diff --git a/docs/guides-navigation.md b/docs/guides-navigation.md
index 1cdb114e8f2d..ff8f2e3199cd 100644
--- a/docs/guides-navigation.md
+++ b/docs/guides-navigation.md
@@ -22,11 +22,9 @@ For example, creating an empty file such as `docs/getting-started.md` will enabl
 Suppose you add this to your document:
 
 ```yaml
----
 id: intro
 title: Getting Started
 ---
-
 My new content here..
 ```
 
@@ -104,13 +102,17 @@ It is possible to add subcategories to a sidebar. Instead of using IDs as the co
     "My Example Category": [
       "examples",
       {
-        "My Example Subcategory": [
+        "type": "subcategory",
+        "label": "My Example Subcategory",
+        "ids": [
           "my-examples",
           ...
         ]
       },
       {
-        "My Next Subcategory": [
+        "type": "subcategory",
+        "label": "My Next Subcategory",
+        "ids": [
           "some-other-examples"
         ]
       },
@@ -253,8 +255,8 @@ The links in the top navigation bar get `siteNavItemActive` and `siteNavGroupAct
 
 The `siteNavGroupActive` class will be added to these links:
 
-* `doc` links that belong to the same sidebar as the currently displayed document
-* The blog link when a blog post, or the blog listing page is being displayed
+- `doc` links that belong to the same sidebar as the currently displayed document
+- The blog link when a blog post, or the blog listing page is being displayed
 
 These are two separate class names so you can have the active styles applied to either exact matches only or a bit more broadly for docs that belong together. If you don't want to make this distinction you can add both classes to the same CSS rule.
 
diff --git a/v1/lib/server/__tests__/__fixtures__/sidebar-subcategories.js b/v1/lib/server/__tests__/__fixtures__/sidebar-subcategories.js
index ff7583388275..c865e679a3ae 100644
--- a/v1/lib/server/__tests__/__fixtures__/sidebar-subcategories.js
+++ b/v1/lib/server/__tests__/__fixtures__/sidebar-subcategories.js
@@ -4,16 +4,22 @@ module.exports = {
     'Second Category': [
       'doc3',
       {
-        'First Subcategory': ['doc4'],
+        type: 'subcategory',
+        label: 'First Subcategory',
+        ids: ['doc4'],
       },
       'doc5',
     ],
     'Third Category': [
       {
-        'Second Subcategory': ['doc6'],
+        type: 'subcategory',
+        label: 'Second Subcategory',
+        ids: ['doc6', 'doc7'],
       },
       {
-        'Third Subcategory': ['doc7'],
+        type: 'subcategory',
+        label: 'Third Subcategory',
+        ids: ['doc8'],
       },
     ],
   },
diff --git a/v1/lib/server/__tests__/__snapshots__/readMetadata.test.js.snap b/v1/lib/server/__tests__/__snapshots__/readMetadata.test.js.snap
index 0d5275559ccb..b06328f561ed 100644
--- a/v1/lib/server/__tests__/__snapshots__/readMetadata.test.js.snap
+++ b/v1/lib/server/__tests__/__snapshots__/readMetadata.test.js.snap
@@ -52,10 +52,18 @@ Object {
   },
   "doc7": Object {
     "category": "Third Category",
-    "next": null,
+    "next": "doc8",
     "order": 7,
     "previous": "doc6",
     "sidebar": "docs",
+    "subcategory": "Second Subcategory",
+  },
+  "doc8": Object {
+    "category": "Third Category",
+    "next": null,
+    "order": 8,
+    "previous": "doc7",
+    "sidebar": "docs",
     "subcategory": "Third Subcategory",
   },
 }
diff --git a/v1/lib/server/readMetadata.js b/v1/lib/server/readMetadata.js
index c0244e92c091..c916809b8c2b 100644
--- a/v1/lib/server/readMetadata.js
+++ b/v1/lib/server/readMetadata.js
@@ -64,20 +64,23 @@ function readSidebar(sidebars = {}) {
       const categoryItems = categories[category];
       categoryItems.forEach(categoryItem => {
         if (typeof categoryItem === 'object') {
-          Object.keys(categoryItem).forEach(subcategory => {
-            const subcategoryItems = categoryItem[subcategory];
-            subcategoryItems.forEach(subcategoryItem => {
-              sidebarItems.push({
-                id: subcategoryItem,
-                category,
-                subcategory,
-                order: sidebarItems.length + 1,
+          switch (categoryItem.type) {
+            case 'subcategory':
+              categoryItem.ids.forEach(subcategoryItem => {
+                sidebarItems.push({
+                  id: subcategoryItem,
+                  category,
+                  subcategory: categoryItem.label,
+                  order: sidebarItems.length + 1,
+                });
               });
-            });
-          });
-          return;
+              return;
+            default:
+              return;
+          }
         }
 
+        // Is a regular id value.
         sidebarItems.push({
           id: categoryItem,
           category,