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CMS Web Support

Department Section Sidenav


The Department Section Sidenav provides a left-hand navigation that appears across all pages within a section of a department website.

The sidenav is automatically generated based on folder structure and navigation settings. When configured correctly, it builds one combined navigation for the entire section.

 

How the Section Sidenav Works

Each folder contains a navigation file called nav.ounav. These files control what appears in the left navigation.

The system builds a section-wide sidenav starting at the folder marked as the Section Root.

Two settings control this behavior:

  • Make this a section root (Yes/No)
  • Section Title

These settings are selected when creating a new section using the wizard.

Creating a New Section

When creating a new section, use the Department Section (with sidebar) wizard.

You will see the following sidenav-related options:

  • Add Navigation Item (Yes/No)
    Select Yes to add the page to navigation.
    Changes will not appear on the live site until published.
  • Make this a section root (Yes/No)
    Yes means this folder starts the sidenav for the entire section.
    No means this folder is part of an existing section.
  • Section Title
    This becomes the heading displayed above the sidenav.
    Use a clear, user-friendly title.

Only the top folder of a section should have Make this a section root set to Yes.

All subfolders within that section should be set to No.

Setting multiple folders to Yes within the same section can cause unexpected navigation behavior.

Editing an existing sidenav

To update your section navigation:

  1. Open the nav.ounav file in your folder.

  2. Existing pages in your section will already be listed.

  3. Click an item to edit its title or link.

  4. Drag items to reorder them in the navigation.

To add a page:

  • Click Add Page

  • Enter the page information

  • Save and publish

External Links

If you link to another website, select Open in new tab.

Tip
Try to keep sidenav links focused on pages within your site. External links are usually better placed in page content rather than the left navigation.