Beginner Guide to WordPress Menus and Navigation

Editorial StaffNovember 2, 2025

524 7 minutes read

Small figures collaboratively designing WordPress menus and site navigation elements on a computer screen, representing a beginner's guide. — An illustration showing the collaborative process of building and customizing WordPress menus and website navigation.

Introduction
Prerequisites
Planning
Create
Locations
Content
Submenus
Design
Fixing
Conclusion
Resources
FAQ

Your WordPress menus are the map of your site. If they’re confusing, cluttered, or missing, visitors get lost and leave long before they ever read your content or buy your products. The good news: you don’t need to be a developer to build a clean, clickable WordPress menu.

In this beginner-friendly guide, you’ll learn exactly how to plan your navigation, create WordPress menus in the dashboard, assign them to the right theme locations, and build dropdowns and submenus. If you’re brand new to the platform, you may also want to review what WordPress is and how it works so the terminology feels familiar as you go.

We’ll focus primarily on the classic menu system used by themes like Jannah, and we’ll briefly note what’s different if you’re using a modern block theme. By the end, you’ll have a professional-looking WordPress menu that works smoothly on both desktop and mobile.

Prerequisites for Working With WordPress Menus

Before you start building WordPress menus, make sure you have the basics in place. You don’t need a finished design, but you do need a working WordPress site you can log in to.

An installed WordPress site (self-hosted or on a managed host).
Admin or Editor access to the WordPress dashboard.
At least a few published pages (like Home, About, Contact). If you still need to do this, follow the steps to set up your first WordPress website.
Your active theme (for example, Jannah) already installed and enabled.

Note: The exact menu locations and labels you see (such as “Primary Menu” or “Main Navigation”) depend on your theme, but the core menu workflow in WordPress is the same.

Step 1: Plan Your WordPress Menus and Navigation

It’s tempting to jump straight into clicking around the Menus screen, but a few minutes of planning will save you a lot of rework. Think of your navigation as the shortest path to what visitors care about most.

List your most important pages: Home, About, Services, Blog, Shop, Contact, etc.
Group related items: for example, “Services” with sub-pages for each service, or “Resources” with sub-pages like “Blog” and “Guides”.
Decide what belongs in the main menu versus the footer or secondary menu.

For a beginner-friendly site, try to keep your main menu to 5–7 top-level items. Everything else can go into dropdowns or your footer so visitors aren’t overwhelmed with choices.

Pro Tip: Write short, clear labels for each menu item (for example, “Contact” instead of “Get In Touch With Our Team Today”). This keeps your WordPress menus tidy, especially on mobile.

Step 2: Create Your First WordPress Menu

Now you’re ready to build the menu structure inside WordPress. These steps apply to classic themes and are perfect if you’re using Jannah or most popular non-block themes.

Log in to your WordPress dashboard.
Go to Appearance → Menus.
In the “Menu Name” field, enter a name like Main Menu or Primary Navigation.
Click Create Menu.

You now have an empty WordPress menu ready for items. Think of it as a container that will later be assigned to a “location” in your theme (like the top header).

WordPress menus admin screen demonstrating how to edit the 'main menu' for site navigation, showing pages to add and primary menu assignment. — The WordPress Menus screen allows you to manage your site’s navigation, including creating and editing the primary menu.

Note: If you don’t see Appearance → Menus and instead see Appearance → Editor, you’re likely using a block theme. In that case, you’ll manage navigation from the SEO and UX, and where you will see it in daily work.”>Site Editor’s Navigation block rather than the classic Menus screen.

WordPress Menus in Block Themes

For block themes (like the default Twenty Twenty-Three and later), open Appearance → Editor, click the site header area, select the Navigation block, and edit menu items directly within the block. The overall principles in this guide still apply: plan top-level items, add pages, and arrange submenus—but the interface looks more like a visual editor than the classic Menus page.

Step 3: Assign WordPress Menus to Theme Locations

Creating a WordPress menu isn’t enough; WordPress also needs to know where to display it. Themes define different “locations” such as Primary, Secondary, and Footer.

On the Appearance → Menus screen, scroll to the Menu Settings section at the bottom.
Look for options like Primary Menu, Main Navigation, or Footer Menu.
Check the box next to the location where this menu should appear (for example, Primary).
Click Save Menu.

In many themes, including Jannah, the “Primary” or “Main Navigation” location controls the main menu at the top of your site. After saving, visit your homepage to confirm the menu appears in the header.

Warning: If you create multiple menus but don’t assign them to any location, they won’t show on the front end at all. Always double-check the location settings when a WordPress menu seems to be “missing”.

Step 4: Add Pages, Posts, and Links to Your WordPress Menu

With your menu created and assigned, you can now add items to it. On the left side of the Menus screen, you’ll see panels for Pages, Posts, Custom Links, Categories, and more.

In the Pages panel, click View All to see all your pages.
Check the boxes for the pages you want in the menu (for example, Home, About, Contact).
Click Add to Menu. The items will appear in the Menu Structure area on the right.
To add an external link (like a shop on another domain), open the Custom Links panel, enter the URL and Link Text, then click Add to Menu.

Drag and drop items in the Menu Structure to change their order. Items higher in the list appear further left in a horizontal menu or higher up in a vertical menu.

Extra Item Types in WordPress Menus

Categories: Useful if you want a menu item like “Blog” to show the latest posts from a specific category.
Posts: Helpful for highlighting a specific important article or sales page.
Custom Links: Great for external resources, downloads, or tools.

Pro Tip: Use the Screen Options tab at the top-right of the Menus screen to enable advanced options like Link Relationship and CSS Classes if you need custom styling or behavior.

Step 5: Create Dropdown WordPress Menus and Submenus

Dropdown menus (also called submenus) let you organize related content under one top-level item. This keeps your main navigation lean while still giving visitors quick access to deeper pages.

In the Menu Structure, drag a menu item slightly to the right under another item.
When the item appears indented, release it—WordPress labels it as a sub item.
Repeat for additional submenu items under the same parent.
Click Save Menu and refresh your site to confirm the dropdown appears when you hover or tap.

A common pattern is “Services” as the parent item, with each service page as a submenu. Keep your dropdowns shallow—one level deep is usually enough for usability.

Warning: Avoid deeply nested menus (submenus inside submenus). They’re difficult to use on mobile, can hide important content, and may not be fully supported by all themes.

Step 6: Improve WordPress Menu Design and Usability

Once your structure is in place, spend a few minutes improving how the WordPress menu looks and behaves. Small adjustments can dramatically improve usability and click-through rates.

Check Your WordPress Menu Appearance in Your Theme

Go to Appearance → Customize.
Open the section related to your header or menus (in Jannah, look for Header/Nav settings).
Adjust options like alignment, logo placement, and whether the menu is sticky (stays at the top when you scroll).

Test WordPress Menus on Mobile Devices

Open your site on a phone or use your browser’s responsive preview tools.
Tap the mobile menu icon (hamburger) and ensure all items and dropdowns are accessible.
Check that labels don’t wrap in awkward ways or overlap other header elements.

For more in-depth style adjustments (fonts, spacing, colors, hover effects) specific to your header and navigation, see this guide on how to edit the WordPress navigation bar.

Pro Tip: Use consistent capitalization (for example, “Title Case”) and avoid ALL CAPS for long menu labels—it’s harder to read, especially on smaller screens.

Troubleshooting Common WordPress Menu Problems

Even simple WordPress menus can misbehave if a setting is off or a plugin interferes. Here are quick fixes for the issues beginners hit most often.

WordPress Menu Doesn’t Show on the Site

Check that your menu is assigned to a location under Menu Settings (Step 3).
Make sure your theme actually supports a menu in the area you’re looking at (some headers use custom widgets or builders).
If you’re using a block theme, confirm that the correct Navigation block is placed in your header template.

Wrong WordPress Menu Appears After Theme Change

When you switch themes, menu locations change. Revisit Appearance → Menus and reassign your desired menu to the new theme’s primary location.
If the old menu is missing, click the “Manage Locations” tab (if available) to map menus to the new locations.

Dropdown WordPress Menus Don’t Work on Mobile

Temporarily disable caching or performance plugins to rule out JavaScript conflicts.
Check that touch/click behavior for dropdowns is enabled in your theme’s header settings.
Update your theme and key plugins to the latest versions to benefit from bug fixes.

Note: If WordPress menu issues appear only when you’re logged out, your caching or CDN configuration may be serving an outdated version of the header. Clear caches and test again in a private browser window.

Bring Your WordPress Menus and Navigation Together

A clear, well-structured WordPress menu is one of the highest-impact improvements you can make to a site—especially as a beginner. You’ve now planned your navigation, created a main menu, assigned it to the right location, organized dropdowns, and refined its design for desktop and mobile.

As you add new pages and content, revisit your WordPress menus regularly to keep them focused on what visitors need most. Over time, your navigation becomes a powerful guide that quietly directs users to the right information, boosts engagement, and supports your business goals.

Frequently Asked Questions About WordPress Menus

Why doesn’t my WordPress menu show on the site at all?

The most common reason is that your menu isn’t assigned to a theme location. Go to Appearance → Menus, select your menu, and ensure a location like Primary or Main Navigation is checked under Menu Settings. Then click Save Menu and refresh your site. If you’ve just changed themes, you may need to reassign your WordPress menus to the new theme’s locations.

Why don’t my dropdown WordPress menus work properly on mobile?

If your dropdowns don’t open on tap, first update your theme and any header/navigation-related plugins. Next, temporarily disable caching or optimization plugins that might minify or defer JavaScript. Finally, review your theme’s mobile menu settings—many themes let you choose whether a parent item both opens a dropdown and links to a page or only opens the dropdown.

How many items should I include in my main WordPress menu?

For most sites, 5–7 top-level menu items is ideal. This keeps your navigation easy to scan and prevents wrapping on smaller screens. Use dropdowns to group related pages under a single parent (like “Services” or “Resources”) and move lower-priority links (privacy policy, terms, etc.) to the footer menu instead of the main header.

Is it safe to let other users edit my WordPress menus?

Only give menu-editing permissions to trusted users with appropriate roles (Editor or Administrator). WordPress menus control which content is highlighted and can link anywhere, including off-site URLs. Regularly review user roles, use strong passwords and two-factor authentication where possible, and remove unused accounts to reduce the risk of malicious or accidental changes.

How long does it take to set up a basic WordPress menu?

If your key pages are already created, you can build a simple primary WordPress menu in 10–20 minutes: plan your top-level items, create the menu, assign it to the primary location, add pages and a few dropdowns, and test on mobile. Expect to spend a little more time initially if you’re also learning your theme’s header options or reorganizing older content.

Beginner Guide to WordPress Menus and Navigation

Prerequisites for Working With WordPress Menus

Step 1: Plan Your WordPress Menus and Navigation