How to Manage Your WordPress Navigation Menus (Add, Move, and Link to External Pages)

Your website’s navigation menu is one of the most important tools for helping visitors find what they need. Whether you want to add new pages, rearrange existing links, or connect to external sites, WordPress and BeaverBuilder make it easy to customize your menus.

Your site’s header and footer menus are built with BeaverBuilder templates, but the actual menu links are controlled through the WordPress Appearance > Menus settings.

Step 1: Access Your Site Menu

1. From your WordPress dashboard, go to Appearance > Menus.

2. At the top, select the menu you want to edit (for example, Main Menu or Footer Menu).

3. Click Select to open it.

Tip: If your site uses Beaver Themer, you can see which menu is connected by editing the Header Layout under Appearance > Themer Layouts. The Menu Module in that layout will show which menu is currently displayed.

Step 2: Add New Menu Items

You can add different types of items to your menu:

• Pages:

  1. Check the boxes next to the pages you want to add.

  2. Click Add to Menu.

• Posts:

  1. Expand the Posts tab on the left.

  2. Select the post(s) you want to link to.

  3. Click Add to Menu.

• Custom Links (External Pages):

  1. Expand the Custom Links tab.

  2. Enter the full URL (for example, https://leagueapps.com) and link text.

  3. Click Add to Menu.

• Categories:

  • Use this if you want a menu link to show all posts in a specific category.

After adding items, you’ll see them appear in the Menu Structure area.

Step 3: Organize, Rename, and Arrange Menu Items

Once your menu items appear under Menu Structure, you can easily adjust their order and labels.

• Reorder Items:

  • Drag and drop menu items to change the order they appear in your navigation bar.

  • To create a dropdown menu, drag a menu item slightly to the right beneath another item. It will become a “sub-item.”

• Rename (Change the Menu Label):

  • Click the down arrow on any menu item to expand its settings.

  • In the Navigation Label field, change the text that appears in the menu.

    • For example, rename “Our Coaches” to “Coaching Staff.”

  • This does not change the actual page title—only how the link appears in the navigation bar.

Tip: Use short, clear labels (1–3 words) for easy readability on desktop and mobile devices.

Step 4: Set External Links to Open in a New Tab

By default, WordPress hides the “open in new tab” setting. To enable it:

1. Click Screen Options in the upper-right corner.

2. Check the box for Link Target.

3. Expand any external link in your menu.

4. Check Open link in a new tab.

This is especially useful for links that lead away from your website (e.g., registration portals, external partners, or forms).

Step 5: Assign Menus to Locations

1. Below the menu editor, you’ll see the Menu Settings section.

2. Check the boxes for where this menu should appear:

   • Primary Menu – Usually the header navigation.

   • Footer Menu – Links that appear at the bottom of your site.

3. Click Save Menu.

If your site uses BeaverBuilder templates, these locations correspond with your header and footer layouts.

Step 6: Edit or Replace the Menu in BeaverBuilder (Optional)

If you ever need to modify how the menu appears in your header:

1. From the WordPress dashboard, go to Appearance > Themer Layouts.

2. Locate the Header layout and click Edit.

3. Open it with BeaverBuilder.

4. Click on the Menu Module and use the Select Menu dropdown to switch menus if needed.

5. Save and Publish your changes.

Best Practices for Menus

• Keep your main menu short—5–7 top-level items max.

• Use dropdowns to group related pages.

• Open external links in a new tab so visitors stay on your site.

• Make sure your most important links (like Register, Teams, or Contact) are easy to find.