Site Navigation

A network admin authors the navigation forecasters see, under Navigation in the admin sidebar. Each entry links to one of the network's own pages or to an external address.

The Three Placements

Each entry sits in one of three navigations, and the admin screen gives each placement its own tab:

• Left sidebar - below the network's own links, in the vertical navigation forecasters use to move around the site.
• Top navigation - in the top bar, next to the notifications bell. These links are hidden on narrow screens, because the top bar is a fixed height and would clip them.
• Footer - a flat row of links next to Privacy and Terms.

Links and Groups

There are two kinds of entry:

• A link - points at a page on this network or at an external address.
• A group - a dropdown that holds links. A group holds no address of its own.

Nesting is one level deep. A link sits inside a group or on its own, and a group is never inside another group. The footer takes links only, because a flat row has nowhere to drop a menu down. A group with no links inside it is hidden from forecasters.

Adding an Entry

Use Add a link or Add a group on the tab for the placement you want. The form asks for:

• Links to - a page on this network, or an external site. Choosing a page lists the network's CMS pages, drafts included. Choosing an external site asks for the full address, including https://.
• Label - the text forecasters see, entered once per language the network has enabled. The default language is required.
• Inside group - the group this link belongs to. Leave it blank for a link that stands on its own.
• Placement - which navigation shows the entry. A link inside a group takes its group's placement instead, so the field is replaced by a note saying so.
• Icon - one of 26 icons, or none. Icons appear in the sidebar and the top navigation. The footer renders text only.
• Open in new tab - when on, the link opens in a new browser tab.
• Visible in the navigation - when off, nobody sees the entry, admins included.

Ordering

Drag the entries in a list to reorder them. Each list orders independently, and there is no dragging between lists or into a group: moving an entry to another placement, into a group, or out of one is an edit on the entry itself. An entry that joins a different list appends to the end of it.

Moving a group carries its links with it, so a group and its links never end up in different navigations.

Who Sees an Entry

Navigation is shown to signed-in members of the network. A visitor who is not signed in sees no navigation at all, even on a page marked public.

Two further rules apply per entry:

• A link to an unpublished page renders for admins only, so a forecaster never clicks through to a missing page. Drafts are still offered in the form, so you can build the navigation before publishing the pages.
• An entry with Visible in the navigation switched off is hidden from everyone, admins included. The entry itself is kept, so switching it back on restores it in place.

Changing an Entry Later

A link can switch between a page and an external address freely. A group cannot become a link, and a link cannot become a group: the first would orphan the group's links, and the second would create an empty dropdown. Delete the entry and add the other kind instead.

Pages and Their Links

The Pages list carries an In navigation column showing how many navigation links point at each page, or Not linked where none do. Deleting a page also deletes the navigation links pointing at it, and the delete confirmation states how many that is.