How to Add a Menu in WordPress (Easy)

WordPress, an open-source content management system, is notably user-friendly, providing website owners with a plethora of customization options for their websites. However, you may find yourself wondering – how can I add a menu in WordPress? With this comprehensive guide, you’ll be able to not only add a menu in WordPress but also understand how to enhance the usability of your WordPress site.

Step 1: Navigating to Your Menus

The first step to adding a menu in WordPress is navigation. You’ll need to sign in to your WordPress admin area and then:

1. Look for Appearance on your Dashboard’s side menu.
2. Click on Appearance and a drop-down list will appear.
3. Locate Menus and click on it to direct you to the Menus editor.

Now that you’re in the Menus editor, we can get to the fun part of actually creating and adding your WordPress menu.

Step 2: Creating a New Menu

In the Menus editor, you will find a Create a new menu option.

1. Click on the ‘create a new menu’ link right at the top of the page.
2. Enter the name of your new menu in the Menu Name box.
3. Click on the Create Menu button to finish making your new menu.

After your new menu has been created, it’s time to add items to it.

Step 3: Adding Items to Your Menu

By default, WordPress allows you to add posts, pages, custom links, and categories to your menu. A box labeled Add menu items will be visible on your screen.

1. Click on the type of item you would like to add under Add menu items.
2. Select the items you want to add to your menu.
3. Click on Add to Menu once you’ve chosen your desired items.

After these steps are completed successfully, the items will be added to your new WordPress menu. But your job isn’t done yet. You still have to choose where your menu will be located.

Step 4: Choosing a Location for Your Menu

Now that you have created your menu and added items to it, you will need to decide where you want your menu to be displayed on your website. This is defined by your WordPress theme. Most themes have, at least, a primary and secondary menu location.

1. Scroll down to the section labeled Menu Settings (located beneath your Menu).
2. Choose from the available Display Locations.
3. Hit the Save Menu button, to lock in your menu location.

This completes the process of adding a menu and items to it in WordPress.

What if you want to add a custom link to your WordPress menu? It’s straightforward, and we’ve got that covered too.

Step 5: Adding a Custom Link to your Menu

A custom link menu item can be used to send your visitors to external resources, or directly to a section on a page. To add a custom link:

1. Scroll down to Add menu items.
2. Click on Custom Links.
3. In the URL box, paste or type in the link you want to add to your menu.
4. In the Link Text box, enter the text that will be visibly displayed.
5. Finally, click on Add to Menu to add your custom link.

Generally, this guide includes basic steps about creating and adding a menu to your WordPress site. However, there are numerous plugins such as Max Mega Menu, WP Mobile Menu, and NavMenu Addon For Elementor that provide additional functionality or style options to your menus. This might be particularly useful to advance the usability of your site.

Following this guide, you can comfortably navigate the option of adding a menu in WordPress. Adding a menu to your WordPress site enhances the functionality, appearance, and user experience of your website. Therefore, don’t shy away from trying it out yourself.