Navigation
Every site includes two types of navigation. Using these navigations keeps templates consistent across the website and aids users in navigating content. The top navigation is the primary source to get around your site and there is only one per site. To navigate deeper levels of your site a side navigation can be added to any section. When setting up navigations for a site, it is helpful to structure them in a way that reflects the levels of files and folders in your site.
Navigation Tips
Better Link Text
When naming links try to use the page title and keep it short. Avoid repeating wku or your department name in links. (ex. replace 'Contact WKU Department' with 'Contact' and use branding). Do Not make all links uppercase, this makes text harded to read since there is no variation in height. Link naming, text formatting, and titles are also important for web accessibility.
Focus on Navigating Your Site
Use quicklinks, buttons, or other techniques to group helpful links that go outside of your site.
Use Dropdowns to Nest Links
Use dropdowns to link to secondary level pages on your site. Try not to use dropdowns to organize links to other sites.
Nest Links Even Further
Links can be nested another level deeper to create a section inside a dropdown that is seperated by a light line and header. Links are spaced futher over under the header, but do not collapse into their own dropdown. Use the Increase Indent toolbar button in the WYSIWYG to move your link list down a level.
Top Navigation
The top nav is the navigation for your site. Focus on adding links to top level pages of your site here. Use dropdowns to link to secondary pages. Space is limited and too many links can overwhelm a user. Keep the most important sections and page in the top navigation.
Use Top Nav Branding
Use the page properties of your topnav.pcf to add your site name or abbreviation in Custom Settings. This provides the user a location when on mobile as well as a link to your homepage.
Side Navigation
The side navigation is a secondary navigation for your site. Use this navigation for links to pages inside a sub-section of your site, similar to a dropdown in the topnav. Use dropdowns inside this nav for sub sections, exactly like the topnav dropdown sub sections.
You can also use the side nav as an in-page navigation and link to sections of the page using anchors.
Need Assistance?
The WKU ITS Service Desk is here to help. Give us a call, chat with a representative online, use the Self-Help Knowledge Base and more.
Some of the links on this page may require additional software to view.