How to create and manage WordPress menus

Learn how to add, remove and organise links in your WordPress navigation menu.

Open the menu editor

Log in to your WordPress dashboard and go to:

Appearance → Menus

From here, you can select an existing menu to edit or choose Create a new menu to start from scratch.

When creating a new menu, enter a clear name such as Main Navigation or Footer Menu, then click Create Menu.

Add pages and links

The options on the left-hand side of the menu editor allow you to add different types of content, including:

• Pages
• Posts
• Categories
• Custom links

Select the items you want to include and click Add to Menu.

The new items will appear in the menu structure on the right-hand side.

Change the order of menu items

Drag and drop menu items to rearrange them.

The order shown in the menu editor will usually match the order displayed on your website.

Remember to click Save Menu after making changes.

Create a dropdown menu

To create a dropdown, drag a menu item slightly to the right beneath another item.

The item above becomes the parent link, while the indented item appears beneath it as part of the dropdown.

You can add several items beneath the same parent or create additional levels when supported by your theme.

Change a menu label

You can change the wording shown in the navigation without changing the title of the page itself.

Click the arrow beside a menu item to open its settings, then edit the Navigation Label.

For example, a page titled Website Design and Development Services could appear in the menu simply as Websites.

Click Save Menu when finished.

Add a custom link

The Custom Links option can be used to link to:

• An external website
• A downloadable document
• A social media profile
• A section elsewhere on your website
• A specific section on the current page

Enter the destination URL and the text you want to display, then click Add to Menu.

Choose where the menu appears

Many WordPress themes include more than one menu location, such as:

• Main navigation
• Footer navigation
• Mobile navigation

Available locations are shown under Menu Settings.

Tick the location where you want the menu to appear, then click Save Menu.

Remove a menu item

Open the menu item using the arrow beside it, then click Remove.

This only removes the link from the navigation. It does not delete the page, post or category from your website.

Save and check your changes

After editing your menu:

1. Click Save Menu
2. Open your website in a new tab
3. Check the menu on desktop and mobile
4. Test the links and dropdowns

This helps confirm that the order, labels and menu location are working as expected.

Further help

For more detailed guidance, refer to the official WordPress Menu User Guide.

When your website was built with a custom menu structure, some options may differ slightly depending on the theme and setup.