diff --git a/api-docs/scripts/dist/generate-openapi-articles.js b/api-docs/scripts/dist/generate-openapi-articles.js
index ff08d584c..489816feb 100644
--- a/api-docs/scripts/dist/generate-openapi-articles.js
+++ b/api-docs/scripts/dist/generate-openapi-articles.js
@@ -380,6 +380,16 @@ function generateTagPagesFromArticleData(options) {
     if (!fs.existsSync(apiParentDir)) {
         fs.mkdirSync(apiParentDir, { recursive: true });
     }
+    // Derive articleDataKey from staticDirName or articlesPath
+    const articleDataKey = options.staticDirName || path.basename(articlesPath);
+    // Derive articleSection from contentPath — the section is the last segment of the API URL
+    // e.g., "content/influxdb3/core" → generates pages in "api/", so section = "api"
+    // For management APIs: generates pages in "management-api/", so section = "management-api"
+    const articleSection = apiParentDir.includes('management-api')
+        ? 'management-api'
+        : 'api';
+    // Derive specDownloadPath: /openapi/{staticDirName}.yml
+    const specDownloadPath = `/openapi/${articleDataKey}.yml`;
     if (!fs.existsSync(parentIndexFile)) {
         // Build description - use product description or generate from product name
         const apiDescription = productDescription ||
@@ -389,6 +399,9 @@ function generateTagPagesFromArticleData(options) {
             description: apiDescription,
             weight: 104,
             type: 'api',
+            articleDataKey,
+            articleSection,
+            specDownloadPath,
         };
         // Add menu entry for parent page (unless skipParentMenu is true)
         if (menuKey && !skipParentMenu) {
@@ -476,7 +489,11 @@ All {{% product-name %}} API endpoints, sorted by path.
             type: 'api',
             layout: isConceptual ? 'single' : 'list',
             staticFilePath: article.fields.staticFilePath,
+            specDownloadPath,
             weight,
+            // Sidebar data lookup fields
+            articleDataKey,
+            articleSection,
             // Tag-based fields
             tag: article.fields.tag,
             isConceptual,
@@ -842,15 +859,11 @@ function absolutifyLinks(spec, baseUrl) {
             if (key && MARKDOWN_FIELDS.has(key)) {
                 return value.replace(INTERNAL_LINK_RE, `$1${baseUrl}$2`);
             }
-            if (key === 'href' &&
-                parent?.title &&
-                value.startsWith('/')) {
+            if (key === 'href' && parent?.title && value.startsWith('/')) {
                 return `${baseUrl}${value}`;
             }
             // externalDocs.url — standard OpenAPI field
-            if (key === 'url' &&
-                parent?.description &&
-                value.startsWith('/')) {
+            if (key === 'url' && parent?.description && value.startsWith('/')) {
                 return `${baseUrl}${value}`;
             }
             return value;
@@ -988,8 +1001,11 @@ function processSpecFile(specConfig, staticPath, staticDirName, productKey) {
                 linkErrors.forEach((err) => console.warn(`   ${err}`));
             }
         }
-        // Write Hugo spec (relative links) for article generation and templates
-        const hugoSpecPath = staticSpecPath.replace(/\.yml$/, '-hugo.yml');
+        // Write Hugo spec (relative links) to _build/ for article generation.
+        // Tag specs and frontmatter staticFilePath derive names from this path,
+        // so it must match the final staticSpecPath basename.
+        const hugoSpecPath = path.join(API_DOCS_ROOT, '_build', path.relative(path.join(DOCS_ROOT, 'static'), staticSpecPath));
+        fs.mkdirSync(path.dirname(hugoSpecPath), { recursive: true });
         fs.writeFileSync(hugoSpecPath, yaml.dump(transformedSpec));
         // Absolutify links for downloadable specs (relative paths → full URLs)
         const downloadSpec = absolutifyLinks(transformedSpec, DOCS_BASE_URL);
@@ -1111,6 +1127,7 @@ function processProduct(productKey, config) {
                     menuParent: 'InfluxDB HTTP API',
                     skipParentMenu: config.skipParentMenu,
                     pathSpecFiles: allPathSpecFiles,
+                    staticDirName,
                 });
             }
             else {
diff --git a/api-docs/scripts/generate-openapi-articles.ts b/api-docs/scripts/generate-openapi-articles.ts
index ea55e4471..60611bec7 100644
--- a/api-docs/scripts/generate-openapi-articles.ts
+++ b/api-docs/scripts/generate-openapi-articles.ts
@@ -492,6 +492,8 @@ interface GenerateTagPagesOptions {
   skipParentMenu?: boolean;
   /** Map of API path to path-specific spec file (for single-operation rendering) */
   pathSpecFiles?: Map<string, string>;
+  /** Static directory name for download path derivation (e.g., 'influxdb3-core') */
+  staticDirName?: string;
 }
 
 /**
@@ -563,6 +565,19 @@ function generateTagPagesFromArticleData(
     fs.mkdirSync(apiParentDir, { recursive: true });
   }
 
+  // Derive articleDataKey from staticDirName or articlesPath
+  const articleDataKey = options.staticDirName || path.basename(articlesPath);
+
+  // Derive articleSection from contentPath — the section is the last segment of the API URL
+  // e.g., "content/influxdb3/core" → generates pages in "api/", so section = "api"
+  // For management APIs: generates pages in "management-api/", so section = "management-api"
+  const articleSection = apiParentDir.includes('management-api')
+    ? 'management-api'
+    : 'api';
+
+  // Derive specDownloadPath: /openapi/{staticDirName}.yml
+  const specDownloadPath = `/openapi/${articleDataKey}.yml`;
+
   if (!fs.existsSync(parentIndexFile)) {
     // Build description - use product description or generate from product name
     const apiDescription =
@@ -574,6 +589,9 @@ function generateTagPagesFromArticleData(
       description: apiDescription,
       weight: 104,
       type: 'api',
+      articleDataKey,
+      articleSection,
+      specDownloadPath,
     };
 
     // Add menu entry for parent page (unless skipParentMenu is true)
@@ -680,7 +698,11 @@ All {{% product-name %}} API endpoints, sorted by path.
       type: 'api',
       layout: isConceptual ? 'single' : 'list',
       staticFilePath: article.fields.staticFilePath,
+      specDownloadPath,
       weight,
+      // Sidebar data lookup fields
+      articleDataKey,
+      articleSection,
       // Tag-based fields
       tag: article.fields.tag,
       isConceptual,
@@ -1162,19 +1184,11 @@ function absolutifyLinks(
       if (key && MARKDOWN_FIELDS.has(key)) {
         return value.replace(INTERNAL_LINK_RE, `$1${baseUrl}$2`);
       }
-      if (
-        key === 'href' &&
-        parent?.title &&
-        value.startsWith('/')
-      ) {
+      if (key === 'href' && parent?.title && value.startsWith('/')) {
         return `${baseUrl}${value}`;
       }
       // externalDocs.url — standard OpenAPI field
-      if (
-        key === 'url' &&
-        parent?.description &&
-        value.startsWith('/')
-      ) {
+      if (key === 'url' && parent?.description && value.startsWith('/')) {
         return `${baseUrl}${value}`;
       }
       return value;
@@ -1357,8 +1371,15 @@ function processSpecFile(
       }
     }
 
-    // Write Hugo spec (relative links) for article generation and templates
-    const hugoSpecPath = staticSpecPath.replace(/\.yml$/, '-hugo.yml');
+    // Write Hugo spec (relative links) to _build/ for article generation.
+    // Tag specs and frontmatter staticFilePath derive names from this path,
+    // so it must match the final staticSpecPath basename.
+    const hugoSpecPath = path.join(
+      API_DOCS_ROOT,
+      '_build',
+      path.relative(path.join(DOCS_ROOT, 'static'), staticSpecPath)
+    );
+    fs.mkdirSync(path.dirname(hugoSpecPath), { recursive: true });
     fs.writeFileSync(hugoSpecPath, yaml.dump(transformedSpec));
 
     // Absolutify links for downloadable specs (relative paths → full URLs)
@@ -1368,10 +1389,7 @@ function processSpecFile(
     fs.writeFileSync(staticSpecPath, yaml.dump(downloadSpec));
     console.log(`✓ Wrote downloadable spec to ${staticSpecPath}`);
 
-    fs.writeFileSync(
-      staticJsonSpecPath,
-      JSON.stringify(downloadSpec, null, 2)
-    );
+    fs.writeFileSync(staticJsonSpecPath, JSON.stringify(downloadSpec, null, 2));
     console.log(`✓ Generated JSON spec at ${staticJsonSpecPath}`);
 
     return { staticSpecPath, staticJsonSpecPath, hugoSpecPath, articlesPath };
@@ -1541,6 +1559,7 @@ function processProduct(productKey: string, config: ProductConfig): void {
           menuParent: 'InfluxDB HTTP API',
           skipParentMenu: config.skipParentMenu,
           pathSpecFiles: allPathSpecFiles,
+          staticDirName,
         });
       } else {
         generatePagesFromArticleData({
diff --git a/cypress/e2e/content/api-reference.cy.js b/cypress/e2e/content/api-reference.cy.js
index 318684d91..20a3d2c34 100644
--- a/cypress/e2e/content/api-reference.cy.js
+++ b/cypress/e2e/content/api-reference.cy.js
@@ -68,8 +68,8 @@ describe('API reference content', () => {
         );
       });
       it('has a sidebar link to the product home', function () {
-        // The sidebar contains a link to the product root page
-        cy.get('.sidebar a')
+        // The nav tree contains a link to the product root page
+        cy.get('#nav-tree a')
           .first()
           .should('have.attr', 'href')
           .and('match', /^\/[^/]+\/[^/]+\/$/);