diff --git a/packages/gitbook/src/components/SiteSections/SiteSectionTabs.tsx b/packages/gitbook/src/components/SiteSections/SiteSectionTabs.tsx
index bd23fd66a..482f8d29c 100644
--- a/packages/gitbook/src/components/SiteSections/SiteSectionTabs.tsx
+++ b/packages/gitbook/src/components/SiteSections/SiteSectionTabs.tsx
@@ -157,6 +157,11 @@ export function SiteSectionTabs(props: {
                                                     ? structureItem.url
                                                     : undefined
                                             }
+                                            sectionId={
+                                                structureItem.object === 'site-section'
+                                                    ? structureItem.id
+                                                    : undefined
+                                            }
                                             isActive={isActive}
                                             title={title}
                                             icon={icon ? (icon as IconName) : undefined}
@@ -233,10 +238,10 @@ function useNavigationMenuViewportOffset(args: {
  * A tab representing a section or section group
  */
 const SectionTab = React.forwardRef(function SectionTab(
-    props: { isActive: boolean; title: string; icon?: IconName; url?: string },
+    props: { isActive: boolean; title: string; icon?: IconName; url?: string; sectionId?: string },
     ref: React.Ref<HTMLAnchorElement>
 ) {
-    const { isActive, title, icon, url, ...rest } = props;
+    const { isActive, title, icon, url, sectionId, ...rest } = props;
     const isGroup = url === undefined;
     return (
         <Button
@@ -248,6 +253,7 @@ const SectionTab = React.forwardRef(function SectionTab(
             label={title}
             trailing={isGroup ? <ToggleChevron /> : null}
             active={isActive}
+            data-gb-site-section-id={sectionId}
             className={tcls(
                 'group/dropdown relative my-1.5 overflow-visible',
                 isActive
@@ -356,6 +362,7 @@ function SectionGroupTile(props: {
             <li className="group/section-tile flex w-full min-w-0 shrink-0 grow md:max-w-[var(--site-section-column-width)]">
                 <Link
                     href={url}
+                    data-gb-site-section-id={child.id}
                     className={tcls(
                         'grow circular-corners:rounded-2xl rounded-corners:rounded-lg px-2.5 py-1.5 transition-colors',
                         isActive
diff --git a/packages/gitbook/src/components/StructurePreview/StructurePreview.tsx b/packages/gitbook/src/components/StructurePreview/StructurePreview.tsx
index fa3b66c5c..3c481a7fa 100644
--- a/packages/gitbook/src/components/StructurePreview/StructurePreview.tsx
+++ b/packages/gitbook/src/components/StructurePreview/StructurePreview.tsx
@@ -49,11 +49,16 @@ import { SearchHeaderInput } from '../Search';
 import { CONTAINER_STYLE } from '../layout';
 import { Button, type ButtonProps, ToggleChevron } from '../primitives';
 import { DropdownMenu, DropdownMenuItem } from '../primitives/DropdownMenu';
-import { SOCIAL_PLATFORM_ICONS, isStructurePreviewMessage } from './state';
+import {
+    SOCIAL_PLATFORM_ICONS,
+    isStructurePreviewMessage,
+    selectStructurePreviewSection,
+} from './state';
 import type {
     PreviewContentLink,
     PreviewDropdownSpace,
     PreviewHeaderLink,
+    StructurePreviewNavigationMessage,
     StructurePreviewSnapshot,
 } from './types';
 
@@ -79,19 +84,47 @@ export function StructurePreview(props: { initialSnapshot: StructurePreviewSnaps
         return () => window.removeEventListener('message', handleMessage);
     }, []);
 
+    const postNavigationChange = (sectionId: string) => {
+        const message: StructurePreviewNavigationMessage = {
+            type: 'gitbook.structure.navigate',
+            payload: { sectionId },
+        };
+
+        window.parent.postMessage(message, window.location.origin);
+    };
+
     const preventNavigation = (event: React.MouseEvent<HTMLElement>) => {
         const target = event.target;
         if (!(target instanceof Element)) {
-            return;
+            return null;
         }
 
         const anchor = target.closest('a');
         if (!anchor) {
-            return;
+            return null;
         }
 
         event.preventDefault();
         event.stopPropagation();
+
+        return anchor;
+    };
+
+    const fakeSectionNavigation = (event: React.MouseEvent<HTMLElement>) => {
+        const anchor = preventNavigation(event);
+        const sectionId = anchor?.getAttribute('data-gb-site-section-id');
+        if (!sectionId) {
+            return;
+        }
+
+        setSnapshot((currentSnapshot) => {
+            const nextSnapshot = selectStructurePreviewSection(currentSnapshot, sectionId);
+            if (nextSnapshot !== currentSnapshot) {
+                postNavigationChange(sectionId);
+            }
+
+            return nextSnapshot;
+        });
     };
 
     return (
@@ -99,7 +132,7 @@ export function StructurePreview(props: { initialSnapshot: StructurePreviewSnaps
             data-gb-structure-preview
             data-viewport-mode="desktop"
             className="site-background min-h-screen min-w-[1024px] overflow-hidden"
-            onClickCapture={preventNavigation}
+            onClickCapture={fakeSectionNavigation}
             onAuxClickCapture={preventNavigation}
         >
             <StructurePreviewHeader snapshot={snapshot} />
diff --git a/packages/gitbook/src/components/StructurePreview/state.test.ts b/packages/gitbook/src/components/StructurePreview/state.test.ts
index 3e75d2559..6e2201302 100644
--- a/packages/gitbook/src/components/StructurePreview/state.test.ts
+++ b/packages/gitbook/src/components/StructurePreview/state.test.ts
@@ -3,10 +3,10 @@ import { describe, expect, it } from 'bun:test';
 import { getStructurePreviewSnapshot } from '@/app/sites/dynamic/[mode]/[siteURL]/[siteData]/~gitbook/structure/snapshot';
 import { languages } from '@/intl/translations';
 import type { GitBookSiteContext } from '@/lib/context';
-import { defaultCustomization } from '@/lib/utils';
+import { defaultCustomization, findSectionInGroup } from '@/lib/utils';
 import { SiteSocialAccountPlatform, TranslationLanguage } from '@gitbook/api';
 
-import { isStructurePreviewMessage } from './state';
+import { isStructurePreviewMessage, selectStructurePreviewSection } from './state';
 
 function createContext(overrides: Partial<GitBookSiteContext> = {}): GitBookSiteContext {
     const siteSpace = {
@@ -58,6 +58,12 @@ describe('structure preview state', () => {
         expect('visibleSiteSpaces' in snapshot).toBe(false);
         expect(isStructurePreviewMessage({ type: 'gitbook.structure.update' })).toBe(false);
         expect(isStructurePreviewMessage({ type: 'other', payload: snapshot })).toBe(false);
+        expect(
+            isStructurePreviewMessage({
+                type: 'gitbook.structure.navigate',
+                payload: { sectionId: 'section-1' },
+            })
+        ).toBe(false);
     });
 
     it('stores pre-encoded section structures with inert URLs', () => {
@@ -176,4 +182,81 @@ describe('structure preview state', () => {
             { platform: SiteSocialAccountPlatform.Github, handle: 'gitbook' },
         ]);
     });
+
+    it('selects a top-level section in the local snapshot', () => {
+        const snapshot = createSnapshotWithSections();
+        const nextSnapshot = selectStructurePreviewSection(snapshot, 'reference');
+
+        expect(nextSnapshot).not.toBe(snapshot);
+        expect(nextSnapshot.sections?.current.id).toBe('reference');
+        expect(nextSnapshot.sections?.current.title).toBe('Reference');
+    });
+
+    it('selects a nested section in the local snapshot', () => {
+        const snapshot = createSnapshotWithSections();
+        const nextSnapshot = selectStructurePreviewSection(snapshot, 'api');
+        const currentSection = nextSnapshot.sections?.current;
+        const group = nextSnapshot.sections?.list[1];
+
+        expect(currentSection?.id).toBe('api');
+        expect(group?.object).toBe('site-section-group');
+        if (!currentSection || group?.object !== 'site-section-group') {
+            throw new Error('Expected a nested section inside a section group');
+        }
+
+        expect(findSectionInGroup(group, currentSection.id)?.id).toBe('api');
+    });
+
+    it('keeps the current snapshot when selecting an unknown section', () => {
+        const snapshot = createSnapshotWithSections();
+        const nextSnapshot = selectStructurePreviewSection(snapshot, 'missing');
+
+        expect(nextSnapshot).toBe(snapshot);
+        expect(nextSnapshot.sections?.current.id).toBe('intro');
+    });
+
+    it('keeps snapshots without sections unchanged', () => {
+        const snapshot = getStructurePreviewSnapshot(createContext());
+        const nextSnapshot = selectStructurePreviewSection(snapshot, 'reference');
+
+        expect(nextSnapshot).toBe(snapshot);
+        expect(nextSnapshot.sections).toBeNull();
+    });
 });
+
+function createSnapshotWithSections() {
+    const intro = createSection('intro', 'Intro');
+    const reference = createSection('reference', 'Reference');
+    const api = createSection('api', 'API');
+
+    return getStructurePreviewSnapshot(
+        createContext({
+            sections: {
+                list: [
+                    intro,
+                    {
+                        object: 'site-section-group',
+                        id: 'developers',
+                        title: 'Developers',
+                        children: [api],
+                    },
+                    reference,
+                ],
+                current: intro,
+            },
+        } as unknown as Partial<GitBookSiteContext>)
+    );
+}
+
+function createSection(id: string, title: string) {
+    return {
+        object: 'site-section',
+        id,
+        title,
+        description: '',
+        path: id,
+        default: false,
+        siteSpaces: [],
+        urls: {},
+    };
+}
diff --git a/packages/gitbook/src/components/StructurePreview/state.ts b/packages/gitbook/src/components/StructurePreview/state.ts
index 37ab302a1..5c1107c7d 100644
--- a/packages/gitbook/src/components/StructurePreview/state.ts
+++ b/packages/gitbook/src/components/StructurePreview/state.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import type { SiteSocialAccountPlatform } from '@gitbook/api';
 import type { IconName } from '@gitbook/icons';
 
+import type { ClientSiteSection, ClientSiteSectionGroup } from '../SiteSections';
 import type { StructurePreviewMessage, StructurePreviewSnapshot } from './types';
 
 export function isStructurePreviewMessage(value: unknown): value is StructurePreviewMessage {
@@ -39,6 +40,50 @@ export function isStructurePreviewSnapshot(value: unknown): value is StructurePr
     );
 }
 
+export function selectStructurePreviewSection(
+    snapshot: StructurePreviewSnapshot,
+    sectionId: string
+): StructurePreviewSnapshot {
+    const sections = snapshot.sections;
+    if (!sections || sections.current.id === sectionId) {
+        return snapshot;
+    }
+
+    const selectedSection = findPreviewSection(sections.list, sectionId);
+    if (!selectedSection) {
+        return snapshot;
+    }
+
+    return {
+        ...snapshot,
+        sections: {
+            ...sections,
+            current: selectedSection,
+        },
+    };
+}
+
+function findPreviewSection(
+    items: (ClientSiteSection | ClientSiteSectionGroup)[],
+    sectionId: string
+): ClientSiteSection | null {
+    for (const item of items) {
+        if (item.object === 'site-section') {
+            if (item.id === sectionId) {
+                return item;
+            }
+            continue;
+        }
+
+        const childSection = findPreviewSection(item.children, sectionId);
+        if (childSection) {
+            return childSection;
+        }
+    }
+
+    return null;
+}
+
 export const SOCIAL_PLATFORM_ICONS: Partial<Record<SiteSocialAccountPlatform, IconName>> = {
     twitter: 'x-twitter',
     instagram: 'instagram',
diff --git a/packages/gitbook/src/components/StructurePreview/types.ts b/packages/gitbook/src/components/StructurePreview/types.ts
index cb4cd5033..db7f5a664 100644
--- a/packages/gitbook/src/components/StructurePreview/types.ts
+++ b/packages/gitbook/src/components/StructurePreview/types.ts
@@ -80,3 +80,10 @@ export type StructurePreviewMessage = {
     type: 'gitbook.structure.update';
     payload: StructurePreviewSnapshot;
 };
+
+export type StructurePreviewNavigationMessage = {
+    type: 'gitbook.structure.navigate';
+    payload: {
+        sectionId: string;
+    };
+};