Only people with the Content Administrator User Role can manage menus.
On this page:
Main Menu
There are 2 ways to put a page into the site’s main menu:
- If you are creating a new page, it’s easiest to edit the Menu Configurations within the Content Type Form
- The Main Navigation Menu Interface provides people with the Content Administrator User Role an overview to manage the menu:
- add new links,
- include links to an external websites, (although it is discouraged unless it is very clear that it will lead to a different website or the external site has got a link back.)
- drag and drop links into a different order,
- edit link labels and URL addresses,
- delete items and
- disable items in the menu so they no longer display but will show the proper menu trail.
Top Level Menu Items
A great deal of strategy went into determining the items and the item labels of the top-level menu navigation of your site. The responsive design of the website only allows for a certain number of characters. Before making a change to any of these top-level items, you’re encouraged to reach out to the Public Relations specialist in your department and/or the COFA Web team. At the very least, test any changes on the TEST site.
Main Navigation Menu Interface
After you’ve logged in you can access the interface from the link on the Dashboard, “Main Menu Navigation.” You will see a screen like the following. to add a new link click “Add Link.”
A form like the following will appear.
Tips:
- In the “Link” field you can begin to type the Title of the page you want and find it with auto-complete.
- There are very few use cases where you will un-check “Enabled.”
- You do not need a “Description”, unless you want the link to have a tool-tip. Or, unless your site has been enabled to allow duplicate link text to different pages.
- Do not click “Show as expanded.” On our sites, this option is set within the Menu Blocks.
Non-Linking Labels in the Navigation
It is most reliable for all device types, accessibility and usability to always have a landing page with content that orients your visitor for each section of your site and a page for every item in the menu.
However, some people still choose to create a navigation item that does not open a page. Instead it labels or reveals the sub-navigation items. We sometimes call these dummy links.
To create one enter <nolink> in the link field to display text that is not a link. If this functionality is something you are interested in, we highly recommend discussing it with the COFA Web team and conducting usability testing to ensure it works for your visitors.
Duplicate Menu Labels That Link to Different Pages
It’s a general best practice and required for accessibility to have contextually relevant links that set a clear expectation of where the link will go. Clickable text on your page, including the labels in the menu, should be unique and relevant to the context and clearly identify the target of the link. Learn more about the importance of unique clickable text.
If your information architecture strategy results in duplicate menu label text, please reach out to he COFA Web team at cofawebmaster@austin.utexas.edu.
We can override the default behavior of the Description field so that it will append visually hidden text to menu item label text. Once this is done you will enter additional contextual text into the “Description” field in the form above. the Description field will no longer function as a tool-tip.
Menu Configurations within the Content Type Form
It’s also possible to add a page to the menu when you’re creating or editing the page in the Content Type form.
In the right-hand column under Menu Settings, check “Provide a menu link” and fill in the fields. After the page is published it will show up in the menu.
Header and Footer Menus
Content Administrators also have access to an interface to manage the utility navigation in the header section of the site, usually located next to the search box, and in the footer of the site. The interface functionality is the same as the Main Navigation Menu. If you’re unsure what to add to these menus, see this Nielsen Norman article, Utility Navigation: What it is and How to Design it or reach out to the COFA Web team.
Learn More
If you have not already, please do read our general guidelines to Navigation and Menu Items.
