkClass, and includeMissing. Common options for {{faster:content-tree-prev-next}} include class, ariaLabel, previousLabel, and nextLabel.

What not to use for docs order

• Do not change publish dates to move articles through a docs sequence.
• Do not rename tags or article titles just to force alphabetical order.
• Do not store the reading order in individual post JSON files.
• Do not edit routes.yaml or routes.yml to simulate a content tree.
• Do not scrape category pages with client-side JavaScript to build sibling links.

Use tags for the hierarchy, content_navigation for the ordered tree, and the content-tree helpers for rendering navigation inside the theme.

Ask Faster AI

• Plan a nested content tag hierarchy for help guides with root categories and child categories.
• Draft a content_navigation manifest for these docs articles using tag, root, and children.
• Review this content tree setup and tell me whether any order is being controlled by dates, tag names, routes, post JSON, or browser-side scraping.

Review before saving or publishing

• Do not enable a root tag unless you want that tag to own public nested URLs.
• Confirm each article slug in the manifest exists and belongs to the intended tree.
• Avoid attaching one post to conflicting deepest tags under different root trees.
• Check breadcrumbs, category pages, side navigation, and previous/next links after changes.

Common issues and fixes

• If a category URL is 404, confirm the root tag is selected and the child tag exists under that root.
• If URLs include repeated prefixes, enable strip root prefix or clean up child tag slugs.
• If an article uses the wrong path, check the deepest selected-root tag attached to the post.
• If sidebar order is wrong, check hierarchical_tag_permalinks.content_navigation before changing publish dates or tag names.
• If previous and next links are missing, confirm the template uses contentTree="true" and that the article belongs to a configured content tree.

Nested content URL routing

For how Faster resolves nested tag paths and why the deepest selected tag controls an article URL, read the hierarchical permalinks article. How We Route Nested Content: Hierarchical Permalinks in the CMS.

Connected workflows

• Update content URL settings
• Use the theme editor
• Fix a help category 404
• Rename a help category safely

Placeholder media

• Screenshot placeholder: add an annotated screenshot of the Content URLs setting and content navigation manifest with private domains, unpublished content, and internal notes blurred.
• Video placeholder: add a short walkthrough that starts from the Content URLs setting, reviews the tag hierarchy, adds ordered navigation, and verifies category and article pages.

Related help

• Update content URL settings
• Fix a help category 404
• Use the theme editor