Creating a Selectable Drop Down List in SharePoint: A Comprehensive Guide

Introduction to SharePoint and Navigation Features

SharePoint is a collaborative platform by Microsoft that allows users to work together on documents, manage projects, and share information across the web. An essential feature of SharePoint is navigation, which helps users find and access the information they need quickly and easily. In this article, we will explore how to create a dropdown navigation menu in SharePoint using the Quick Launch feature. This guide is designed to be suitable for SEO and will cover the pros and cons, implementation steps, and best practices for maximizing your navigation experience.

Creating Dropdown Navigation using Quick Launch

Getting Started

Creating a dropdown navigation menu in SharePoint can enhance the user experience by providing a clear and organized structure for site content. Here's how you can create a 2-level dropdown menu using Quick Launch in SharePoint:

Step 1: Access Site Settings

To begin, navigate to the Site Settings located in the admin menu. From here, you can access various settings related to your site.

Step 2: Modify Quick Launch

Under Look and Feel, click on Customize Quick Launch. You can then add or modify the navigation items to create a dropdown layout.

Step 3: Change Site Layout

If you want to enhance the layout of your page further, you can switch to the Oslo look and feel. This change will replace the usual Top Navigation Bar with the Quick Launch navigation, which supports a 2-level dropdown structure.

To change the layout:

Go to Site Settings Select Change the Look under Look and Feel Choose Oslo from the available layouts

Pros and Cons of Using Quick Launch for Dropdown Navigation

Pros

Simple to Implement: The Quick Launch feature allows for easy and straightforward setup of a dropdown navigation structure without requiring advanced coding knowledge. No Need for Publishing Features: Unlike some other methods of creating navigation, using Quick Launch does not require enabling publishing features, which can be complex and time-consuming. Customization Options: You can easily add, delete, or reorder navigation items to better suit your needs.

Cons

Layout Change: Switching to the Oslo layout means that the traditional Top Link Bar is gone, and you can only have one main menu. Limited Functionality: Some site administrators may find that certain features, such as opening linked sites/pages in a new window or setting audience-specific navigation, are not possible with the Quick Launch dropdown. No Inheritance: If you want to maintain consistent navigation across sub-sites, you'll need to recreate the Quick Launch menu on each sub-site within your site collection.

Conclusion

In summary, creating a dropdown navigation menu in SharePoint using Quick Launch is a practical and straightforward solution for enhancing site structure and user experience. While there are some limitations, the simplicity and ease of implementation make it a popular choice for many organizations. By following the steps outlined in this guide, you can effectively set up and manage your dropdown lists to suit your specific needs.

Keywords

SharePoint, Quick Launch, Drop Down Navigation