How to Add Navigation Menu in WordPress (Beginner’s Guide)

Navigating a website should be a seamless experience that encourages users to stay longer and explore more. With this seamless experience, you’ll be able to convert visitors into customers, which can impact your website’s success tremendously. 

In this guide, we’ll take you step-by-step through adding a WordPress navigation menu to your site. We’ll explain why making it easy for visitors to browse your content and find what they’re looking for can make a big difference in their overall experience.

Let’s begin the process of developing an effective and aesthetically pleasing navigation menu for your WordPress website.

What is a navigation menu?

A navigation menu is a section that allows for easy browsing through its various parts or pages. Significant pages like Home, About, Services, Blog, and Contact, along with drop-down menus for more selections or subcategories are what you can commonly find in a navigation menu. Navigation menus are frequently found in a website’s header, sidebar, or footer. 

A navigation menu’s main objective is to give consumers an easy-to-use method of locating and accessing the material they need. This enhances the user experience and makes it easier for users to navigate the website. 

How to create your first custom navigation menu

Creating a custom navigation menu in WordPress is a simple process that allows you to improve the user experience of your website by organizing your content and making it easily accessible. Follow these steps to create your first custom navigation menu:

Step 1: Access your WordPress dashboard 

Log in to your WordPress admin area by navigating to yourwebsite.com/wp-admin and entering your credentials.

Step 2: Navigate to the Menus section 

In your WordPress Dashboard, go to Appearance > Menus.

Step 3: Create a new menu 

Click on the Create a new menu link at the top of the page. Give your menu a name, such as “Main Menu” or “Header Menu,” and click the Create Menu button.

Step 4: Add items to your menu 

On the left side of the Menus page, you will see sections for ‘Pages,’ ‘Posts,’ ‘Custom Links,’ and ‘Categories.’ Expand the section you want to add items to by clicking on the arrow next to the title. Select the items you want to add to your menu by checking the boxes next to their names and then click the Add to Menu button.

Step 5: Organize your menu items 

Once you’ve added items to your menu, you can arrange them by dragging and dropping them into the desired order. You can also create sub-items by dragging an item slightly to the right under another item, which will create a dropdown menu.

Step 6: Set the display location 

In the Menu Settings section at the bottom of the page, select the location where you want your custom navigation menu to appear. Common locations include ‘Primary Menu,’ ‘Header Menu,’ or ‘Footer Menu.’ This depends on your theme’s available menu locations.

Step 7: Save your menu 

Click the Save Menu button to save your custom navigation menu.

Step 8: Preview your menu 

Visit your website to see your new custom navigation menu in action. If needed, you can always go back to the Menu page and adjust the menu items or their order.

How to create drop-down menus in WordPress 

Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to create drop-down menus in WordPress:

Step 1: Log in to your WordPress admin dashboard.

Step 2: Navigate to Appearance > Menus from the left sidebar.

Step 3: If you haven’t already created a menu, click on the “create a new menu” link and enter a name for your menu. Then click the Create Menu button.

Step 4: To add items to your menu, look for the Add menu items section on the left side of the screen. You can add pages, posts, custom links, or categories to your menu by selecting the checkboxes next to the items and clicking the Add to Menu button.

Step 5: Once the items are added to your menu, you can arrange them by dragging and dropping them into the desired order.

Step 6: To create a drop-down menu, simply drag a menu item slightly to the right, underneath the parent item. The indented item will now become a sub-item of the parent item, creating a drop-down menu.

Step 7: You can create multiple levels of drop-down menus by repeating this process, dragging items further to the right as needed.

Step 8: After arranging your menu items and creating the drop-down menus, make sure to select the desired display location for the menu (such as the primary menu or a footer menu) in the Menu Settings section.

Step 9: Click the Save Menu button to save your changes.

Step 10: Visit your website to see the newly created drop-down menus in action.

Note: Keep in mind that the appearance of the drop-down menus may vary depending on your theme’s styling. Some themes may also support additional menu features, such as adding icons or images to menu items.

How to add categories to WordPress menus

Step 1: Create a category 

Before adding a category to your menu, you need to create one. Go to your WordPress dashboard, navigate to Posts > Categories, and create a new category by filling in the required information, such as name, slug, and description. Click Add New Category to save it.

Step 2: Go to the Menus screen 

From your WordPress dashboard, hover over Appearance and click on Menus to access the Menus screen.

Step 3 Select a menu to edit 

If you have multiple menus, choose the one you want to edit by selecting it from the Select a menu to edit dropdown and click Select.

Step 4: Add the category to the menu 

On the left-hand side of the Menus screen, you’ll see a box titled Categories. Click on the arrow to expand it. Here, you’ll see a list of all your categories. Check the box next to the category you want to add to the menu and click the Add to Menu button. The category will now appear in the menu structure on the right-hand side.

Step 5: Arrange the category in the menu 

You can change the position of the category within the menu by clicking and dragging it to the desired location. You can also make it a submenu item by dragging it slightly to the right under another menu item.

Step 6: Save the changes 

Once you’re satisfied with the arrangement of the category in the menu, click the Save Menu button to save your changes.

How to add custom links to your WordPress navigation menus

Adding custom links to your WordPress navigation menus allows you to create menu items directing users to external sites or specific pages within your website. Follow these steps to add custom links to your WordPress navigation menus:

Step 1: Log in to your WordPress dashboard 

Access your WordPress admin area by logging in with your credentials.

Step 2: Navigate to the Menus section 

From the left-hand sidebar, hover over Appearance and click on Menus. This will take you to the menu editing section.

Step 3: Select the menu you want to edit 

If you have multiple menus, choose the one you want to add the custom link to by selecting it from the Select a menu to edit dropdown menu. Click Select to load the menu for editing.

Step 4: Add a custom link 

On the left side of the Menus page, locate the Add menu items section. Click on Custom Links. Here, you’ll see two input fields – ‘URL’ and ‘Link Text.’

Step 5: Enter the URL and Link Text 

In the ‘URL’ field, input the full web address (including https://) of the external site or the specific page on your website you want to link to. In the ‘Link Text’ field, enter the text you want to display as the menu item.

Step 6: Add the custom link to the menu 

Click on the Add to Menu button to insert the custom link into your navigation menu. You will now see the custom link in the Menu Structure section on the right side of the page.

Step 7: Arrange the menu items 

If necessary, rearrange the menu items by clicking and dragging the custom link to the desired position within the menu structure.

Step 8: Save your changes 

Once you’re satisfied with the placement of the custom link, click the Save Menu button to save your changes and update the menu.

How to edit or remove a menu item in WordPress navigation menus

Editing or removing menu items in WordPress navigation menus is a straightforward process. Follow these steps to modify your WordPress navigation menu:

Step 1: Log in to your WordPress dashboard 

Access your WordPress admin area by entering your login credentials.

Step 2: Go to Appearance > Menus 

In the left sidebar of the dashboard, hover over Appearance and click on Menus. This will take you to the Menus page, where you can manage your site’s navigation menus.

Step 3: Select the menu to edit 

If you have multiple menus, choose the one you want to edit from the ‘Select a menu to edit’ dropdown and click the Select button.

Step 4: Locate the menu item 

On the Menus page, you’ll see a list of menu items under the selected menu. Locate the menu item you want to edit or remove.

Step 5: Edit the menu item 

To edit a menu item, click on the downward arrow located on the right side of the menu item’s title. This will expand the menu item’s options. Here, you can edit the ‘Navigation Label’, which is the text displayed in the menu, and the ‘Title Attribute’, which is the tooltip text that appears when a user hovers over the menu item. After making the desired changes, click the Save Menu button to save your changes.

Step 6: Remove the menu item

If you want to remove a menu item, click on the downward arrow located on the right side of the menu item’s title to expand its options. Then, click on the Remove link at the bottom left of the menu item’s options. The menu item will be immediately removed from the menu. Click the Save Menu button to save your changes.

How to add navigational menus in Full Site Editor (FSE)

The Full Site Editor (FSE) is a recent feature introduced in WordPress as part of the Gutenberg project. It allows users to create and edit their entire website, including headers, footers, and sidebars, using block-based editing. Follow the steps below to add navigation menus in the Full Site Editor (FSE).

Step 1: Access the Full Site Editor 

To begin, navigate to your WordPress dashboard and click on Appearance > Editor (beta) to open the Full Site Editor.

Step 2: Choose the right template 

In the FSE, you’ll work with templates and template parts to build your website. To add a navigational menu, first, select the appropriate template or template part where you want to insert the menu. This can be the ‘header’ or any other template part that suits your design.

Step 3: Add the Navigation block 

Once you have the desired template or template part selected, click on the + button to add a new block. In the block library, search for the Navigation block and click on it to insert it into your template.

Step 4: Create or select a menu 

After adding the Navigation block, you have two options:

• Create a new menu: Click on Create a new menu and give your menu a name. Then, click on Create Menu to start adding items.
• Select an existing menu: If you already have a menu created in your WordPress dashboard, click on Select Menu and choose the desired menu from the dropdown list.

Step 5: Add menu items 

To add items to your menu, click on the + button inside the Navigation block. You can add various types of items such as Pages, Posts, Categories, and Custom Links. Simply search for the desired block (e.g., ‘Page Link’) and click on it to add it to your menu.

Step 6: Customize menu items 

You can customize each menu item by clicking on it and adjusting its settings in the block settings panel. Here, you can change the label, add a description, or even set the link to open in a new tab.

Step 7: Arrange menu items 

To change the order of menu items, click on the item you want to move and use the arrows in the block toolbar to rearrange its position.

Step 8: Style and design your menu 

With the Full Site Editor, you can easily style and design your navigational menu using the block settings panel. Adjust the font size, colors, background, and spacing to make the menu fit your website’s overall design.

Step 9: Save your changes 

Once you have finished adding and customizing your navigational menu, click on the Save button in the top-right corner of the Full Site Editor. This will save your changes and update the template or template part where you added the menu.

Adding WordPress menus in sidebars and footers

Adding WordPress menus in sidebars and footers can improve your website’s navigation and user experience. By placing custom menus in these areas, you can make it easier for visitors to find important pages and navigate your site more efficiently. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to add WordPress menus in sidebars and footers:

Step 1: Create a custom menu

Before you can add a menu to the sidebar or footer, you need to create a custom menu in WordPress. To do this, go to your WordPress dashboard and navigate to Appearance > Menus. Click the ‘Create a new menu’ link, give your menu a name, and click the Create Menu button.

Step 2: Add items to the menu

Once your custom menu has been created, you can add items to it. On the left side of the Menus page, you will see a list of items you can add, such as pages, posts, custom links, and categories. Select the items you want to add to your menu and click the Add to Menu button. You can then drag and drop the items to rearrange their order as needed.

Step 3: Save the menu

After adding and arranging the items in your custom menu, click the Save Menu button to save your changes.

Step 4: Add the menu to the sidebar or footer

Now that you have created a custom menu, you can add it to your website’s sidebar or footer. To do this, go to Appearance > Widgets in your WordPress dashboard. Look for the Navigation Menu widget in the list of available widgets.

Step 5: Add the Navigation Menu widget to your desired area

Drag and drop the Navigation Menu widget into the sidebar or footer widget area where you want the menu to appear. Once the widget is in place, you can give it a title (optional) and select the custom menu you created earlier from the drop-down list.

Step 6: Save the widget settings

Click the Save button to save your widget settings, and your custom menu will now appear in the chosen sidebar or footer area on your website.

Streamline your website now!

By following the beginner’s guide above, you can easily set up a customized and visually appealing navigation menu that meets your audience’s needs. As you get more comfortable with WordPress, you’ll find many additional features and plugins that can further improve your site’s navigation and overall user experience. With your new navigation menu in place, you’ll be able to better engage visitors, highlight your content effectively, and create a positive experience for everyone who stops by your site.

FAQs About WordPress menus