Beta release

Check out the new "Mega Menu" widget on InSpired

Check out the new "Mega Menu" widget on InSpired

As we are adding more and more new modules, e.g. knowledge base, events, groups, product updates, ideation, we felt our existing navigation was not ideal to help users quickly find and discover the different areas of the community. We also wanted to easily allow having custom links in the navigation.

 

So meet the "Mega Menu"!

 

Thanks a lot for everyone who gave feedback on this research article and helped design this widget:

 @mstone  @aluciani  @Milla  @Kseniya  @LPortalupi  @Casstastr0phee  @Hiewwaiy  @bjoern_schulze

I will get in touch to allow you to test this Beta version!

 

The "Mega menu" widget allows you to:

:white_check_mark: Have a horizontal menu rather than a burger menu on desktop

:white_check_mark: Make navigation between modules more explicit

:white_check_mark: Add a logo (optional)

:white_check_mark: Enable, disable and reorder module links to knowledge base, events, groups, ideation, product updates. 

:white_check_mark: Rename entries in the menu

:white_check_mark: Add custom links to external sites

:white_check_mark: Have a search bar in the navigation

Note: It is possible to enable this new "Mega menu" widget with an SSI header :)

 

How to beta test the "Mega Menu" widget

If you want to have early access, you can get in touch with me or your Customer Success Manager to get it enabled in staging. You can also leave a reply below to let us know.

You will be able to switch to this new navigation using the customization mode of the home page.

Check out our knowledge base article to start using it.

 

What's next?

Before we officially release this widget, we are thinking of adding some extra functionalities:

  • Have permissions impact the menu (for example, end-users who can't access ideation will not see the Ideation entry in the menu)
  • Have child custom links within each entry of the menu
  • More color settings
  • Sticky navigation option
  • New UI for the dropdowns with icons to go even further in that "Mega Menu"mindset

 

Your feedback

As usual, we want to know your questions, what you think, and how you would like us to improve this widget! 

That's awesome! @Shane1 Can we have access to the mega menu feature? 


I’d like to have it enabled on our staging environment. Thanks! (cc @Julian)


Really awesome! Looking forward to final release. :smiley:

In meantime, would be nice to be try it out.


That's awesome! @Shane1 Can we have access to the mega menu feature? 

@Fescholz We’ve enabled it on your staging environment for you :relaxed:


Hey @bjoern_schulze  & @ErikT, great to hear that you want to test it on staging. I have activated it there for both of you. Let us know your thoughts so that we can further improve it if necessary.


Sounds great! Looking forward to the release. 
And ofcourse, I would like to have access to the beta version :grin:


@Hiewwaiy I just enabled it on your staging!

 

Feel free to check out that Knowledge Base article on how to use it.

 

If you could share your feedback that would be great. 

If and when you are ready to use it in prod, let me know so I can enable it there :)


The Beta looks great! :raised_hands:  My only major ask for GA would be the ability to configure sub-Mega Menu items (at the moment it appears you can only add top level Mega Menu items). 

 

My less important/wish list asks would be:

  • option to make the Mega Menu sticky
  • Mega Menu items permissioned by role (ie… only user’s with role x should see menu item y)

 


Thanks @mstone, great to hear!

Curious about the second point in your wish list

  • Mega Menu items permissioned by role (ie… only user’s with role x should see menu item y)

Could you give an example of the menu items you’d like to grant permission by role? And which user roles should be able to see it? 


Sure: as an example, only customers should be able to access the Ideas section. If you are not a customer, this menu item should not be visible to you. There may also be custom links that we’d only display to customers (ie … a ‘Login to BetterCloud’ link). Similarly, we may have a role called ‘Partners’ one day that would likely have it’s own menu/sub-menu for items specific to them.

 

Hope this helps!


Clear, thank you! @mstone 


Hi
This is great and I cannot wait to start using it!
 

 


@Milla I already enabled it on your staging so you can test. If you want to start using in prod let me know


Awesome thank you Marion! I would like to start using it in Prod please.


I've now enabled it in prod for you with visibility off so you turn it on when you are ready. Enjoy :)


Thank you! :relaxed:


May we get this enabled for our production community? Thanks!


@ZapierSteph I see @Shane1 has already done it for you but has kept it hidden as you have some custom CSS interfering with the create topic button with the new mega menu


@ZapierSteph I see @Shane1 has already done it for you but has kept it hidden as you have some custom CSS interfering with the create topic button with the new mega menu

 

Correct. Thanks so much!


I have this menu enabled on my stage env an like it. Was wondering, You mention above you can have a search bar in the navigation - how do you enable that? Thanks


Hey @aluciani, you don’t need enable the search bar in navigation manually.

If you are on a page with a hero banner (with a search bar), e.g. homepage, category, etc, the search button would be hidden from the navigation bar.

You can find the search button if you are on other pages, e.g. topic page. See below: 

 


Love the points that @mstone calls out - specifically for the partners section. Would love to be able to serve up accessible content thats only relevant based on permissions or roles. We haven’t tried to implement this yet, but I wager this helps me solve a big nav issue for our users. 


@Casstastr0phee Thanks a lot for that input. It's very helpful to help us decide on the next iteration we'll do on the Mega Menu!


I believe the following idea really belongs to this feedback thread as this functionality should be a part of the mega menu right from the launch, in my opinion:

 


When the background of the mega menu is black, then the Burger Menu icon on Mobile is invisible:

And I can’t find any settings where I can change the burger menu color.