The Anatomy of a WordPress Menu
Posted: Thu Feb 20, 2025 9:27 am
The Different Types of WordPress Menu Structures
As you may already know, depending on the needs of your application, you can opt for different WordPress menu structures.
Header menus, for example, are the most common because they take care of the main navigation of the site . You'll often see smaller menus above the main navigation as well, as this is a great place for social media icons, search bars, etc.
Kinsta partner SAU/CAL’s website has a fly-in menu that includes navigation and social links:
A flying screen that displays two menus.
A fly-in screen displaying two menus.
This menu shows that there are more use cases for a WordPress menu than just site navigation. Using WordPress’ built-in functionality (more on that later), you can create a menu for almost anything you need.
Just as popular as header navigation is the footer. This area albania phone number data is often used to repeat the main navigation for users who scroll down. It's also a great place to offer more context-based links to your products and services:
The Kinsta Footer Menu.
The Kinsta Footer Menu.
You'll also see menus inside a sidebar if the site uses one:
An example of sidebar navigation.
An example of sidebar navigation.
While you won't see the main navigation here in many cases, it is a traditional place for social links , blog post archives, and more.
How to Create a Custom Menu in WordPress (3 Methods)
Creating a menu in WordPress is a straightforward process, regardless of your level of experience. There are three main ways to get the job done: using WordPress’ built-in functionality, installing a suitable plugin, or getting your hands dirty with code.
Below, we’ll show you how to create a WordPress menu using all three approaches.
1. Use WordPress' built-in functionality to create your menu
WordPress has built-in tools to help you create a menu. A dedicated screen within the WordPress admin will be familiar to all but the newest users.
As you may already know, depending on the needs of your application, you can opt for different WordPress menu structures.
Header menus, for example, are the most common because they take care of the main navigation of the site . You'll often see smaller menus above the main navigation as well, as this is a great place for social media icons, search bars, etc.
Kinsta partner SAU/CAL’s website has a fly-in menu that includes navigation and social links:
A flying screen that displays two menus.
A fly-in screen displaying two menus.
This menu shows that there are more use cases for a WordPress menu than just site navigation. Using WordPress’ built-in functionality (more on that later), you can create a menu for almost anything you need.
Just as popular as header navigation is the footer. This area albania phone number data is often used to repeat the main navigation for users who scroll down. It's also a great place to offer more context-based links to your products and services:
The Kinsta Footer Menu.
The Kinsta Footer Menu.
You'll also see menus inside a sidebar if the site uses one:
An example of sidebar navigation.
An example of sidebar navigation.
While you won't see the main navigation here in many cases, it is a traditional place for social links , blog post archives, and more.
How to Create a Custom Menu in WordPress (3 Methods)
Creating a menu in WordPress is a straightforward process, regardless of your level of experience. There are three main ways to get the job done: using WordPress’ built-in functionality, installing a suitable plugin, or getting your hands dirty with code.
Below, we’ll show you how to create a WordPress menu using all three approaches.
1. Use WordPress' built-in functionality to create your menu
WordPress has built-in tools to help you create a menu. A dedicated screen within the WordPress admin will be familiar to all but the newest users.