Menu Setup

A clear navigation menu helps visitors find their way around your site. In this guide you will learn how to create a WordPress menu, add pages to it, and assign it to a location in the NEOVANTAGE theme. To get the best result, work through the three sections in order.

How to Create a WordPress Menu

First, create the menu itself:

1. First, log in to your WordPress Administration Panel (Dashboard).
2. Next, from the Appearance menu on the left, select Menus to open the Menu Editor.
3. Then select Create a new menu at the top of the page.
4. After that, enter a name for your menu in the Menu Name box.
5. Finally, click the Create Menu button.

Your menu is now ready, so you can start adding pages to it.

Adding Pages to Your Menu

The Screen Options let you choose which items you can add to a menu. By default, WordPress hides some items, such as Posts. You will find Screen Options in the top right corner of your Dashboard. Now, to add pages, follow these steps:

1. First, locate the pane titled Pages.
2. Within this pane, select the View All link so that WordPress shows a list of all your published pages.
3. Next, select the pages you want by checking the box next to each page title.
4. Then click the Add to Menu button at the bottom of the pane to add your selection to the menu.
5. Finally, click the Save Menu button once you have added all the items you want.

WordPress now saves your custom menu.

Assigning a Menu to a Location

Once you have created a menu and filled it with items, you can assign it to one of the theme’s predefined locations. To do so, follow these steps:

1. First, go to Appearance > Menus and click Manage Locations.
2. Next, assign each theme location a menu. You can also assign menus to multiple locations.
3. Finally, click the Save Changes button.

Tips for a Better Menu

A few habits keep your navigation clean and user-friendly. First, keep your top-level menu short, ideally five to seven items, so that visitors are not overwhelmed. Second, use submenus for related pages by dragging a menu item slightly to the right under a parent item. Finally, put your most important pages first, because those positions get the most clicks. For more detail, the official WordPress Menus documentation covers every option. If you have not set up your theme yet, start with how to install a WordPress theme, and see our WordPress information guide for more setup help.