Hello. I’ve just created a website using Weaver II 1.0.26 theme in Wordpress but have now got a problem with creating a custom menu that’s baffling me, so could use some help please.

 

So far what I’ve done on my site is to create a static front page using this tutorial:

http://freewptraining.com/how-to-make-a-wordpress-page-your-home-page-and-keep-the-blog-posts

So I ended up with a static front page (Home) and a blog type page (blog). Then I added categories as I read on here that’s how you create, for want of a better word, “pages” like the look of a traditional website. All OK so far. After more research I installed the “simply exclude” plugin. Still OK. Wanted 2 column content pages so installed “WP post columns” and all was still OK. Then I wanted my categories to show on the menu bar so followed this advice:

http://en.forums.wordpress.com/topic/categories-on-menu-bar

and this tutorial:

http://en.support.wordpress.com/menus/#adding-category-pages-to-your-menu

I made pages, eg clothing, pets, garden and added them to my custom menu then added categories (nested underneath the appropriate page) such as “outerwear”, “lingerie” and “swimwear” under the “clothes” page. Then went “theme location”>”Primary navigation”>”my custom menu…and it’s not right! Instead of the categories or pages listed on the navigation bar/menu bar it has the titles of all the posts I’ve made! Does anyone know what I’ve done wrong please? What I’m after is a drop down menu, with the main categories on the menu bar, and the sub categories dropping down. Thanks.

Categories are not pages tinker, pages are pages. If you want to make a page, just go to the options on the left, where you will find the pages, then in there is an option to add new page. Simply fill it with your content, give it a suitable title and save it/publish it.

 

So lets just slow down a minute!

 

Ok, generally speaking those nav buttons at the top, are actual pages (as i said above). Once you have created the pages you want, there is normally a "menus" option under the themes button. This is the place where you structure the navigation (ie which page comes first, second etc).

 

So, sometimes it can be awkward to find the menu options, but sometimes you can specify where you want the menu (sometimes there are multiple options, such as footer, top, or main navigation areas).

 

If none of that helps, just give me a quick reply in here, and ill try my best to help you further, but without seeing the way the theme works, it can be hard for me to point you where you need to go to do certain things.

 

edit:

Its worth noting I have never used categories as a navigation, so in that sense this unfamiliar territory for me. I always use pages within the navigation.

Edited April 23, 201214 yr by jamesosix

Thanks James. I was tinkering in the “menu” area as per the tutorial, but it went wrong. Unfortunately I can’t show you my site as it’s not online, it’s on a server on my laptop. Perhaps I should say what I’m trying to achieve...

 

I’m after a site with a static home page (with just one post I can edit from time to time if need be, but will probably be left alone), and 5 other separate areas that behave like blogs, where I can add posts like a blog as I intend to update them with new info weekly. To non techies they will look like pages (although I realise the WP terminology says they aren’t) insomuch as they are separate and are accessible from the menu bar, and I think they’re called “pages with posts”(?). I’d like people to be able to access the categories via the menu bar like in a standard website. What I don’t want are 6 pages where I can only edit the single post on each.

 

I’m also working on another WP/Weaver site and did it slightly differently. I used 2 plug ins (“Simply Exclude” and “Page Links To”), and it pretty much does what I want except when I click on a “page” (I don’t know what else to call it – a “thingie” perhaps, LOL) on the menu bar eg Accessories, the title at the top of that page’s content says “Category Archives: Accessories”. I just want the title to say “Accessories”. Also to enable the images to show in a post I have to set the format to either “image” or “gallery”, and each time I do it actually says “image” or “gallery” just above the post title (huh?!) In fact if I set it to any format other than “standard”, it says what it is above the title text. If I don’t set it to either of these my pictures only show if I click the link “continue reading” towards the end of the text. I’m trying to avoid any extra clickiness! Phew, steep learning curve for a newbie!

 

P.S. I can’t slow down; I go to bed thinking of Wordpress, wake up thinking about it and work on it all day! LOL. It’s becoming a bit of an obsession. Good fun in a masochistic sort of way ;-)

I appear to have solved the menu issue on website 1 No idea why I tried it but I went to "Simply Exclude" > settings > Posts > Front/home > and changed "include only" to "exclude". I'm not sure what it did from a technical viewpoint, but my site now has a drop down menu with all the categories listed

P.S. I can’t slow down; I go to bed thinking of Wordpress, wake up thinking about it and work on it all day! LOL. It’s becoming a bit of an obsession. Good fun in a masochistic sort of way ;-)

Haha aint that the truth! And to your last point....my kind of woman...I think!

 

I appear to have solved the menu issue on website 1 No idea why I tried it but I went to "Simply Exclude" > settings > Posts > Front/home > and changed "include only" to "exclude". I'm not sure what it did from a technical viewpoint, but my site now has a drop down menu with all the categories listed

Ahh was just about to reply, then I seen this, so tbh I'm not sure whats happened here either, but you sure do sound like your are going the long way around to do your sites haha.

 

Well, good luck and if you have any more questions, feel free to post them (not that I have been much use, but I do try - as many have helped me in the past).

 

Good luck