diff --git a/content/docs/customize.md b/content/docs/customize.md
index 739db79..d08f50c 100644
--- a/content/docs/customize.md
+++ b/content/docs/customize.md
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ weight = 12
 
 The fast path is to change four things in `hugo.toml`: `baseURL`, `title`, `params.sidebarFooter`, and `params.homeFooter`.
 
-Then adjust `menus.main`. The sidebar shape comes from the menu, so you do not need a special data file or extra config layer.
+Then adjust `title` and `weight` in your content files. The sidebar shape comes from the section tree, so you do not need a special data file or a menu block for each page.
 
 If you want a different voice on the homepage, edit `content/_index.md`. If you want layout changes, start in `themes/starless/layouts/_default/baseof.html`.
 
diff --git a/content/docs/files.md b/content/docs/files.md
index 7acbd07..f3924b9 100644
--- a/content/docs/files.md
+++ b/content/docs/files.md
@@ -6,11 +6,11 @@ weight = 13
 
 The files that matter are not hard to find.
 
-- `hugo.toml` sets the theme, site title, footer text, and sidebar menu.
-- `content/` holds the homepage and this short guide.
+- `hugo.toml` sets the theme, site title, and footer text.
+- `content/` holds the homepage and this short guide. Its section tree also drives the sidebar.
 - `themes/starless/layouts/_default/baseof.html` builds the page shell and the shared styling.
 - `themes/starless/layouts/partials/sidebar.html` renders the left rail.
-- `themes/starless/layouts/partials/menu-tree.html` renders the nested menu links.
+- `themes/starless/layouts/partials/menu-tree.html` renders the nested section and page links.
 - `themes/starless/layouts/_default/home.html`, `list.html`, and `single.html` handle the main content area.
 
 If you are trying to understand the theme, read those files in that order. There is not much else hiding off to the side.
diff --git a/content/docs/install.md b/content/docs/install.md
index 2e37a8c..4e7c111 100644
--- a/content/docs/install.md
+++ b/content/docs/install.md
@@ -8,6 +8,6 @@ If you fork this repo, you already have the theme and the demo site in one place
 
 If you want to drop Starless into another Hugo site, copy the `themes/starless/` folder into that project and set `theme = "starless"` in `hugo.toml`.
 
-After that, add a small `menus.main` block so the sidebar has something to render. The current config in this repo is enough to copy and trim.
+After that, add an `_index.md` for each section you want listed and set `weight` in front matter to control order. The sidebar follows the `content/` tree automatically.
 
 Run `hugo server` and edit from there. The theme is simple enough that most changes show up where you expect.
diff --git a/hugo.toml b/hugo.toml
index ecb6e9b..c7426df 100644
--- a/hugo.toml
+++ b/hugo.toml
@@ -22,32 +22,3 @@ inline = [["\\(", "\\)"]]
 description = "Starless is a small Hugo theme for dark, text first sites."
 sidebarFooter = "Built with Hugo."
 homeFooter = "Small on purpose."
-
-[[menus.main]]
-name = "Guide"
-pageRef = "/docs"
-weight = 10
-
-[[menus.main]]
-name = "Install"
-pageRef = "/docs/install"
-parent = "Guide"
-weight = 11
-
-[[menus.main]]
-name = "Customize"
-pageRef = "/docs/customize"
-parent = "Guide"
-weight = 12
-
-[[menus.main]]
-name = "Files"
-pageRef = "/docs/files"
-parent = "Guide"
-weight = 13
-
-[[menus.main]]
-name = "How it looks?"
-pageRef = "/docs/how-it-looks"
-parent = "Guide"
-weight = 14
diff --git a/themes/starless/layouts/partials/menu-tree.html b/themes/starless/layouts/partials/menu-tree.html
index af4fb2f..8ac485d 100644
--- a/themes/starless/layouts/partials/menu-tree.html
+++ b/themes/starless/layouts/partials/menu-tree.html
@@ -1,29 +1,33 @@
-{{- range .ByWeight -}}
-  <div class="flex flex-col">
-    <a class="flex items-center {{ if .HasChildren }}text-on-surface{{ else }}text-on-surface-variant{{ end }} hover:text-primary transition-colors py-1 text-left w-full group" href="{{ .URL }}">
-      <span class="material-symbols-outlined text-[16px] mr-1 text-on-surface-variant group-hover:text-primary">{{ if .HasChildren }}expand_more{{ else }}chevron_right{{ end }}</span>
-      {{ .Name }}
-    </a>
-    {{- with .Children -}}
-      <div class="ml-6 flex flex-col gap-1 text-on-surface-variant text-label-sm tree-item mt-1 mb-2">
-        {{- range .ByWeight -}}
-          {{- if .HasChildren -}}
-            <div class="flex flex-col">
-              <a class="flex items-center hover:text-on-surface transition-colors py-0.5" href="{{ .URL }}">
-                <span class="material-symbols-outlined text-[14px] mr-1 text-on-surface-variant">expand_more</span>
-                {{ .Name }}
-              </a>
-              <div class="ml-5 flex flex-col gap-1 text-on-surface-variant text-label-sm tree-item mt-1 italic">
-                {{ range .Children.ByWeight }}
-                  <a class="hover:text-on-surface transition-colors py-0.5" href="{{ .URL }}">{{ .Name }}</a>
-                {{ end }}
-              </div>
-            </div>
-          {{- else -}}
-            <a class="hover:text-on-surface transition-colors py-0.5 italic" href="{{ .URL }}">{{ .Name }}</a>
-          {{- end -}}
+{{- range .nodes.ByWeight -}}
+  {{- if eq $.level 0 -}}
+    <div class="flex flex-col">
+      <a class="flex items-center {{ if .IsSection }}text-on-surface{{ else }}text-on-surface-variant{{ end }} hover:text-primary transition-colors py-1 text-left w-full group" href="{{ .RelPermalink }}">
+        <span class="material-symbols-outlined text-[16px] mr-1 text-on-surface-variant group-hover:text-primary">{{ if .IsSection }}expand_more{{ else }}chevron_right{{ end }}</span>
+        {{ .LinkTitle }}
+      </a>
+      {{- if .IsSection -}}
+        {{- with .Pages.ByWeight -}}
+          <div class="ml-6 flex flex-col gap-1 text-on-surface-variant text-label-sm tree-item mt-1 mb-2">
+            {{ partial "menu-tree.html" (dict "nodes" . "level" (add $.level 1)) }}
+          </div>
+        {{- end -}}
+      {{- end -}}
+    </div>
+  {{- else -}}
+    {{- if .IsSection -}}
+      <div class="flex flex-col">
+        <a class="flex items-center hover:text-on-surface transition-colors py-0.5" href="{{ .RelPermalink }}">
+          <span class="material-symbols-outlined text-[14px] mr-1 text-on-surface-variant">expand_more</span>
+          {{ .LinkTitle }}
+        </a>
+        {{- with .Pages.ByWeight -}}
+          <div class="ml-5 flex flex-col gap-1 text-on-surface-variant text-label-sm tree-item mt-1 italic">
+            {{ partial "menu-tree.html" (dict "nodes" . "level" (add $.level 1)) }}
+          </div>
         {{- end -}}
       </div>
+    {{- else -}}
+      <a class="hover:text-on-surface transition-colors py-0.5 italic" href="{{ .RelPermalink }}">{{ .LinkTitle }}</a>
     {{- end -}}
-  </div>
+  {{- end -}}
 {{- end -}}
diff --git a/themes/starless/layouts/partials/sidebar.html b/themes/starless/layouts/partials/sidebar.html
index 11647c5..7955173 100644
--- a/themes/starless/layouts/partials/sidebar.html
+++ b/themes/starless/layouts/partials/sidebar.html
@@ -9,8 +9,8 @@
   </button>
 
   <nav class="flex flex-col gap-1 text-sm" aria-label="Primary">
-    {{ with site.Menus.main }}
-      {{ partial "menu-tree.html" . }}
+    {{ with site.Sections }}
+      {{ partial "menu-tree.html" (dict "nodes" . "level" 0) }}
     {{ end }}
   </nav>