How to Replicate Menus in WordPress Easily

The WordPress integrated Menu editor stands out for its remarkable versatility and remarkable ease of use. Crafting multi-tiered menus from the ground up, and seamlessly incorporating, customizing, or removing menu elements on your website, demands minimal exertion.

Throughout the years, WordPress developers have introduced numerous valuable enhancements. Nevertheless, a built-in feature for menu duplication remains conspicuously absent.

To be equitable to the developers, the necessity to replicate a menu is relatively rare.

However, it’s worth noting that numerous extensive websites feature menus boasting a substantial 20 to 40 nested items! For these website proprietors, the capability to duplicate menus is nothing short of indispensable.

How to Set Up and Utilize the ‘Duplicate Menu’ Plugin

The answer to duplicating menus in WordPress lies in the hands of Jonathan Christopher. Recognizing a gap in functionality, Christopher developed the ‘Duplicate Menu’ plugin, continuously updating it to ensure smooth usage for WordPress users.

Here are step-by-step instructions on how to install, activate, and start using this ingenious plugin:

Installing the Plugin

1. To begin using the ‘Duplicate Menu’ plugin, users must first initiate installation. From the WordPress dashboard, navigate to the ‘Plugins’ section, then click on ‘Add New’;
2. In the search field, type ‘Duplicate Menu’ and hit enter. You should now be able to see the ‘Duplicate Menu’ plugin among the search results;
3. Click on ‘Install Now’ to start the installation process. Once the plugin is installed, the button will change to ‘Activate’. Click it to enable the plugin.

Using the ‘Duplicate Menu’ Plugin

With the plugin activated, the ‘Duplicate Menu’ option will now be visible under the ‘Appearance’ section in the WordPress dashboard. Proceed as follows to duplicate a menu:

1. Click on ‘Duplicate Menu’. You will be redirected to a simplistic user interface within the dashboard where you can manage your plugin settings;
2. Using the dropdown menu next to “Duplicate this menu”, select the specific menu you wish to duplicate;
3. Create a unique name for your duplicated menu, to avoid confusion with the original menu;
4. Click on ‘Duplicate Menu’ to finalize the process.

Upon returning to ‘Appearance > Menus’, users will notice the copied menu, now accessible and ready for editing. Feel free to modify menu items and settings as desired. This plugin offers a streamlined process for creating duplicate menus, providing an efficient solution for enhancing website navigation.

Manually Cloning Menus in WordPress: An Alternate Route

While plugins like ‘Duplicate Menu’ simplify and speed up the process of duplicating menus in WordPress, some site administrators may prefer a more hands-on approach. The primary reasons for this preference often revolve around concerns regarding site performance and security. Installing multiple plugins could potentially slow down a website or create loopholes for security breaches.

Despite this, manually duplicating menus remains a completely feasible task. It may require more time and actions, but it allows for a finer level of control over the menus.

Creation of a New Menu

Start this procedure by visiting ‘Appearance > Menu’. Here, WordPress presents an option to “create a new menu”. Input a unique name for your new menu, and set the necessary settings according to your preferences.

Selecting Existing Menu Items

To add items to your newly created menu, switch to ‘Menu structure’ view. Choose the ‘View All’ tab to reveal all existing menu items. Check the box next to every item you plan on including in your duplicate menu, then click ‘Add to Menu’.

While this step is straightforward, it can be time-consuming, particularly for extensive menus. However, it provides an opportunity to refresh your memory about the contents of your original menu, and to reconsider the necessity and relevance of each item.

Structuring Your Menu

Ultimately, the arrangement of menu items contributes significantly to a user’s experience on your website. After you have added all required items, you can get to work on your menu structure. Drag and drop items into desired positions, and align sub-items suitably under their parent items.

While this manual process may be simple for menus with fewer items, it can grow complex for larger menus. If your menu has more than 10 items, consider using the ‘Duplicate Menu’ plugin instead. After all, the plugin’s purpose is to simplify the process without sacrificing the end result.

Note: Deleting the ‘Duplicate Menu’ plugin will not remove any of the menus you have previously cloned with it. Therefore, you can make use of the plugin’s functionality without worrying about keeping it active on your site long-term.

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Conclusion

WordPress does not offer an inherent feature for duplicating menus effortlessly.

For website proprietors seeking to recreate a rather intricate menu structure, the Duplicate Menu plugin emerges as the most streamlined choice by a significant margin. Alternatively, if you happen to have a modest menu containing ten items or fewer, duplicating an existing menu manually, sans any plugin, can be accomplished expeditiously.

Should you harbor concerns about an excessive accumulation of plugins, it’s prudent to bear in mind that you can easily remove the Duplicate Menu plugin after its utility without causing any disruption to menus you’ve already established.