Global systems: Global systems complement the hierarchical system by providing greater vertical and lateral movement. Global systems usually consist of a navigational bar with links to the major site sections. This navigational bar appears on every page, so if users are five levels deep in one section, they can easily jump to another section without returning to the homepage.

It is helpful if global links are broken into two categories: topics and tools. (6.6) Topics include the information users seek, whereas tools are about how to access the information. Topics usually include the sections delivering the main content of the site. Tools, on the other hand, usually less numerous than topics, include links such as "search," "site map," "feedback," "home," and so forth.

Local systems: A local navigational system is most often used in subsites. Coined by Jakob Nielsen, the term subsites is used "to identify the recurrent situation in which a collection of web pages within a larger site invite a common style and shared navigation mechanism unique to those pages" (Rosenfeld and Morville 56). For example, a company might offer an online catalogue of products. To provide better access to the content, the designer would create a subsite of the catalogue that includes its own navigational options (a local system) different from the rest of the site. (6.7) It is important, however, that the designer also include a form of global navigation so that the user can still jump to another section or return to the homepage. Local navigation complements global navigation.