Navigation and Menus
The Navigation settings page lets you control which pages appear in your site menu, the order they appear in, and how your header and footer are configured. Only published pages can be added to the navigation.
Accessing Navigation Settings
- Go to Website Studio from the left sidebar.
- Click the Navigation card on the dashboard, or navigate to Website Studio > Navigation directly.
The navigation page is divided into three areas: Menu Items, Header Settings, and Footer Settings.
Managing Menu Items
The left side of the navigation page shows all your published pages with options to include or exclude them from the navigation and reorder them.
Adding a Page to the Navigation
- Find the page in the menu items list.
- Check the checkbox next to the page name.
- The change is saved automatically.
Removing a Page from the Navigation
- Find the page in the menu items list.
- Uncheck the checkbox next to the page name.
- The change is saved automatically.
Note: Removing a page from the navigation does not unpublish or delete it. The page is still accessible via its direct URL -- it simply will not appear in the site menu.
Reordering Menu Items
- Find the drag handle (the horizontal lines icon) on the left side of each page entry.
- Click and drag the page to its new position in the list.
- Release the mouse button. The new order is saved automatically.
Pages at the top of the list will appear first (leftmost) in your navigation menu.
Tip: You can also set a specific navigation order number for each page in the page editor sidebar under "Menu Order."
Custom Menu Labels
If you want a page to display a different name in the navigation than its page title:
- Go to Website Studio > Pages.
- Open the page in the editor.
- In the sidebar under Navigation, enter a Menu Label.
- Click Save Settings.
For example, a page titled "About Our Church" could have a menu label of simply "About."
Header Settings
The header settings control the appearance and behavior of your site navigation bar.
Header Style
Website Studio includes five header layouts. Pick the one that best fits your branding and the way you want your menu to behave.
| Header Style | Description |
|---|---|
| Classic | Logo on the left, navigation on the right. The most familiar church-website layout. |
| Centered | Logo centered at the top with navigation on a row below it. |
| Transparent | The header overlays the hero image on the home page (great with a strong hero photo). |
| Modern | Logo on the left, navigation centered, primary call-to-action on the right. |
| Minimal | Logo and a hamburger menu only -- everything else is tucked into a slide-out menu. |
Show Logo in Header
Check this option to display your church logo in the header. If unchecked, only the church name text will appear.
Show Social Media Links
Check this option to display your social media icons in the header area.
Saving Header Settings
Click Save Header Settings to apply your changes. Header settings take effect immediately on your public website.
Footer Settings
The footer appears at the bottom of every page on your website.
Footer Style
Website Studio includes four footer layouts.
| Footer Style | Description |
|---|---|
| Full (default) | Multi-column layout with church info, navigation, contact details, and social. The richest footer. |
| Minimal | A single line with copyright and social icons only. |
| Centered | Everything centered -- logo, links, and copyright stacked in the middle. |
| Grand | A large footer with prominent branding. Use when you want the footer to be a visual statement. |
Footer Text
Enter any additional text you want displayed in the footer. This could be a brief description of your church, a welcome message, or any other information.
Copyright Text
Enter your copyright notice. For example: "All rights reserved." Your church name and the current year are typically included automatically.
Social Media Links
Enter the URLs for your social media profiles:
- Facebook -- Your Facebook page URL (e.g.,
https://facebook.com/yourchurch) - Instagram -- Your Instagram profile URL (e.g.,
https://instagram.com/yourchurch) - YouTube -- Your YouTube channel URL (e.g.,
https://youtube.com/@yourchurch) - X (Twitter) -- Your X profile URL (e.g.,
https://x.com/yourchurch)
Social media icons will only appear for platforms where you have entered a URL. Leave a field blank to hide that platform.
Saving Footer Settings
Click Save Footer Settings to apply your changes. Footer settings take effect immediately on your public website.
How Navigation Relates to Pages
The navigation system is tightly connected to your pages:
- Only published pages appear in the navigation editor.
- Each page has an "is in navigation" flag and a navigation order number.
- You can manage these settings from either the Navigation page or from individual page editors.
- The Home page is labeled as "(Home)" in the navigation list for easy identification.
Best Practices
- Keep your menu concise. Aim for 5-7 main navigation items. Too many links can overwhelm visitors.
- Use clear, short labels. "About" is better than "About Our Church and Its History."
- Put your most important pages first. Visitors tend to look at the first and last items in a navigation menu.
- Always include a way to get back home. Make sure your Home page is in the navigation or that your logo links to it.
Next Steps
- Staff Directory -- Set up your leadership page
- Customizing Design -- Adjust your header and footer styles