---
key: customize-the-sidebar-menu
title: Customize the sidebar menu
audience: staff
section: administration
routes: ["/settings/org/sidebar-navigation"]
permissions: ["org.settings.navigation.read"]
features: ["settings.org.sidebar_navigation"]
since: 0.0.1
updated: 0.0.1
status: published
summary: Build your own sidebar for the whole organization by starting from Nova's default menu, adding folders, pages and outside links, choosing who sees each item, and previewing it before you save.
keywords: [sidebar, menu, navigation, hide menu items, custom menu, add link to sidebar, rearrange sidebar, left menu]
related: [turn-on-work-modes, create-a-role, check-what-a-user-can-access]
---

In the sidebar, open **Administration**, then choose **Sidebar Navigation** under **Workspace**, or select **Customize sidebar** (the sliders button) at the bottom of the sidebar. The page address is `/settings/org/sidebar-navigation`.

The Nova logo and version appear beside the Help, Support and Customize sidebar buttons in one row. Select the logo or version to open What's New. These footer controls stay visible while you scroll the menu.

## Before you start

- Anyone whose role can read sidebar settings can open the page. To change the menu, your admin has to give your role permission to write it. Adding outside links and setting who sees an item are separate permissions.
- Nothing your team sees changes until you press **Save**. **Revert** throws away everything since the last save.

## Steps

1. At the top, switch from **Nova default** to **Custom**.
2. Press the button that starts from your menu size (it names the size, for example Start from the Standard menu), or **Customize a copy** in the right-hand panel, to begin with a copy of Nova's menu. Press **Create first folder** to build from scratch. See [[choose-your-menu-size]].
3. Under **Menu structure**, use **Add folder**, **Add page** and **Add external** to add items. Select a folder first to add inside it.
4. Drag an item above or below another to reorder it, or drop it onto the middle of a folder to move it inside. Alt+ArrowUp and Alt+ArrowDown move the selected item too.
5. Select an item to edit it on the right:
   - Every item has a **Label**.
   - A folder has **Open by default**.
   - A page picks a **Nova page** from **Search pages**, and can **Open in new tab**.
   - An outside link needs a **URL**, and can **Open in new tab**.
6. To limit who sees an item, press **Visibility**. The **Sidebar visibility** drawer lets you choose the roles and people the item shows for.
7. Under **Access preview**, choose **Current user**, a **Role key** or a **User ID** and press **Preview** to see what that person's sidebar would contain.
8. Press **Save**.

## What you see

- **Checks** lists anything that blocks saving: a page that no longer exists (**Missing page**), an **Empty folder**, or a custom menu with nothing in it.
- Under a page you selected, Nova shows that page's own requirements. Hiding a menu item never grants or removes access to the page itself.
- **Nova default** mode is read-only; it shows Nova's own menu, which people may see less of depending on their roles and your plan.

## If something looks different

- The page says **Building your own menu is not part of your plan**: your plan does not include a custom menu. You can still pick a menu size; see [[choose-your-menu-size]].
- **Add external** is greyed out: your role cannot add outside links.
- Deleting an item is refused with a message about visibility rules or external links: the item carries rules your role cannot remove. Ask your admin.
- **Clear** empties the whole custom draft; **Replace custom with Nova default** overwrites it with a fresh copy. Both ask you to confirm and only apply once you **Save**.

[[route:/settings/org/sidebar-navigation|Open Sidebar Navigation]]

A custom menu can contain up to 500 pages, folders and links in total. Folders can be nested up to three levels deep.