In most situations, a parent menu item (one that has a dropdown under it) should not navigate to another page. For example, an About Us parent item may have several pages in it dropdown like Who We Are, Club Leadership, Bylaws. It is confusing to users to have the parent navigate to a page as well; the purpose of the parent is to open the dropdown list.
Here is how to make a parent menu item that only opens the dropdown and does not navigate anywhere:
Navigate to Menus: Go to Appearance→Menus,
Enable Custom Links (if necessary): At the top right corner of the Menus page, click "Screen Options." Ensure that "Custom Links" is checked. Close the Screen Options.
Add a Custom Link:
1. In the "Add menu items" section on the left, close the Pages dropdown if it’s open to avoid confusion.2. Click on the "Custom Links" dropdown.
3. Enter # in the URL field. The # acts as a placeholder.
4. Enter the desired text for your parent menu item in the Link Text field (e.g., "About Us").
5. Click "Add to Menu."
Edit the Custom Link: The new custom link will appear at the bottom of your menu structure on the right.
1. Click the down arrow next to it to expand its options.2. Delete the # placeholder from the URL field, leaving it completely empty. This is critical; it ensures the parent item is not clickable.
Position:
1. Drag the new parent menu item where you want it in the menu item list.Publish: Click "Save Menu."
By following these steps, the parent menu item will display your chosen text, but clicking on it will not lead to a new page; it will simply act as a visual cue for the dropdown menu.