Ghost Themes •
Last updated: May 1, 2026

How to add Dropdown Navigation?

Zora Ghost Theme

Table of Contents

In the Zora Ghost theme, navigation menus are configured directly from the Ghost Admin panel. The theme supports both primary and secondary navigation, with dropdown support for the primary menu.

How to Set Up Navigation

  1. Log in to your Ghost Admin panel.
  2. Go to Settings > Navigation.
  3. In the Primary Navigation section, add your main menu items. This menu appears at the top navbar of your website.

Example Navigation Structure

Home
Courses
  - Web Development
  - Design
  - Marketing
Resources
  - Blog
  - Podcast
About
Contact

Creating Dropdown Menus

To create dropdown (nested) menus:

  1. Add your main menu item (parent item)
  2. Add child items below it
  3. Indent child items to create the dropdown structure
  4. Save

Example:

Resources          (parent)
  Blog            (child)
  Podcast         (child)
  Tools           (child)

The theme automatically creates a dropdown for items with children. Users can hover or click on the parent item to see the dropdown menu.

Secondary Navigation

Ghost also supports a Secondary Navigation option, which you can set up similarly in the admin panel. The secondary navigation is typically displayed in the footer area.

Note: Secondary navigation does not support dropdowns and is meant for links that should be accessible from every page but don’t need primary visibility.

  • Keep it simple: Limit to 5-7 main items for better usability
  • Clear labels: Use descriptive, short labels (1-2 words)
  • Logical grouping: Group related items in dropdowns
  • Consistent order: Place important items first
  • Mobile-friendly: Consider how menus will appear on mobile devices

Adding Pages to Navigation

  1. Create or find the page you want to add
  2. Note the URL slug (e.g., /about, /contact)
  3. Go to Settings > Navigation
  4. Add item with:
    • Label: The text to display (e.g., “About”)
    • URL: The page URL (e.g., /about)
  5. Save

You can also add external links to your navigation:

  1. Go to Settings > Navigation
  2. Add item with:
    • Label: The text to display (e.g., “Twitter”)
    • URL: The full external URL (e.g., https://twitter.com/yourhandle)
  3. Save

The Zora theme uses clean, minimal navigation without icons by default. For the best user experience and consistent design, we recommend using text labels only.

Troubleshooting

Dropdown not appearing?

  • Ensure child items are properly indented under the parent
  • Check that you’ve saved the navigation settings
  • Clear browser cache and reload

Navigation not updating?

  • Save changes in Settings > Navigation
  • Clear browser cache (Ctrl+Shift+R or Cmd+Shift+R)
  • Check that URLs are correct

Mobile menu not working?

  • Ensure you’re using the latest version of Zora
  • Check for JavaScript errors in browser console
  • Test on different mobile browsers

Summary

  • Primary navigation appears in the top navbar
  • Create dropdowns by indenting child items
  • Secondary navigation appears in the footer (no dropdowns)
  • Keep navigation simple and organized
  • Use clear, descriptive labels
  • Test on both desktop and mobile devices

The navigation system in Zora is fully configurable through Ghost Admin without any coding required.