Navigation is one of the most important elements of any website. No matter how good your content is, users won’t stay long if they can’t find what they’re looking for. In WordPress, custom menus allow you to control exactly how visitors navigate your site—what links they see, how items are organized, and where menus appear.
Learning how to create custom menus in WordPress gives you full control over your site’s structure and user experience. Whether you’re building a blog, business website, portfolio, or eCommerce store, custom menus help you create a professional and intuitive navigation system.
In this complete guide, we’ll explore everything you need to know—from creating basic menus to advanced customization techniques.
What Are Custom Menus in WordPress?
Custom menus in WordPress allow you to create and manage navigation menus independently from your page hierarchy.
Instead of automatically listing pages in alphabetical order, custom menus let you:
- Choose which pages appear
- Add custom links
- Rearrange items
- Create dropdown menus
- Control menu placement
Menus can appear in multiple locations such as:
- Header
- Footer
- Sidebar
- Mobile navigation
- Secondary navigation bars
Custom menus give you flexibility and control over user navigation.
Why Custom Menus Matter for SEO and UX
Menus are more than design elements—they affect usability and search visibility.
Benefits for User Experience
- Clear site structure
- Easy navigation
- Reduced bounce rate
- Improved engagement
Benefits for SEO
- Better internal linking
- Improved crawlability
- Clear content hierarchy
- Enhanced user signals
Well-structured menus help both users and search engines understand your website.
Understanding Menu Locations
Most WordPress themes support multiple menu locations.
Common examples include:
- Primary Menu
- Secondary Menu
- Footer Menu
- Mobile Menu
Your theme determines available menu areas. You can assign different custom menus to different locations.
How to Create Custom Menus in WordPress (Step-by-Step)
Let’s walk through the process.
Step 1: Go to the Menu Settings
- Log in to your WordPress dashboard
- Navigate to Appearance → Menus
- Click Create a new menu
Step 2: Name Your Menu
Give your menu a clear name, such as:
- Main Navigation
- Footer Links
- Mobile Menu
Click Create Menu.
Step 3: Add Menu Items
You can add:
- Pages
- Posts
- Categories
- Custom Links
Simply select items and click Add to Menu.
Step 4: Arrange Menu Items
Drag and drop items to reorder them.
To create dropdown menus:
- Drag a menu item slightly to the right under another item
- This creates a submenu
Step 5: Assign Menu Location
Choose where the menu should appear by selecting a theme location.
Click Save Menu.
Your custom menu is now live.
Adding Custom Links to Menus
Custom links allow you to add:
- External URLs
- Landing pages
- Affiliate links
- Anchor links
- Social media links
Simply enter:
- URL
- Link text
Then click Add to Menu.
This is useful when linking to pages outside your WordPress installation.
Creating Dropdown (Submenu) Items
Dropdown menus help organize content efficiently.
How to Create a Dropdown Menu
- Add menu items
- Drag one item slightly under another
- Indent it to create hierarchy
Submenus improve usability when you have multiple related pages.
Managing Large Menus Effectively
Large websites often require structured navigation.
Best Practices
- Avoid overcrowding the main menu
- Group related items
- Use clear naming
- Limit dropdown levels
Too many nested items can confuse users, especially on mobile.
Customizing Menu Labels
You can change how a menu item appears without changing the actual page title.
How to Edit Menu Labels
- Click the arrow beside a menu item
- Modify the Navigation Label
- Save changes
This helps shorten long page titles for better display.
Using Categories in Menus
If you run a blog, categories can improve navigation.
Why Add Categories
- Help users browse related posts
- Improve content organization
- Boost internal linking
Categories work especially well for content-heavy websites.
Creating a Footer Menu
Footer menus typically include:
- About
- Contact
- Privacy Policy
- Terms of Service
- Disclaimer
Footer navigation supports compliance and user trust.
Creating a Mobile-Friendly Menu
Mobile navigation should be simple and easy to use.
Mobile Menu Tips
- Limit top-level items
- Avoid deep dropdowns
- Use clear labels
- Test on multiple devices
Many themes automatically convert primary menus into mobile-friendly versions.
Using the WordPress Customizer for Menus
You can also manage menus through:
Appearance → Customize → Menus
This allows real-time preview of menu changes before publishing.
It’s useful when adjusting layout or styling.
Block Themes and Navigation Blocks
If you use a block-based theme (Full Site Editing), menus work slightly differently.
How It Works
- Menus are managed via the Navigation block
- You edit them inside the Site Editor
- Changes are reflected across templates
Block themes provide more visual control over menu design.
Advanced Menu Customization
For advanced users, menus can be customized further.
Custom CSS
Modify spacing, colors, hover effects, and dropdown styling.
Icons in Menus
You can add icons using:
- CSS
- Plugins
- Theme support
Mega Menus
Large sites may use mega menus to display:
- Multiple columns
- Images
- Featured content
Mega menus are common in eCommerce sites.
Improving Menu SEO
Menus influence crawl paths.
SEO Best Practices
- Use descriptive anchor text
- Avoid generic labels like “Click Here”
- Link to important pages
- Keep structure logical
Search engines use internal links to understand site hierarchy.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Adding too many items
- Ignoring mobile layout
- Using unclear labels
- Creating too many dropdown levels
- Forgetting to assign menu location
Simple navigation often performs better.
Testing Your Custom Menu
After creating your menu:
- Test all links
- Check on mobile devices
- Verify dropdown behavior
- Confirm accessibility
Small issues can harm user experience.
When to Redesign Your Menu
You may need to update your menu if:
- Your site grows significantly
- Bounce rates increase
- Users struggle to find content
- Business goals change
Navigation should evolve with your website.
How Custom Menus Improve Website Performance
Good menus:
- Reduce confusion
- Increase page views
- Improve session duration
- Guide users toward conversions
Clear navigation directly supports business goals.
Final Thoughts
Understanding how to create custom menus in WordPress empowers you to control your site’s structure and user journey. Custom menus are not just about linking pages—they shape how visitors explore your content and how search engines interpret your site hierarchy.
By keeping menus clean, structured, and user-focused, you improve both usability and SEO performance. Whether you’re managing a small blog or a large business website, mastering WordPress menus is a fundamental skill.
Well-designed navigation turns visitors into engaged users—and engaged users into loyal customers.
Start building better navigation today by learning how to create custom menus in WordPress and improve both user experience and SEO performance.
