Configuring the header

Configuring the header of your website is one of the first things you should do when you start a new project.

Access the customizer

Most of the controls for configuring the header of your website can be found within the WordPress customizer. You can access that control panel by either clicking the link within the admin toolbar (when logged into the site) or from the admin sidebar at Appearance -> Customizer

Scrrenshots of how to find the customizer in the WP admin space.
Screenshot of the wp admin toolbar with an arrow pointing to the customize link.

More from wordpress.org: https://wordpress.org/support/article/appearance-customize-screen/

https://wordpress.org/support/article/appearance-customize-screen/

Site title and parent unit

The Site Information panel within the customizer provides the necessary tools to display the site title within the header. Within this panel there are also options for adding a parent unit and linking that parent unit name to a separate website.

Be sure to press the “publish” button to make the changes permanent after you are done with your edits.

A step action illustration of how you can navigate to the site title and parent unit sections within the customizer.

Adding a navigation bar

To display the navigation bar within the header, you need to assign a menu to the menu location labeled main menu. That menu will also need to contain at least one link in order for the menu bar to be displayed.

Screen shot of the cuztomizer path for selecting a menu to be placed within the Main Menu location.

Controls for building a menu and assigning menus to a menu location are also available in a different part of the WordPress admin at /wp-admin/nav-menu.php.

There are advantages and disadvantages for using the customizer (as pictured above).

  • For making quick edits to an existing menu, or for the ability to see the results of your edits in real-time, the customizer is the best tool to use.
  • A visit to the customizer is also usually needed to configure other aspects of the site as well. (One less click!)
  • However, if your plan for the navigation of the site includes the need for a call-to-action button, you MUST use the interface at /wp-admin/nav-menu.php

Additional things to note:

  • If the website was to be used as a landing page using the “no navigation” state of the header, you can leave the main menu location unassigned as pictured below. The site will still function normally in all other regards.
  • The “no navigation with buttons” header state can be achieved by adding only CTA buttons to a menu that is assigned to the main menu location.