Setting up a menu
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I’m trying to set up a new menu (with submenus) to my new WordPress site, and have done my best to follow the directions, but so far I can’t get it to display on the actual site itself. Thanks for any help that you can provide!
The blog I need help with is: (visible only to logged in users)
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Dynamic category pages will automatically display all published posts that you have assigned to that specific category.
By default the front page of a blog displays all published posts in reverse chronological order with the most recently published post on top. When we publish a post on WordPress software the software automatically creates the same entry in the Archives, and on the dynamic (automatically updating) Categories and Tags pages in accord with the Categories and Tags we assign to that post.
Organizing posts
Dynamic category pages https://en.support.wordpress.com/category-pages/ created by the software when we assign categories to posts are also not the same as static pages https://en.support.wordpress.com/pages/ we create.You can create a custom menu and include multiple dynamic category pages that automatically display the published posts assigned to the the specific categories in reverse chronological order.
Assign categories to posts.
Create a custom menu.
Add the dynamic category pages to into the custom menu.You begin by assigning categories https://en.support.wordpress.com/posts/categories/ to your posts.
So when we create custom menu and add the dynamic (automatically updating) category pages to that custom menu we create the appearance (not the reality) of posting to more than one page.
You need to be aware that:
1. There are differences between posts and pages described here
https://en.support.wordpress.com/post-vs-page/2. There are differences between static pages we bloggers create https://en.support.wordpress.com/pages/ that will not automatically update, and dynamic category pages created by the software when you publish a post which will automatically update https://en.support.wordpress.com/category-pages/.
3. We organize posts by category assignment prior to publication. http://en.support.wordpress.com/posts/categories/ and when we publish posts the dynamic category pages they automatically display on are determined by the categories we assign to them.
So the process you need to use is:
a. Assign Categories to your Posts. https://en.support.wordpress.com/posts/categories
b. Create a custom menu https://en.support.wordpress.com/menus/#1-create-a-custom-menu
c. Add only the dynamic category page links into the custom menu that you want to appear in that menu https://en.support.wordpress.com/menus/view-all/#adding-category-pages and arrange them as you wish them to appear https://en.support.wordpress.com/menus/view-all/#changing-the-order-creating-sub-menus
d. Create pages and sub-pages for static content, not for posts https://en.support.wordpress.com/pages/
e. Add any custom links and other items like static pages and sub-pages into your custom menu
https://en.support.wordpress.com/menus/view-all/#adding-custom-links https://en.support.wordpress.com/menus/view-all/#adding-pages
and arrange them as you wish them to appear https://en.support.wordpress.com/menus/view-all/#changing-the-order-creating-sub-menusPlease see https://en.support.wordpress.com/customizer/
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Thanks timethief for your detailed reply, I appreciate it.
I think the main problem I’m experiencing is that the controls that are available to me do not seem to be the same as what are described in the help pages and videos. For example, when I click on the ‘My Site’ button in the upper left, there is apparently supposed to be a ‘Customize’ option in the drop-down menu. I don’t see this option — there is a ‘Customize’ button in the lower right of my screen, but the menu is different than what is described in the help pages and videos. For example, there is supposed to be a ‘Homepage Settings’ option for setting a static homepage, but this option doesn’t exist in my Customize menu.
I feel as though I must be using a different (previous?) version of WordPress than what is described in the links you provided. Could this be the cause of my problems? If so, do you have any suggestions about how to update to a more recent version?
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Try using this URL please
https://path27.wordpress.com/wp-admin/themes.php?search=Cols
And then click the Preview button.
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@path27 it looks like you’ve created multiple menus, instead of putting several links on a single menu.
Can you head here?
https://wordpress.com/customize/path27.wordpress.comThen go to Menus, and perhaps just create one more menu called “Main” or “Top” or whatever. Then add links to it.
Once you’re in the correct page, the how-to video here should make more sense:
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@ timethief: thanks for the additional link. This is the first time I’ve seen the Dashboard — I don’t actually see a Preview button when I load it, but I still need to do some experimenting.
@supernovia: thanks for your help as well. The first link you provided leads to the main page that I had been working in, but after some more trial and error I understand it better now. You’re right that I had set up too many menus — I deleted all but one, have been adding pages to that menu instead, and am finally making some progress. I’ll be spending more time in the next couple of days familiarizing myself with the menus and other support links.
Best wishes to both of you!
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Glad that was it, @path27. You might like https://learn.wordpress.com for more videos to help you around the interface.
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Great — thanks for the suggestion, supernova. I’ll open the link today and spend some time exploring the videos over the next few days.
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