Navigation and access to content in your Web site is provided through menus.

'Menus' in Joomla are groups of links to sections, categories, content items, components or external pages. These links are called 'Menu Items'. Each menu must have an identification name which is only used internally by Joomla. A menu only becomes visible on a site if it has a published mod_mainmenu module which references it.

A menu in Joomla is defined by 4 kinds of parameters.

2 parameters are accessed through the Menu Manager only :

• The Menu Name (this is the identification name used by Joomla to identify this menu within the code. It must be unique. It is recommended to use no space within this name as this name does not show on the site.)
• The Menu Items associated to a particular menu.  These are the links to various types of content in your site

1 parameter may be created through the Menu Manager and may be changed in the 'Modules Manager [site]': Modules -> Site Modules:

• The Module Title (title of the mod_mainmenu Menu Module as it will appear on the page if you choose to show it). Each menu created in Joomla is only visible via a module (a module in Joomla is a container that can be displayed anywhere your site's template allows it to be displayed),

1 series of parameters concern the Menu Module itself:

• They are accessed through the 'Modules Manager [site]': Modules -> Site Modules. The parameters that can be edited in the module are Title, Position of the menu on the page, Access, Publishing, Menu Name (which menu as defined in the Menu Manager is associated to this module), Style, which page(s) you wish the menu to show on, etc.

Note:  If multiple copies of a Menu Module associated to the same Menu exist and all are deleted, it will not delete the Menu as defined in the Menu Manager (including its Menu Items).

To learn more about the Main Menu and other menus, click this Help Screen link.

  Module: Main Menu and other Menus

This means you may have a Menu associated to different Menu Modules displaying the same Menu Items.

Menu Manager:

Go to Menu-> Menu Manager.
There is a list of existing Menus already defined on your site.

  Menu Manager


Add / Edit Menu Items:

You may add or edit Menu Items for each of the menus showing on the Menu Manager list page. From the Menu Manager window, click the icon under the heading Menu Items for the Menu you want to edit, or alternatively go to Menu->the-menu-you-choose-to-edit (all Menus have a direct link to this function in the drop-down under Menus.)  A Menu Manager [the-menu-you-choose-to-edit] window will display, with a list of all Menu Items associated to this Menu.
 
Each Menu Item operates independently from other Menu Items, so changing the parameters of one item in no way affects the display or parameters of other Menu Items.


Adding a Menu Item:

1. Click on the New icon in the toolbar. It opens a New Menu Item window with a list of the Menu Item Types and a description of each of them through a mouseover of the Information icon.

  Menus: New Menu Item


2. Once the choice has been made and the 'Next' icon has been clicked, a new window opens with the name Add Menu Item :: The-type-of-link-chosen.

This window is divided into 2 main parts : Details and Parameters. These vary in function of the type of Menu Item chosen. Some Details parameters can also be edited through the list in the Menu Manager as described before under Headings. Some parameters may show only after clicking the Apply icon (or Save icon, but this would not be convenient as you would have to edit again the Menu Item Link from the Menu Manager).

  Menus: Edit Menu Item


Here is a list of available Menu Items:
(Click the name to learn more about the different type of Menu items)

Content:
Blog - Content Category
Blog - Content Category Archive
Blog - Content Section
Blog - Content Section Archive
Link - Content Item
Link - Static Content
List- Content Section 
Table - Content Category
 
Components:
Component
Link - Component Item
Link - Contact Item
Link - Newsfeed 
Table - Contact Category
Table - Newsfeed Category
Table - Web Link Category
 
Link:
Link - Component Item
Link - Contact Item
Link - Content Item
Link - Newsfeed
Link - Static Content
Link - Url

Miscellaneous:
Separator / Placeholder
Wrapper


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NOTE:  If you have suggestions/corrections, please visit the Suggestions, Modifications and Corrections forum. 

 Thank you!

Michelle Bisson
Documentation Team Co-Leader