The right way to edit a WordPress menu depends on your active theme: block themes use the Site Editor and Navigation block, while classic and hybrid themes may provide Appearance > Menus. After editing, make sure the menu is assigned to the right place, then test it at different screen widths and with a keyboard.
Choose the right WordPress menu editor for your theme
WordPress 6.0 and later manages navigation in block themes through the Navigation block. Classic or hybrid themes may still offer Appearance > Menus; that screen can also be available when a plugin enables it. If you do not see the menu screen shown in a guide, identify your active theme before troubleshooting. See WordPress’s Appearance Menus Screen documentation and its guide to Site Editor navigation.
Block theme: use the Site Editor
Open Appearance > Editor, then go to the Navigation area to manage saved menus. Creating or editing a menu does not by itself put it on the public site: a Navigation block must be present in the relevant template part, such as the header, and set to use that menu. Save the changes and preview the site.
Classic or hybrid theme: check Appearance > Menus
If your theme supports the classic menu screen, open Appearance > Menus. The theme determines which display locations are available, such as a primary or footer location. The screen and available controls can differ by theme.
How to edit and place a WordPress menu
- Open the editor your theme supports. For a block theme, use the Site Editor’s Navigation area. For a classic or hybrid theme, use Appearance > Menus if it is available.
- Review the current links. Keep destinations that help visitors reach important content, and remove or reorganize links that make the navigation confusing. WordPress recommends simplifying classic menus to avoid overwhelming visitors.
- Add destinations. In a Navigation block, use its add-page control or add a Custom Link block. You can change an item’s displayed label and link it to a page or URL.
- Arrange the hierarchy. Use Move up or Move down, or drag items in List View. To make a submenu, nest an item beneath its parent. In the classic menu screen, drag the child item slightly to the right beneath its parent.
- Assign the menu to a location. In the classic editor, choose a theme-supported Theme Location. In a block theme, select the saved menu in a Navigation block placed in the appropriate template part, such as the header.
- Save and preview. Check the result on the public-facing site, not only in the editor. WordPress’s View feature supports desktop, tablet, mobile, and a resizable preview canvas; see How to use the View feature.
Choose between an automatic page list and managed links
A first-time Navigation block menu can begin as a Page List that displays published pages and automatically includes newly published pages. Selecting Edit converts the list into individual Page Link blocks. Those links can then be customized individually, but future pages will no longer be added automatically. Choose automatic inclusion if you want new pages to appear without manual updates; convert to individual links when you need closer control over labels, order, or which pages appear. WordPress explains this behavior in its Navigation block documentation.
Make submenus and mobile navigation usable
The Navigation block provides settings for submenu interaction and menu overlays. Depending on the configuration, submenus can open on hover or click, an arrow can be shown beside submenu items, and the overlay can be off, mobile-only, or always displayed. An overlay template can also be customized. These controls do not guarantee identical behavior across themes or custom front-end implementations, so test the published menu at desktop and narrower widths.
Classic menus also support nested levels through drag-and-drop, but the locations and presentation are theme-dependent. For example, Twenty Twenty-One documents a responsive horizontal primary menu with dropdowns and a footer menu supporting one level; that is an example for that theme, not a rule for all WordPress sites.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Check accessibility and navigation quality
W3C WAI notes that “Menus are used for navigation and to provide functionality which are critical parts of web page operability.” Good menus need more than working links: visitors should be able to understand the hierarchy, recognize links and states, and operate controls with different input methods. WAI’s Menus Tutorial and Menu Styling guidance cover these considerations.
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- Use clear labels and a recognizable pattern. Keep wording concise enough to fit without awkward wrapping, and keep the menu’s location and behavior consistent across pages.
- Make states visible without relying on color alone. Links, keyboard focus, the current page, and expanded submenus should be distinguishable. Provide enough whitespace for touch and reduced dexterity.
- Test with a keyboard. Tab to the navigation, confirm focus is visible, open and close submenu or overlay controls, and follow links without a mouse. WordPress’s theme accessibility guidance calls for menu, submenu, dialog, and popup controls to work with a keyboard across screen sizes. A Navigation block alone does not establish that a particular theme’s implementation passes accessibility checks.
- Check zoom and enlarged text. Confirm labels still fit and the menu does not overlap page content when text is enlarged or the page is zoomed.
- Offer another way to find important pages. Do not make a hierarchical menu the sole route to key content. W3C WAI identifies search and a sitemap as additional navigation mechanisms, and skip links can help visitors bypass repeated blocks such as navigation bars. See Interaction: navigating and finding.
Troubleshoot a menu that looks missing or behaves differently
- The menu does not appear in a block theme: confirm it is saved, selected in a Navigation block, and that the block is placed in the intended template part. Preview the page; if the saved output still appears stale, check whether cached output is being shown.
- You cannot find Appearance > Menus: confirm whether the active theme is a block theme. Use the Site Editor’s Navigation area for block-theme navigation; the classic screen may not be available for every theme.
- A submenu or overlay works in the editor but not as expected on the site: test the published result at multiple widths and with a keyboard. Theme styling or a custom front-end implementation can affect how the available controls behave.
- New pages stopped appearing automatically: check whether the Page List was converted to individual Page Link blocks. Add new links manually if you want to keep that individually managed menu.
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