Trusted WordPress tutorials, when you need them most.
Beginner’s Guide to WordPress
WPB Cup
25 Million+
Websites using our plugins
16+
Years of WordPress experience
3000+
WordPress tutorials
by experts

What is: Primary Menu

Editorial Note: We earn a commission from partner links on WPBeginner. Commissions do not affect our editors' opinions or evaluations. Learn more about Editorial Process.

A Primary Menu is the main menu selected as primary menu in the WordPress Menu Editor. A WordPress theme may support single or multiple navigational menus at different locations in theme. These menus can be edited using the built in WordPress Menu Editor located at Appearance » Menu.

Most WordPress themes have menu locations that users can edit, filling each menu with their own items. However, if a user does not edit the menus, most themes list pages as the menu items by default. The purpose of a primary menu is to allow Themes to use more than one menu on a site (e.g. one in the header, one in the footer). It also allows users to save menus and switch between the menus they have created.

Additional Reading

Editorial Staff

Editorial Staff at WPBeginner is a team of WordPress experts led by Syed Balkhi with over 16 years of experience in WordPress, Web Hosting, eCommerce, SEO, and Marketing. Started in 2009, WPBeginner is now the largest free WordPress resource site in the industry and is often referred to as the Wikipedia for WordPress.

The Ultimate WordPress Toolkit

Get FREE access to our toolkit - a collection of WordPress related products and resources that every professional should have!