Dropdown Menu

Introduction

The Dropdown Menu editor, conveniently located within your Site Manager under Design > Navigation Menu, provides a user-friendly interface for creating, organizing, and managing your website's primary navigation. This crucial tool allows you to structure your site's content logically, ensuring visitors can easily find the information they need. This guide has walked you through the various functionalities of the Dropdown Menu editor.

Creating Menu Items:

To add new items to your navigation menu, follow these simple steps:

1. Click on the "Add Menu Item" button. A new row will appear for you to configure.

2. In the "Label" field, enter the text you want to display for this menu item in your website's navigation bar.

   In the "Links To" dropdown menu, choose the type of link you want this menu item to point to. Your options may include:

   • System Pages: Link to pre-built pages within your eDirectory site (e.g., Home, Listings, Articles).
   • Categories: Link directly to specific categories within your listings or articles.
   • Custom Link: Link to an external website or a specific URL within your own site that isn't a system page or category. If you choose this option, the "Custom Link" field will appear and must be filled with a valid URL, including the protocol (either https:// or http:// ).
3. You will also see an "Association" column. This allows you to associate this menu item as a sub-menu item under another existing menu item. We will cover creating and associating sub-menus in more detail later on this page.
4. After you have edited the label and chosen the link for your new menu item, remember to click the "Save Changes" button located at the bottom of the page to apply your modifications to the navigation menu.

Removing Menu Items:

To delete an existing item from your navigation menu:

1. Locate the menu item you wish to remove.
2. On the right side of that menu item's row, click on the trash can icon.
3. A confirmation dialog box will appear. Click "OK" to confirm the removal of the item.
4. Finally, click "Save Changes" to update your website's navigation.

Changing the Order of Menu Items:

To rearrange the order of items in your navigation menu:

1. Identify the menu item you want to move.
2. Click and hold down your mouse button on the three horizontal bars icon located to the left of the menu item's label.
3. While holding the mouse button, drag the menu item to your desired position within the menu list.
4. Release the mouse button to drop the item into its new location.
5. Click "Save Changes" to reflect the new order on your website.

Creating Menus with Sub-Menus and Associating Menu Items:

To create a dropdown menu structure with sub-menus:

1. Click on the "Add menu item" button to create a new top-level menu item.
2. In the "Links To" column for this new item, choose "Menu with sub menus". This will designate this item as a parent menu that will trigger a dropdown when hovered over.
3. Now, to associate other menu items as sub-items under this parent menu, locate the "Association" column for those individual menu items.
4. In the "Association" dropdown for each item you want as a sub-menu, select the label of the parent "Menu with sub menus" item you created in steps 1 and 2.
5. The navigation menu editor will visually represent this association, typically by indenting the sub-menu items under their parent.
6. Remember to click "Save Changes" after making all your sub-menu associations.

Front-End Example:

Here's a visual representation of how a dropdown menu with sub-menus might appear to your website visitors:

Important Note: Always remember to click the "Save Changes" button after making any modifications to your navigation menu. Failure to save will result in your changes not being applied to your website.

Conclusion

The Dropdown Menu editor offers a straightforward yet powerful way to structure and manage your website's primary navigation. By utilizing the features outlined in this guide, you can create a clear, intuitive, and user-friendly menu system that allows your visitors to easily access all the important content on your eDirectory website. Mastering the creation of menu items, managing their order, and implementing sub-menus will significantly enhance your site's usability and overall user experience. If you have any questions or require further assistance with the Dropdown Menu editor, please do not hesitate to contact our support team at support@edirectory.com.