More and more people are feeling the need to create a WordPress menu for their websites. This is easily explained by the ever-increasing number of websites we see today. A website’s WordPress menu is, in fact, the list of pages that typically appears at the top of the site.
It is essential for website owners because it allows visitors to easily navigate between the site’s pages. No matter what kind of site you want to build with WordPress, a menu like this is necessary to make the site’s content accessible to visitors. But how do you go about it? This guide outlines the essential steps for creating a WordPress menu. It includes everything you need to create an optimized menu that will help visitors find the information they need.
The Characteristics of a Good Menu
First, keep in mind that WordPress is a tool for creating and managing a website. As a Content Management System (CMS), it is used to publish and manage content on the web. It allows you to design any type of website: news sites, showcase sites, e-commerce stores, social networks, extranets, web TV, and more. As a result, it allows website owners tocreate a WordPress menu using a graphical interface. They can easily add items to this menu as needed. Better yet, it’s also possible torearrange items in an existing menu with a simple drag-and-drop.
It’s important to note that a website’s menu serves as the entry point for users navigating the site. It must therefore be well-designed. To achieve this, the menu must meet three criteria. First, the menu should have a limited number of items. Second, it must have concise and clear labels. Finally, a good menu should have very few, if any, submenus. This does not rule out the possibility of exceptions. In fact, situations vary from site to site, particularly with regard to submenus.
However, generally speaking—especially for a small showcase website or a blog—it’s recommended to keep the menu less cluttered. The reason is simple and clear: the more items there are on the menu, the more options visitors have to choose from. As a result, they’ll spend too much time trying to decide which item to click. Eventually, they’ll look elsewhere, and the site will lose its visitors. It’s pretty much the same as in a restaurant: the longer the menu, the harder it is to choose.
Menu Configuration Options in WordPress
The way WordPress works allows you to choose between two options for creating and configuring a WordPress menu.
Option 1: The traditional method
Generally, the first instinct for those creating menus is to go to Appearance > Menus. This is a good option for creating a WordPress navigation menu. However, if you go to Appearance > Customize, you’ll find the site customization tool.
The latter includes an item labeled “Menus.” Clicking on this item opens a different, more intuitive menu-creation module. The advantage of this method is that it provides a live preview of how changes will appear on the site.
Option 2: The navigation block
The “Navigation” block is one of the new blocks introduced with the Site Editor. This block allows you to control not only pages and posts, but also every part of the theme. It also lets you create and manage navigation menus.
However, to use this editor and take advantage of its features, you must first enable a few settings. These consist of a block-based theme and another theme that supports template editing. With this theme, you can access the site editor by going to Appearance > Editor.
In this case, the customization tool options are hidden. Next, you’ll need to add the “Navigation” block, just as you would with other content blocks—such as the “Image,” “Title,” “Buttons,” and so on.
How do I create a WordPress menu?
Creating a WordPress menu isn't that complicated. The creator can choose between the two methods mentioned above. If they prefer to use the traditional method, this guide covers the essential steps involved.
First, you need togo to the “Menu” pagein the “Appearance” section (1) of the admin interface. This page includes several fields for creating a menu if you don’t already have one.
At this point, the creator can click the “Create a New Menu” link. Next, they will name their new menu in the “Menu Name” field. They will also need to select one of the locations listed under “Display Location.”
The "Main" location refers to the menu at the very top of the WordPress site. The "Footer Menu" location refers to the menu at the bottom of every page on the site. After this step, the user simply needsto click "Create Menu." This is the final step in adding a new menu to the site.
Add Items to the WordPress Menu
After creating the menu, it’s essential to add certain items to it. These items won’t just be pages, but also other elements that visitors can access from the menu. For this purpose, there is an “Add Menu Items” column containing various sections. These sections include“Pages,”“Posts,”“Custom Links,” and“Categories.” Adding these items is very important for any site owner who wants to create an optimized WordPress menu. This column is located to the left of the menu structure.
There is also a section called“WooCommerce Endings.” However, it is available only to users who have WooCommerce installed on their WordPress site to turn it into a store.
From the sections listed in the menu items column, the menu creator should navigate to the one they are interested in. Next, they should select the checkbox for the item they want to add to the menu, then click “Add to Menu.”
For example, if the user wants to add the “Articles” item, they should proceed as follows. First, they should click the checkbox to the left of the “Articles” item. Next, they simply need to click the “Add to Menu” button to add that page to the menu. Finally, to confirm the change,they must click “Save Menu.” This will save the menu.
Other possible elements
If the creator cannot find the desired item in the "Items to Add" section, the "See All" tab will be very helpful. In this tab, the creator will see all items—recent or otherwise—from a section.
In addition, the “custom link” element is different from the other elements. To add a new element of this type, the creator mustenter a URL and the text to be displayed. Therefore, it is not simply a matter of clicking a checkbox, as is the case with elements in other sections.
For example, if the user wants to add the “My Account” page to the menu, they’ll need to enter the URL for that page in the “URL” field. Next, they’ll need to enter the text they want to display in the menu on their WordPress site in the “Link Text” field.
However, the purpose of this process is the same as in the previous cases. The menu creator simply needs to click “Add to Menu,” then “Save Menu.” This will add the item to the menu and save the changes to the menu.
Hidden Options in WordPress Menus
Some WordPress menu options are not immediately visible. These options vary and serve different purposes.
What are the hidden options in the WordPress menus?
WordPress highlights certain options in the default menus. This is a real advantage for all users in general and for beginners in particular. It’s beneficial for users because it provides greater clarity, and for beginners because it helps them avoid making mistakes.
The gear icon in the Appearance > Customize > Menus section displays the following options:
When these checkboxes are selected, new fields appear within the menu items. These fields are: title, link target, CSS classes, link description, and relationship to the owner of the linked site.
What do these options mean?
Each of the options listed above plays a specific role:
- Title attribute: The title attribute is used to display “a description of a menu item” when the mouse hovers over it. As a result, its usefulness is limited, and so far, it has been used only sparingly.
- Link Target: This option displays a checkbox that opens the destination page in a new tab. For external links, checking this box helps keep users on the site longer.
- CSS classes: They are useful for customizing the appearance of a menu item.
- Description: There are themes that allow you to display a description below the menu title. However, these themes are rare.
- Relationship with the “owner of the linked site” (XFN): XFN properties are useful for a site owner who wants to specify the relationship between themselves and their site. However, these properties are not essential.
How should the items on the menu be organized?
WordPress’s ability torearrange menu itemsis a major advantage. The process is simple. In an existing menu, click and hold an item. Then, drag that item up or down in the menu. You can also preview the selected item’s new position using a dotted box that indicates its location. You can release the mouse button after that.
Creating Submenus
It is also possible to create WordPress submenus. Simply move one or more items under another item. To do this, follow the same steps as before. However, the item you’re placing under another item must be dropped so that it is slightly offset to the right.
This method will allow you tocreate a submenuwith a deep hierarchy. The selected item is considered a “child” of the item below which it will be positioned. To ensure the selected item is positioned correctly, the “menu creator” can use the dotted box as a guide. For clarity, the menu creator may or may not be a developer.
In fact, the dotted box will be positioned further to the right than it should be. It’s also important to save your changes. Be careful—this is a step you shouldn’t forget. As usual, just click the “Save Menu” button.
How do I adjust the settings in the menu?
It’s important toadjust the menu settingsafter adding all the essential items. This is a crucial step in creating an effective WordPress menu. To do this, go to the “Appearance” section and then to the “Menu” page. Next, navigate to the “Menu Settings” section, which is located below the menu items.
At this level, there is a list of several checkboxes:
- Automatically add pages: If you check this box, the pages previously created in the menu will be added automatically. This feature isn't particularly useful, as it doesn't allow you to create a customized menu. It is therefore best to avoid checking this box.
- Theme Location: The checkboxes provided here allow you to specify where to display the newly created menu. One of these checkboxes must be selected for the menu to appear on the site. Additionally, the labels for these locations will vary depending on the site’s theme. Therefore, it is important to select the checkbox specifically for the main menu.
Once the settings have been configured, the menu creator should click the (blue) “Save Menu” button. This will activate the new menu. Additionally, when the menu is no longer needed, it can be deleted using the link at the bottom left.
Menu Item Management
This step involves the second tab on the WordPress menus “management page.” This is the“Manage Locations”tab. This tab allows the menu creator to assign previously created menus to the various locations offered by their theme.
It allows the user to see at a glance where the menus are displayed. In fact, this can be done directly using the “Manage with Live Preview” button at the top of the tab. It’s also possible tochange the menufor a specific location using thedrop-down menu.
If, on the other hand, the menu creator wantsto create a new WordPress menu, they should click the “Use New Menu” button. Clicking “Edit” will take them to the edit page for that menu. Once all the menu items are in place, all that’s left is to save the changes.
How do you place menus in other locations on your WordPress site?
In addition to the menu locations provided by the theme, the menu creator can insert menus elsewhere. They can insert them into the site’s sidebar if the theme supports this feature. It’s also possible to insert them using the “Navigation Menu” widget in the footer.
To do this, you need to create a new menu without assigning it a location. Next, in the “Appearance” section under “Widgets,” add a “Navigation Menu” widget to the area of your choice. You may need to enter a title and then select the menu you want to display in the widget.
Finally, you'll need to click "Save" to activate this new menu. However, this step is optional. Also, there's a good chance that the other locations (the theme's default locations) will be more than sufficient.
Creating a WordPress Menu: A Summary
Creating a WordPress menu offers significant benefits for the website that has one. It allows visitors to easily navigate between the site’s pages. However, creating a menu involves a specific process. The creator can choose between two methods that serve the same purpose, though they differ from one another.
Once the menu has been created, you’ll need to add certain items that will allow visitors to access the site’s content. It’s also important to organize the items added to the menu effectively. The settings and management of menu positions are key factors in creating an optimized menu. Finally, keep in mind that you can enhance WordPress menus using a plugin or extension designed for this purpose.
