SharePoint Site Navigation: A Tutorial on Creating a Hierarchical Structure

SharePoint is a powerful platform that allows organizations to create and manage their websites, intranet portals, and document repositories. One of the key aspects of building a SharePoint site is designing an effective navigation structure that allows users to easily find and access the content they need. In this tutorial, we will explore the process of creating a hierarchical site navigation structure in SharePoint.

Understanding Site Navigation in SharePoint

Before we dive into creating a hierarchical site navigation structure, let's first understand the basics of site navigation in SharePoint. SharePoint offers two main types of navigation: structural navigation and managed navigation.

Structural navigation is the traditional hierarchical navigation structure that is based on the site's underlying site structure. It uses the site's navigation settings to automatically generate the navigation links based on the site's hierarchy. This type of navigation is suitable for smaller sites with a simple structure.

Managed navigation, on the other hand, allows you to manually define the navigation structure by creating a term set in the term store and associating it with the site's navigation. This type of navigation is more flexible and allows for a more granular control over the navigation structure. It is suitable for larger sites with complex structures.

Creating a Hierarchical Site Navigation Structure

In this section, we will walk through the steps of creating a hierarchical site navigation structure using structural navigation in SharePoint.

Step 1: Enable Structural Navigation

To enable structural navigation in SharePoint, follow these steps:

1. Go to the site settings of your SharePoint site.
2. Under the "Look and Feel" section, click on "Navigation."
3. In the "Global Navigation" or "Current Navigation" section, select the option for "Structural Navigation."
4. Click on "OK" to save the changes.

Step 2: Configure Navigation Settings

Once you have enabled structural navigation, you need to configure the navigation settings to define the hierarchy of your site navigation. To do this, follow these steps:

1. Go to the site settings of your SharePoint site.
2. Under the "Look and Feel" section, click on "Navigation."
3. In the "Structural Navigation: Editing and Sorting" section, click on "Add Heading" or "Add Link" to add new navigation items.
4. Drag and drop the navigation items to arrange them in the desired hierarchy.
5. Click on "OK" to save the changes.

Step 3: Customize Navigation Appearance

After configuring the navigation hierarchy, you can customize the appearance of the navigation menu to match your site's branding and design. To do this, follow these steps:

1. Go to the site settings of your SharePoint site.
2. Under the "Look and Feel" section, click on "Navigation."
3. In the "Structural Navigation: Editing and Sorting" section, click on "Navigation Editing and Sorting" to access the navigation settings.
4. In the navigation settings, you can customize the appearance of the navigation menu by selecting different options for the navigation style, layout, and colors.
5. Click on "OK" to save the changes.

Step 4: Test and Refine

Once you have created your hierarchical site navigation structure, it is important to test it to ensure that it is working as intended. Test the navigation links to make sure they are correctly navigating to the desired pages. If you encounter any issues, go back to the navigation settings and make the necessary adjustments.

It is also a good practice to regularly review and refine your site navigation structure to ensure that it remains up-to-date and aligned with the evolving needs of your organization.

Conclusion

Creating a hierarchical site navigation structure in SharePoint is a crucial step in designing an effective and user-friendly SharePoint site. By following the steps outlined in this tutorial, you can create a navigation structure that allows users to easily find and access the content they need. Remember to regularly review and refine your navigation structure to ensure its continued effectiveness. With a well-designed navigation structure, you can enhance the overall user experience and improve the productivity of your SharePoint site.