Primary Navigation

How to Edit Your Primary Navigation

When editing the primary navigation in Cascade, there are three main sections you can edit: primary navigation settings, navigation behavior and menu items.

1. Open any page in the preview pane and click on the red Edit Primary Navigation Block link in the top left corner of the preview pane. This link will open the primary navigation currently in use on your site.
   1. The red link text will change based on which site identity display option is active.
   2. If you change the site identity display option on your site, it will change which block controls the primary navigation on your site. Any changes made to your primary navigation using one display option will not transfer if you change the site’s identity option.
2. Fill out the content fields and adjust settings as desired
3. Click Preview Draft
4. Click Submit
5. Enter version comments
6. Click Submit again
7. If your site is live, republish your entire site to see the changes to the navigation on every page.

Primary Navigation Settings

The first several options when editing the primary navigation affect the display styles and functionality of everything inside the primary navigation that are not menu items.

Site Identity

The site identity is the text in the upper left corner that is the name of the site and links to the home page of the site.

You control what text appears in your site identity when editing the primary navigation. However, the site identity display options control whether your site identity is a lockup or plain text.

When editing your site identity, you will also connect to your home page. Your home page must have the file name “index” and be at the root folder of your site. This is automatically linked correctly in new site set ups.

For Site Headers with Lockup Identities

When using a lockup identity, you can control which text appears on each line by separating the text between two text boxes. You can also expand the width of the lockup if it is wrapping to three or more lines.

For Site Headers with Text Identities

For plain text site identities, enter the name of your site in the Site Identity field.

With this site header configuration, you also can choose between displaying an approved Texas A&M unit identity (also known as a lockup) OR the Texas A&M University logo in the right corner across from the site identity. When using a lockup, you can link to that unit’s website by filling out the Link to Homepage field. In this scenario, you will likely need to create an external link asset to link to.

Utility Navigation

You must attach the utility navigation block to the primary navigation for it to display in your site header. This is automatically linked correctly in new site set ups and when you change your site identity display options. Removing this link will break your site header.

Site-wide Search

You have the ability to turn on or off site-wide search in your navigation. You will need to configure your sitewide search if you choose to include search in your navigation.

The site identity display options determine where your search will display. Sites using the lockup identity show the search bar in the primary navigation; sites using the text identity show the search bar in the utility navigation.

Finally, you must link to your search page within the primary navigation in the Link to your search page field. This is automatically linked correctly in new site set ups. Removing this link will break your search bar in your navigation.

Navigation Behavior

There are two different behavior options for your primary navigation:

• Dropdown menu: clicking on a drop down navigation item reveals a list of links.
• Mega nav menu: clicking on a mega menu item opens a panel of navigation options.

Both the dropdown and mega menu options allow for buttons that link directly to a page as an option within the menu.
Please note that you can have either a dropdown or mega menu on your site; not both.

Select your preferred Navigation Behavior (Dropdown or Mega Menu) when editing the primary navigation.

Menu Item Options

Depending on the navigation behavior you have selected, each menu item can be styled as either a drop down, mega menu or a button.

Select the style for each menu item and fill out the associated fields.

Note, only internal links are enabled for the primary navigation. If you wish to link to a destination that is not on your website, you will need to first create an external link asset.

Mega Menus

Mega menus are links in your primary navigation that reveal a panel of navigation items when clicked, instead of going directly to a page. A mega menu item must contain at least two link items.

Mega Menu Title and Panel Options

Each mega menu link opens a panel that has multiple content options:

• Dropdown Title: The text that will appear in your primary navigation and in the respective panel’s primary menu link.
• Mega Menu Primary: Choose an internal page or external link asset as the link destination for first text inside the mega menu panel.
• Description: Optionally add an overarching description that will display beneath the Primary mega menu link. This can be used to contextualize the other links in the panel.
• Button(s): Optionally add 1–2 buttons in the mega menu panel before the list of link items.

Link Item Options

Each link within a given mega menu panel also has multiple options:

• Internal Note: Optionally write a short note that won’t be published to help you find specific links in complex menus.
• Link Item Destination: Choose an internal page or external link asset as the link destination.
• “Would you like to link to a specific section on the destination page?”: link to a specific part of a page by selecting Yes and adding an ID to the newly revealed field.
• Link Text Selector: Choose the source of the link text for this link item. If you choose Link Item Text, you must fill out that field. The other options (Page Display Name and Page Alternate Display Name) are controlled by the data filled out on the linked page itself.
• Menu Item Summary: Optionally add a brief description to display beneath the link.

Dropdowns

Dropdown menus are links in your primary navigation that reveal a list of links when clicked, instead of going directly to a page. A dropdown menu item must contain at least two link items.

Dropdown Title

The Dropdown Title field is the text that will appear in your primary navigation.

We recommend using distinct text for the drop down label and all links within it. For example, the drop down label might be “About,” with drop down link items being “About Us,” “Contact,” and “Leadership.”

Link Item Options

The link items are what displays when you open a dropdown menu. Each link item has multiple fields:

• Internal Note: Optionally write a short note that won’t be published to help you find specific links in complex menus.
• Link Item Text: Optionally type in link text that will appear in the drop down.
• Link Item Destination: Choose an internal page or external link asset as the link destination.
• “Would you like to link to a specific section on the destination page?”: link to a specific part of a page by selecting Yes and adding an ID to the newly revealed field.
• Link Text Selector: Choose the source of the link text for this link item. If you choose Link Item Text, you must fill out that field. The other options (Page Display Name and Page Alternate Display Name) are controlled by the data filled out on the linked page itself.

Buttons

Buttons are links in your primary navigation that link directly to a page instead of revealing more links.

Each button requires button text and a link destination.

Buttons can link to a specific part of a page by selecting Yes to the question “Would you like to link to a specific section on the destination page?” and adding an ID to the newly revealed field.