How to enable Custom Menus?

  • Unknown's avatar
    imananteater · Member ·

    Hello everyone,

    I’m trying to figure out how to enable custom menus.

    I’m using the Mystique theme by digitalnature.

    I can’t find this option in the appearance – I’ve tried the Appearance – Menu tab, but it says that the theme only supports one menu.

    And when I enable my custom menu, the navigation bar becomes blank.

    So basically, I’m trying to make menus and a sub-menus where I can publish posts. Not pages.

    I’m new at using wordpress.com, so I just read all those tutorials on this page, but I still don’t get it.

    (WP seems too complicated for me…)

    Can anyone help me?

    Thanks in advance!

    The blog I need help with is: (visible only to logged in users)

  • Unknown's avatar
    timethief · Member ·

    Unless you clearly comprehend the differences between Pages and Posts confusion will prevail. http://en.support.wordpress.com/post-vs-page/

    There is only one dynamic page in a blog for posts and we cannot post to more than that one page. But we can create the appearance that we have posted to more than one page.

    We organize our posts by assigning Categories to them. When we publish a post it automatically appears on the running page for posts and also on the Categories pages and Archives pages. Note: There must be one published post in each Category in order for there to be anything to display.

    A custom menu allows you to display Categories in tabs along the horizontal navigation where normally only Pages tabs are displayed. If you wish you can also include Pages and custom links in your custom menu as well.

    These are the how-to instructions:

    How to create Pages > http://en.support.wordpress.com/pages/

    1. You create a custom menu. http://en.support.wordpress.com/menus/

    2. You add the Categories you want to display and arrange them in the order you want.

    3. Then you add and drop and drag the sub-categories below the appropriate Categories, and when you have everything arranged in the menu that you want you save the menu.

    4. Go to the “theme location” module at upper left on the menu page. Select your custom menu name from the pull-down labeled “primary location.” Click the save button in that module.

    5. Refresh your browser so that it isn’t possibly pulling a cached page, and view see your new menu with Parent pages and dropdowns to sub-pages.

  • Unknown's avatar
    imananteater · Member ·

    “There is only one dynamic page in a blog for posts and we cannot post to more than that one page. But we can create the appearance that we have posted to more than one page. “

    Oh, I didn’t know that! Now everything is a little bit clearer. Thanks!

    So basically, for a custom menu, you create a page which only shows posts of a certain category/tab/etc.

    But the only think I still don’t understand is…

    Why do every other pages (including HOME and ABOUT) disappear when I enable the primary menu? Then, only the primary menu is visible on the nav bar and everything else disappeared. :(

  • Unknown's avatar
    imananteater · Member ·

    And plus, do you know how the make the Facebook/RSS/Twitter icons appear smoothly, like here? http://wp-themes.com/mystique/?TB_iframe=true&width=1473&height=705

  • Unknown's avatar
    timethief · Member ·

    Why do every other pages (including HOME and ABOUT) disappear when I enable the primary menu? Then, only the primary menu is visible on the nav bar and everything else disappeared. :(

    This is because you did not select them and include them in the custom menu on your custom menu page. Only the pages, sub-pages, categories, sub-categories, and custom links you select on your custom menu page and drag and drop into place will display in the custom menu. Don’t forget to click “save menu” after they are all in place.

  • Unknown's avatar
    timethief · Member ·

    And plus, do you know how the make the Facebook/RSS/Twitter icons appear smoothly,

    What do you mean by “appear smoothly”? These icons are designed to be partially display and tucked behind the horizontal menu bar. They cannot be displayed in any other manner. That’s the way the theme is designed. You enter the required data here > Appearance > Theme options

    Also note these:

    1. You can post a Facebook badge in your sidebar. http://en.support.wordpress.com/facebook-badge/
    2. You can also enable sharing buttons on your posts, pages and index pages.
      http://en.support.wordpress.com/sharing/
    3. You can have Facebook like & share buttons on your posts.
      https://en.forums.wordpress.com/topic/its-possible-facebook-share-and-like-buttonsat-the-same-time?replies=90
    4. You can use a Twitter widget > http://en.support.wordpress.com/widgets/twitter-widget/
    5. You can post a twitter follow button > http://en.support.wordpress.com/twitter-follow-button/
    6. You can set up Publicize > http://en.support.wordpress.com/publicize/
  • Unknown's avatar
    imananteater · Member ·

    Oh, I see! :) Now I created my Custom Menu and I’m very satisfied. :) Thank you very much!

    Well, I know how to add badges… But when you look at the link I mentioned (http://wp-themes.com/mystique/?TB_iframe=true&width=1473&height=705), you can see that the icons appear smoothly when you hover the mouse cursor over them. Plus, the icons are more hidden behind the menu bar.

    It isn’t very important for me, but I think it would be a chic feature. :)

  • Unknown's avatar
    timethief · Member ·

    See here please Appearance > Theme Options
    scroll down to:
    Social Icons

    Leave any URL field blank to hide its icon.
    Show the RSS feed icon?

    Enter your Facebook URL.
    Enter your Twitter URL.
    Enter your Flickr URL.
    Enter your YouTube URL.

    Complete the data required and then click “save changes”

  • Unknown's avatar
    imananteater · Member ·

    I know how to add those icons, I just wanted to know why on WordPress Blogs, those icons show up suddenly when you hover the mouse cursor over them, just like it switched between two images, and those on the website I mentioned show up smoothly, just like it was animated. Oh well, I guess it doesn’t matter anymore. :)

    Thanks for the help on the custom menu! :)

  • Unknown's avatar
    timethief · Member ·

    There are two different kinds of WordPress blogs. You have a free hosted by WordPress.COM blog but in this post you point to a WordPress.ORG install. The two run on different software and the two versions of the themes of the same name are coded differently. WordPress.com vs. WordPress.org: The Differences > http://support.wordpress.com/com-vs-org/

    I am using Firefox 4.0.1 and have both blogs up before me again. The way the icons show up on blog blog when I hover is exactly the same ie. smoothly.

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