Is your navigation present before scripts run?
It checks the saved navigation-in-HTML result across successful HTML pages.
What Check Engine measures
At least 3 successful HTML pages are needed. If the saved crawl flag says navigation is present in HTML, the check stops. Otherwise it counts internal links, calculates links per page and reports the missing navigation, with separate wording when the total is zero. Sitemap counts and unlinked pages support the explanation. The registered condition does not use an average-link cutoff to decide whether the navigation flag is true. For example, 3 successful HTML pages are enough to begin the navigation check.
The check uses successful HTML responses and the crawler's record of whether navigation is in the HTML. Its claim concerns links in the server response. Review loaded-browser navigation separately.
How to read the result
The finding is high severity. A browser can display a menu that was absent from the document the crawler read, so visual inspection after loading answers a different question from this source check.
Why it matters
Sitemaps can expose addresses without supplying the navigation links between pages. Reading the initial document shows whether those routes are available before browser code adds them.
How to fix it
Compare the menu visible in the browser with links in the served source. Render real navigation links in HTML on the server or during the static build. Keep script enhancements for opening and styling menus as needed. Retest several inner pages as well as the homepage, because a shared navigation fix should reach the templates it is meant to serve.
Fixing navigation that only exists after JavaScript runs
What we found in field audits
Problems in Links were found on 14 of the 14 sites we audited. These are area totals. Read the field-audit method.
Method note
backend/seo_engine/checks/links.py, nav_not_in_html, revision 0bb8e8d3.
Common questions
How many HTML pages are needed to check missing source navigation?
The sample needs 3 successful HTML pages or more. A saved navigation flag and link records then supply the result.
Can a menu visible after loading still be absent from the HTML crawl?
Yes. A menu can appear in a loaded browser despite missing source navigation. The finding has high severity.
Does a low average link count alone decide whether navigation is missing?
No. An average-link cutoff does not decide the saved flag. The check uses the crawler's navigation-in-HTML observation.