How Do I Create a Main & Footer Navigation?

Navigate to our DX Training Video guide for further visual guidance.

Every author can edit their page title and decide where it should live. In addition, admins with greater menu access should review this page structure, to ensure that the site header and footer navigation follows the platform guidelines. 

Note: refer to the instructions on Guidelines for Structuring Navigation for further guidance

Why Navigation Matters

Your main, or primary, navigation should be focused on what your agency offers your audience. While information about your agency – your staff and team, mission, and history –  has its value, it’s not what most people are coming to your site to learn. 

Instead, use footer or secondary navigation for information such as resources, about us, and contact. 

Consider dividing your main navigation – 5 or 6 navigation items – this way:

  • Services - often can be spread across your main navigation
  • Audience - information for specific audiences who use your website
  • Foundational content - the most important, high trafficked pages based on analytics
  • Data - a place to download or access metrics, data, etc. in your agency industry

Your more internal or agency-specific links can be added to your footer, such as:

  • About us
  • Additional resources
  • Contact us
  • Forms 
  • Careers or jobs
1

How to Add Main & Footer Navigation

  • Click on Structure > Menus > 
  • From there you can click either "Footer" or "Main Navigation" and then click the "Add link" button to add to your desired navigation
how to add main and footer navigation
2

How to Edit & Delete Navigations

  • You can find the list of your current navigation links where you can add or delete main and footer navigation links
where to find navigation list
  • Clicking on the list of links and then the edit button will allow you to edit and delete links
add & delete navigation

Example: Footer navigation (no sections added)

footer navigation with no section
3

Add Main Navigation within Content Page

You can also add to your "Main Navigation" when you are creating your content page to help save you on extra steps. 

  • Click "Menu Settings" within the content page you are working on located on the right side. 

  • Add your "Menu link title" 

  • Within the parent link you will see the "Main Navigation" option where you can select which navigation section you would like for your link to appear. 

adding to main navigation within content page

If you don't follow the main navigation recommendations, the main navigation will condense into a hamburger menu. These are less accessible than a visible main navigation. To avoid hiding link copy and requiring an additional click, we recommend simplifying where possible, as well as reducing link counts and character counts per link.

Example: Main navigation, built correctly to guidelines

example of correct navigation showing

Example: Main navigation, built with too many links and condensed to hamburger navigation

example of incorrect navigation showing