The Joomla! CMS includes a wide range of different typess of Menu Item or Menu Link.
These are clustered into groups for your convenience when creating new Menu Links.
The Articles group of Menu Links is the one we use more than any other.
Choosing a Type of Menu Link
When creating a new Menu Link you will need to choose which type.
To do so, click the Select button next to the Menu Item Type field when editing a Menu Link in your website's Dashboard.
See image below.
When you do you will be presented with a list of Menu Link types.
Types of Menu Link are organised into groups.
The types of Menu Link you will most likely use most in your website can be found in the Articles group.
Example: Single Article Menu Link.
Single Article Menu Link
The Single Article Menu Link enables you to quickly and easily publish (i.e. present on screen) an Article.
Read more: How to create a Single Article Menu Link.
Category Blog Menu Link
The Category Blog Menu Link enables you to quickly and easily publish (i.e present on screen) several Articles at a time.
The name of this type of link reflects the fact that the result, when presented on screen. looks like a blog.
If you use these types then be sure to check their use is restricted to use by users with Special Permissions.
You can change the Access setting in the Menu Link screen using the field labelled Access.
The two most useful types of Menu Link in the above list are Single Contact and List Contacts in a Category.
The Contact Us link in this website is a Single Contact Menu Link.
News Feed Menu Links provide the option of displaying external website content in your website.
The three kinds of System Menu Link that we use quite a lot are URL, Menu Heading and Menu Item Alias.
URL Menu Link
We use URL menu Links as Parent links in an expanding Menu.
How? Instead of a landing page URL we use a hash tag (#).
When someone clicks such a Menu Link in an expanding Menu then the Menu expands to reveal more Menu Links.
Such Menu Links help users of touch screen devices to more easily navigate your website.
Image shows highlighted examples as used in this website.
Menu Heading
Menu Headings are of course not menu Links.
But they are useful as signposts in a complex Menu.
Menu Item Alias
Menu Item Alias links are essential if you want to publish two or more links to the same content (an Article) and avoid being punished in search engine results for publishing duplicate content in your website.
When you choose to tag your Articles then you can also publish Tag menu Links in your website.
Only one type of Menu Link in this group should be visible to the Public when used: the Login Form Menu Link.
The Access setting for the other types should be Registered User or a user group with Special Permissions.
You can change the Access setting in the Menu Link screen using the field labelled Access.
Wrapper Menu Links display external website content as if it is your own website's content.
We prefer not to use the Iframe Wrapper Menu Link type in our own websites.
Reason: it is more transparent to link to external website content using a URL Menu Link (see System tab above).
How to Manage Navigation
We tell you how to create and edit Menus and Menu Links in a separate article.
Read more: Menus and Menu Items.
Menu Management
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