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IA.md

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brand Yelp
tagline Connecting people with great local businesses
category Local Discovery
website https://yelp.com

Information Architecture — Yelp

Overview

Yelp is a local business discovery and review platform covering restaurants, home services, shopping, nightlife, and more. The IA is location-driven — the home screen centers on a search bar with location context, surfacing nearby businesses with user reviews as the primary trust signal. Yelp combines consumer-facing discovery with business-facing tools (advertising, reservations, waitlist, request-a-quote), creating a two-sided marketplace for local commerce.

Site Map

Yelp
├── Home
│   ├── Search (business name, category, or service)
│   ├── Location (auto-detected or entered)
│   ├── Category Quick Links
│   │   ├── Restaurants
│   │   ├── Home Services
│   │   ├── Auto Services
│   │   ├── Shopping
│   │   ├── Nightlife
│   │   ├── Beauty & Spa
│   │   ├── Health & Medical
│   │   └── Active Life
│   ├── Trending Near You
│   ├── Recently Viewed
│   └── Collections / Lists
├── Search Results
│   ├── Business List
│   ├── Map View
│   ├── Filters Panel
│   ├── Sponsored Results
│   └── Sort Options
├── Business Page
│   ├── Photos & Videos
│   ├── Business Info
│   │   ├── Address, Phone, Website
│   │   ├── Hours of Operation
│   │   ├── Price Range ($ to $$$$)
│   │   ├── Categories / Tags
│   │   ├── Amenities & Attributes
│   │   └── Health & Safety
│   ├── Reviews
│   │   ├── Overall Rating (1-5 stars)
│   │   ├── Review Highlights (AI-generated)
│   │   ├── Individual Reviews
│   │   ├── Sort (date, rating, Yelp Sort)
│   │   ├── Filter by rating
│   │   └── Owner Responses
│   ├── Actions
│   │   ├── Write a Review
│   │   ├── Add Photos
│   │   ├── Check In
│   │   ├── Bookmark
│   │   ├── Share
│   │   └── Report
│   ├── Reservation (OpenTable / Yelp Reservations)
│   ├── Waitlist (Yelp Waitlist)
│   ├── Order Food (delivery/pickup)
│   ├── Request a Quote (services)
│   ├── Menu (restaurants)
│   ├── Q&A
│   └── Nearby Businesses
├── Restaurants
│   ├── Browse by Cuisine
│   ├── Browse by Feature (outdoor seating, delivery, etc.)
│   ├── Best of Lists
│   └── Reservations
├── Home Services
│   ├── Request a Quote Flow
│   ├── Browse by Service (plumbing, electrician, etc.)
│   └── Cost Guides
├── Write a Review
│   ├── Star Rating (1-5)
│   ├── Review Text
│   ├── Photos / Videos
│   ├── Check-In
│   └── Useful / Funny / Cool votes
├── Profile
│   ├── Reviews
│   ├── Photos
│   ├── Bookmarks (saved businesses)
│   ├── Collections
│   ├── Check-Ins
│   ├── Friends
│   ├── Compliments
│   ├── Elite Status
│   └── Activity Feed
├── Collections
│   ├── Create Collection (curated business lists)
│   ├── Public / Private
│   └── Follow Collections
├── Events (Yelp Events / Elite Events)
├── Talk (forum, being sunset)
├── Yelp for Business
│   ├── Claim Business
│   ├── Business Dashboard
│   ├── Respond to Reviews
│   ├── Update Business Info / Photos
│   ├── Yelp Ads
│   ├── Yelp Deals / Gift Certificates
│   ├── Analytics & Insights
│   ├── Yelp Reservations
│   ├── Yelp Waitlist
│   ├── Yelp Connect (posts to followers)
│   └── Request a Quote Management
├── Yelp Fusion API (developers)
└── Settings
    ├── Account
    ├── Privacy
    ├── Notifications
    ├── Friend Invitations
    └── External Applications

Navigation Model

  • Type: Top nav bar with search-first design (desktop), bottom tab bar (mobile)
  • Desktop Top Bar: Logo, Search (two fields: "Find" + "Near"), Write a Review, Restaurants, Home Services, Auto Services, More | Notifications, Messages, Profile
  • Mobile Bottom Tabs: Search, Collections/Bookmarks, Review, Notifications, Profile
  • Search Results: List view + map toggle; sticky filter bar at top
  • Business Page: Long-scroll single page with tabbed sections (Overview, Reviews, Photos, Menu)
  • Category Navigation: Browse categories → subcategories → filtered results

Content Model

Entity Key Attributes Relationships
Business name, address, phone, website, hours, categories, price range, rating (1-5), review count, photos, attributes, claimed/unclaimed → Reviews, → Photos, → Owner
Review rating (1-5), text, photos, author, date, useful/funny/cool votes, check-in, owner response → Business, → User
Photo image, caption, uploader, date, category (food, inside, outside, menu) → Business, → Review
Check-In user, business, timestamp, message (optional) → Business, → User
Collection name, description, businesses list, creator, public/private, followers → Businesses, → User
Q&A question, asker, answers, business → Business
Event name, date, location, description, business (if applicable) → Business
Request a Quote service type, description, contact info, responses from businesses → Business(es)
Ad business, placement, budget, targeting, impressions, clicks → Business
Reservation party size, date, time, restaurant, confirmation → Business
Waitlist Entry party size, estimated wait, position, notifications → Business
Menu sections, items (name, price, description, photo) → Business (restaurant)
Business Post (Yelp Connect) text, photos, CTA, date → Business

User Flows

Finding a Restaurant

  1. Home → Search "sushi" near "San Francisco"
  2. Results: list of sushi restaurants with ratings, review count, price range, distance
  3. Filter: 4+ stars, $$ price range, open now, outdoor seating
  4. Sort: Best Match (default), Rating, Review Count, Distance
  5. Click restaurant → View reviews, photos, menu
  6. Make reservation (OpenTable/Yelp) or order delivery → Done

Writing a Review

  1. Visit business → Search for it on Yelp → "Write a Review"
  2. Rate 1-5 stars → Write review describing experience
  3. Add photos of food/ambiance → Submit
  4. Community votes: Useful / Funny / Cool → Top reviews rise
  5. Business owner may respond to review publicly

Requesting a Quote (Home Services)

  1. Home → "Home Services" → Select category (e.g., "Plumber")
  2. "Request a Quote" flow → Describe project, location, timeline
  3. Yelp matches request to qualified local businesses
  4. Businesses respond with quotes, availability, pricing
  5. User compares quotes → Contacts chosen business → Hires

Check-In and Engagement

  1. At a business → Open Yelp → "Check In"
  2. Check-in appears on profile activity → Friends see it
  3. Accumulate check-ins → Unlock badges / contribute to Elite eligibility
  4. Leave tips for other visitors ("Try the spicy tuna roll")

URL / Route Structure

yelp.com/                                   # Homepage
yelp.com/search?find_desc={query}&find_loc={location}  # Search results
yelp.com/biz/{business-slug}                # Business page
yelp.com/biz/{business-slug}?sort_by=date_desc  # Business reviews sorted
yelp.com/biz_photos/{business-slug}         # Business photos
yelp.com/menu/{business-slug}               # Restaurant menu
yelp.com/writeareview/biz/{business-slug}   # Write a review
yelp.com/user_details?userid={userId}       # User profile
yelp.com/collection/{userId}/{collectionSlug}  # Collection
yelp.com/reservations/{business-slug}       # Reservation page
yelp.com/nearby?find_desc={category}        # Category browse
yelp.com/request_a_quote                    # Request a quote flow
biz.yelp.com/                               # Business owner dashboard
developers.yelp.com/                        # API / Yelp Fusion

Search & Filter

  • Dual Search: "Find" (business name, category, service) + "Near" (location)
  • Category Filters: Restaurants, Home Services, Auto, Shopping, Nightlife, Beauty, Health, Active Life
  • Restaurant Filters: Cuisine, price range, open now, reservations, delivery, outdoor seating, good for groups, good for kids, hot and new
  • Service Filters: License verified, response time, years in business, free estimates
  • Rating Filter: 1-5 stars (show only 4+, etc.)
  • Distance Filter: Driving, biking, walking radius; or map boundary
  • Sort: Best Match (Yelp's algorithm), Rating, Review Count, Distance
  • Map Search: Interactive map; move/zoom to search visible area
  • Review Search: Search within a business's reviews by keyword
  • Review Highlights: AI-generated summary of common themes in reviews

Responsive Behavior

Breakpoint Behavior
Mobile App (primary) Bottom tab bar; location-aware home; full-screen business page; camera for photo upload; nearby discovery
Mobile Web Responsive; search-first; prompts app download for reservations and check-in
Tablet Expanded search results; side-by-side map + list; wider business page
Desktop (primary for research) Two-column search results (list + map); business page with photo gallery, reviews, sidebar (hours, map, actions)
SEO Pages Server-rendered business and category pages heavily optimized for local SEO

Access Control

Role Capabilities
Anonymous Visitor Search, browse businesses, read reviews (limited), view photos; prompted to sign up for full access
Registered User Write reviews, upload photos, check in, bookmark, create collections, message businesses, request quotes
Elite User Annual designation; access to Elite events, "Elite" badge on reviews, higher review visibility
Business Owner (claimed) Respond to reviews, update business info/photos/hours, view analytics, post updates (Yelp Connect)
Business Advertiser All owner features + run Yelp Ads, set budget/targeting, track ROI
Yelp Reservations/Waitlist Business Manage reservations and waitlist through Yelp; integration with POS
API Developer Access business data, reviews, photos via Yelp Fusion API (rate-limited)
Community Manager (Yelp) Organize Elite events, manage community, moderate content
Content Moderator Review flagged content, enforce guidelines, manage recommendation algorithm appeals