The Tool Desk
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Choose the right WordPress menu editor for your theme
The editing path depends on your active theme. In WordPress 6.0 and later, block-theme navigation is managed with the Navigation block. The classic Appearance > Menus screen may still be available with classic or hybrid themes, or when a plugin enables it. WordPress explains the classic screen and its theme-location requirements in its Appearance Menus Screen documentation.
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For a block theme: use the Site Editor
Open Appearance > Editor, then go to the Navigation area to manage saved menus. WordPress’s Site Editor navigation guide describes this area. Creating or editing a menu does not, by itself, put it on the public site: a Navigation block must be placed in the relevant template part, such as the header, and set to use that menu. Save the changes and preview the site.
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For a classic or hybrid theme: check Appearance > Menus
If the screen is available, open Appearance > Menus, choose or create a menu, and assign it to a theme-supported location. The theme determines which locations are available and how they appear. If you cannot find the screen, check the theme type rather than assuming WordPress has lost your menu.
How to edit a WordPress menu
- Open the editor that fits the theme. Use the Site Editor and Navigation block for a block theme, or Appearance > Menus when that screen is available.
- Review the existing links. Keep the destinations that help visitors find key areas, and remove or regroup links that make the navigation hard to scan. WordPress’s classic-menu guidance recommends keeping menus simple to avoid confusing visitors.
- Add pages or custom links. In a Navigation block, use its add-page control or add a Custom Link block. You can change a link’s displayed label while keeping its destination. In the classic screen, select the pages or links to add.
- Arrange items in a meaningful order. Use Move up or Move down, or drag items in List View in the Navigation block. In the classic screen, drag menu items into position.
- Create a submenu only when it clarifies the hierarchy. Nest an item under its parent. In the classic screen, drag the child slightly to the right beneath its parent. In the Navigation block, use the item’s nesting or movement controls.
- Confirm placement. Assign a theme location in the classic editor. In a block theme, select the saved menu in a Navigation block placed in the intended template part, such as the header.
- Save and preview. Check that the published result matches the editor and that the links lead to the intended pages.
For detailed controls, see WordPress’s Navigation block documentation and classic menu documentation.
Understand automatic page lists before customizing
A new Navigation block menu can begin as a Page List that automatically displays published pages and includes newly published pages. If you select Edit, WordPress converts the list into individual Page Link blocks so you can manage entries separately. After that conversion, newly published pages are no longer added automatically. Choose the Page List when automatic inclusion matters; convert it when you need direct control over labels, order, or which pages appear.
Set submenu and mobile behavior
The Navigation block provides controls for submenu interaction and the responsive menu overlay. These settings are options to configure, not a guarantee that every theme or custom front-end implementation behaves the same way.
| Setting | Available choice | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Submenu interaction | Open on hover or click | Make sure the interaction works for visitors using a pointer and a keyboard. |
| Submenu arrow | Show or hide the arrow | Use a clear visual cue if visitors might not otherwise recognize that an item has a submenu. |
| Menu overlay | Off, mobile-only, or always displayed | Preview the chosen layout at narrow and wide widths; the theme’s implementation affects the live result. |
| Overlay template | Can be customized | Check its controls, focus behavior, and links after saving. |
Classic menus can also have multiple levels, but their locations and presentation depend on the theme. For example, the Twenty Twenty-One theme documentation describes a responsive horizontal primary menu with dropdowns and a footer menu supporting one level; that example should not be treated as a rule for other themes.
Make the menu usable on phones and at different zoom levels
Use the editor’s View feature to preview desktop, tablet, mobile, or a resizable canvas. WordPress explains the controls in How to use the View feature. Preview the actual saved page as well: a layout that looks correct in an editor can behave differently in the theme’s front end.
- Check that labels fit without awkward wrapping and that the menu does not overlap page content.
- Make submenu and overlay controls easy to find and activate on a touch screen.
- Enlarge text or zoom the page and confirm the menu remains readable and usable.
- Use more than color to distinguish a current, selected, or hovered link.
- Keep menu behavior and placement consistent across pages.
These checks reflect W3C WAI’s recommendations in its Menu Styling guidance.
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Check keyboard access and navigation quality
W3C WAI notes that “Menus are used for navigation and to provide functionality which are critical parts of web page operability.” A Navigation block alone does not establish that a menu is accessible: its behavior also depends on the theme and how the front end is implemented. WordPress’s theme accessibility guidance calls for menu, submenu, dialog, and popup controls to work with a keyboard across screen sizes.
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One free scan finds every outdated or missing driver and matches the right update for your exact hardware.Free scan · exact hardware match- Use Tab to reach the navigation and confirm the focused link or control is visibly indicated.
- Use the keyboard to open and close submenus and any menu overlay, then move through their links.
- Follow a link without using a mouse and confirm focus does not get lost in a hidden menu.
- Repeat the check at a narrow viewport, where overlay controls may replace the full menu.
Do not make a hierarchical menu the only way to find important content. W3C WAI recommends additional navigation mechanisms such as search or a sitemap, and skip links can help visitors bypass repeated blocks such as navigation bars. See its guidance on navigating and finding content.
Quick Recap
Troubleshoot a menu that does not appear or behave as expected
- The saved menu is missing from the site: In a block theme, confirm a Navigation block is present in the intended template part and that it has the correct saved menu selected. In a classic theme, check that the menu is assigned to a supported theme location.
- The Navigation block looks empty: Confirm the menu has been saved and selected. If the editor shows the correct content but the public page does not, check whether cached output is stale.
- New pages do not appear automatically: If the Page List was converted to individual Page Link blocks, add new pages to the menu yourself.
- A submenu or overlay works in the editor but not on the site: Test the live page at the affected screen width and with both keyboard and pointer input. Theme or custom front-end behavior can differ from editor controls.
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