Key takeaways
- Go to Online Store > Navigation > click the menu you want to edit.
- You can add, edit, delete, and reorder menu items without touching any code.
- Drag items to the right under a parent to nest them as dropdown items.
- Changes to navigation menus are live immediately when you save.
Editing navigation in Shopify is one of the more intuitive parts of the admin. Here’s a complete walkthrough of everything you can do.
Why you can trust us
We’ve built and customised hundreds of Shopify storefronts. We also built Fudge - an AI storefront editor with a 5.0 rating on the Shopify App Store.
Where to find the navigation editor in Shopify
Navigation menus are managed in a dedicated section of the Shopify admin:
Online Store > Navigation
You’ll see a list of all your menus. Most stores have at least two by default:
- Main menu - displayed in your store’s header
- Footer menu - displayed in the footer
Click any menu to open the editor.
How to add a new menu item
Step 1. Open the menu you want to edit (Online Store > Navigation > click the menu).
Step 2. Click Add menu item.
Step 3. Enter the Name - this is the label customers see (e.g., “Shop”, “About Us”, “Sale”).
Step 4. Set the Link. You can link to:
- A page on your store - type or search by name
- A collection - browse or search
- A product - browse or search
- A blog
- A custom URL - paste any URL including external links
- Nothing - leave blank if this item is a dropdown parent label with no destination of its own
Step 5. Click Add to confirm the item, then Save menu at the top.
How to edit an existing menu item
Click on any existing menu item to expand it. You can update the Name and Link directly. Click outside or press Enter to confirm, then save.
How to delete a menu item
Click on the menu item to expand it, then click the Delete button (trash icon or “Delete item” link). Save the menu to confirm.
How to reorder menu items
Hover over any menu item. A drag handle (six dots or three lines) appears on the left side. Click and drag the item to its new position.
Items at the top of the list appear first in the navigation, items at the bottom appear last.
How to create dropdown menus
To nest items under a parent (creating a dropdown):
Step 1. In the menu editor, drag a menu item slightly to the right until it indents under the item above it.
Step 2. The parent item becomes the dropdown label. The indented item becomes a dropdown option.
Step 3. You can nest multiple items under the same parent.
Step 4. Save the menu.
Most Shopify themes support one level of nesting (parent > child). Some themes support two levels (parent > child > grandchild), but this varies by theme.
Main menu vs footer menu
Shopify themes typically pull navigation from two separate menus:
- The Main menu (handle:
main-menu) is displayed in the header - The Footer menu (handle:
footer) is displayed in the footer
If you want different links in the header vs the footer, update each menu separately. Some themes support additional menus (secondary navigation, mobile-specific menus) - check your theme’s settings in the Theme Editor.
Navigation changes don’t require the Theme Editor
One thing merchants sometimes miss: you don’t need to go into the Theme Editor to change navigation. The Navigation section in the Shopify admin is the right place for all menu edits. Changes there take effect immediately on your store when you save.
The Theme Editor is where you’d change the appearance of the navigation (font, colour, layout style) - not the menu items themselves.
