As an experienced CMS website operation staff member, I fully understand that a flexible navigation system is crucial for the user experience and content management of the website.The AnQi CMS provides powerful custom capabilities in navigation functionality, exceeding traditional top navigation, aiming to help operators build a website structure that better meets business needs and user habits.
The navigation design concept of AnQi CMS is not limited to a single main navigation area, it allows operators to create diverse custom navigation based on different functional areas and content types of the website.This flexibility means that, no matter whether you are operating an enterprise website, a marketing site, or a multi-site cluster, you can finely plan and present the information architecture.
Creation and management of custom navigation categories
In addition to the default top navigation, the core of Anqi CMS lies in the 'navigation category management' feature.The operation personnel can easily add navigation categories in the background, organize different navigation menus, and name them, such as 'Footer Navigation', 'Sidebar Menu', 'Product Center Navigation', and so on.This approach frees the navigation menu from the single 'top' concept, allowing it to adapt to the display needs of any area of the website.Each created navigation category has an independent management interface, allowing operators to add, edit, and sort the navigation links under it.This means, you can configure a dedicated, purpose-specific navigation system for each functional area of the website.
Navigation link configuration options
When adding specific links for custom navigation categories, Anqi CMS provides a rich set of configuration options to ensure seamless integration of link content with the website structure.Each navigation link supports up to two levels of hierarchy, meaning a main link can include a sub-level dropdown link, which is enough to meet the needs of the vast majority of navigation levels.The types of links are mainly divided into three categories:
FirstlyBuilt-in linkThis includes the home page link of the website, as well as the home page links of various content models (such as article models, product models, and other custom models).This type simplifies the configuration of the core page, ensuring consistency and convenience.
Next isCategory page linkAllow operators to directly select existing document categories on the website (such as "News and Information", "Solutions", etc.) or created single pages (such as "About Us", "Contact Us", etc.) as navigation items.This greatly improves the association between content and navigation, so that after the content is updated, the navigation does not need to manually adjust the link address.
Finally isExternal linkIt provides the greatest flexibility. Operators can enter any valid URL address, whether it is a specific page within the site or an external cooperative website, social media homepage, etc.This type is very useful for expanding website functionality, integrating external resources, or conducting marketing promotions.
In addition, each navigation link can be configured to display a name, subtitle name, navigation description, and display order.These additional fields can help front-end designers and content operation personnel to achieve richer and more attractive navigation display effects without changing the core link logic.
Call and implementation in the template
Through AnQi CMS in the website front-end templatenavListTags, combined with specifictypeIdParameters to call and render these custom navigation. For example, if the backend creates a navigation category named "Footer Navigation" and it is assigned atypeId(For example, if it is 2), then you only need to use it in the footer template file of the website{% navList footerNavs with typeId=2 %}...{% endnavList %}This code structure can accurately render all the links under the navigation category.This mechanism separates content from presentation, allowing operators to adjust the navigation structure and content in the background. The front-end page updates in real time, without the need to modify the code, greatly improving the maintenance efficiency of the website.
In summary, the custom navigation feature of Anqi CMS far exceeds the single top navigation.It empowers operators with the powerful ability to build complex, multi-level, and highly customized website navigation through flexible category management, diverse link configuration options, and convenient template invocation mechanism.This optimizes the user experience in different content areas and provides a solid foundation for the overall information architecture and SEO strategy of the website.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Question: Besides the top navigation, where can I create and use custom navigation on the website?
Answer: According to Anqi CMS design, you can create and use custom navigation wherever needed on the website. For example, you can create new navigation categories such as "footer navigation", "sidebar menu", or "specific column navigation" in the "navigation category management" section of the backend, and then place them in the corresponding template positions on the website (such asfooter.html/sidebar.htmletc.)navListLabel for calling and displaying.
How many levels does the custom navigation of Anqi CMS support?
Answer: The navigation system of Anqi CMS currently supports up to two levels of navigation links.This means you can create a primary navigation (main menu item) and set a primary dropdown submenu under it to meet the common information organization and display needs of the website.
When creating a custom navigation, what content can the navigation links point to?
Answer: Custom navigation links offer high flexibility, you can choose from three main types: built-in links (such as the homepage of the website, the homepage of a specific content model, etc.), category page links (pointing to any document category or single page created in the backend), and external links (which can be any specific page URL within the site or an external website URL).