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How to Create a Menu in WordPress

  • Thread starter JGaulard
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JGaulard

JGaulard

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Menus can be kind of difficult to understand when you're new to WordPress. They really shouldn't be though because they're actually very straightforward. For each WordPress theme that's created, locations for menus will be added. So if you're working with a theme from StudioPress, SoloStream, Elegant Themes, or any other developer, have no fear. The places where you'll attach your menu to are already there waiting for you. All you need to do is create the menu and make a few clicks with your mouse.

To create a menu, there are a few different areas of the WordPress admin you can navigate to. For now, we'll go to the Appearance > Menus area. I think everything contained on this page will eventually (or already has been) be migrated to the Customizer, but for my purposes today, we'll use the larger desktop few. If you visit the Appearance > Customize > Menus area, you'll find almost everything matches up with the aforementioned view. Really, the choice is your as far as where you make your menus goes.

Actually - you know what? Let's use the Customizer for this tutorial. It's what the future holds, so that's what we'll focus on. So go ahead and navigate to the Customizer and then click the Menus option. Then, once inside, click the Create New Menu button.

wordpress-menus-create-new-menu.gif

Next, name your menu and check the box that describes where you'd like your menu to go. You may choose multiple locations for one menu as an aid to visualize your menu locations if you aren't familiar with your theme. You can always come back in here to uncheck the location boxes later on.

wordpress-customizer-menu-name.gif

When finished, click the Next button.

At this point, you can add some pages or custom links to the menu. If you've already created pages in your WordPress install, they'll be listed when you click the Add Items button. If you'd like to add some custom links, you can click the same button and do so.

wordpress-customizer-menu-add-items.gif

As you can see, there are many options for adding pages, categories, tags, and custom links.

wordpress-customizer-menu-items.gif

By clicking the + symbol to the left of the pages, you'll add those pages to the menu you're creating. Let's see what it looks like after I add a few pages.

wordpress-customizer-menu-pages-added.gif

By clicking and dragging those added pages (or links - whatever) with the red x to the right of them, I can reorder them and nest them under one another for use in sub-menus. Your theme likely has a sub-menu feature built in.

When finished adding pages or whatever you'd like to add to your menu, all you need to do is click the Publish button up top. After that, your new menu should appear in the designated locations on your website. Again, you'll most likely only what the menu to appear in one or two areas. If you added it to more, simply navigate back to the Customizer and make your edits.

And that's it! If you have any questions about this process, please ask down below.
 
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