Tree Testing
Tree testing checks whether people can find things in a site or app's structure by asking them to locate items in a stripped-back menu, with no visual design.
Tree testing evaluates how findable content is within an information architecture. Participants are given a task and a bare text version of the navigation, then asked where they would click to complete it. Because there is no visual design, it isolates whether the structure and labels work.
It answers a specific question: can people find what they need given how the content is organised. It is a structure test, not a usability test of the finished interface.
Tree testing pairs naturally with card sorting, which helps design the structure, and with usability testing, which evaluates the built experience. They answer different questions at different stages.
OpenScouter focuses on behavioural usability testing of real flows and products, capturing voice and facial reaction with the clicks. For tree testing and card sorting specifically, dedicated information-architecture tools cover those methods.
