# NavigationMenu Metadata Type for Experience Cloud

> NavigationMenu defines a standalone navigation menu (navigationMenus/<Name>.navigationMenu-meta.xml) used in Experience Builder sites, supporting object list links, internal relative paths, external URLs, and nested submenus.

- Source: https://sfdxtalk.com/docs/metadata/navigation-menu-metadata-type/
- Category: Metadata
- Applies to: Salesforce Winter '27 (API version 68.0)
- Level: intermediate
- Published: 2026-11-12
- Last updated: 2026-11-12
- Publisher: SFDX Talk Editorial (unofficial; not affiliated with or endorsed by Salesforce)
- License: CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

## Why the `NavigationMenu` Metadata Type Matters

In Experience Cloud sites (Aura and LWR), navigation bars, tile menus, and footer links are powered by **`NavigationMenu`** (`navigationMenus/<MenuName>.navigationMenu-meta.xml`). Prior to API version 47.0, navigation menus were embedded inside the monolithic [Network](/docs/metadata/network-metadata-type/) metadata file as `navigationLinkSet`. Extracting `NavigationMenu` into a standalone metadata type allows developers to version and deploy site navigation changes independently of member security settings.

```mermaid
flowchart TD
    NET["Network / Experience Cloud Site"] --> MENU["NavigationMenu<br/>(navigationMenus/Default_Partner_Navigation.navigationMenu-meta.xml)"]
    MENU --> ITEM1["navigationMenuItem (SalesforceObject)<br/>target: Deal_Registration__c"]
    MENU --> ITEM2["navigationMenuItem (InternalLink)<br/>target: /my-certifications"]
    MENU --> ITEM3["navigationMenuItem (MenuLabel)<br/>Dropdown Container"]
    ITEM3 --> SUB1["subMenuItem (ExternalLink)<br/>target: https://docs.acme.example.com"]
```

---

## Key Metadata Fields on `NavigationMenu` & `NavigationMenuItem`

| Field | Type | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| `network` | `string` | Yes | Developer name of the parent Experience Cloud [Network](/docs/metadata/network-metadata-type/). |
| `container` | `string` | Yes | Name of the site container. |
| `containerType` | `string` | Yes | Typically `Network`. |
| `label` | `string` | Yes | Display name of the Navigation Menu in Experience Builder. |
| `navigationMenuItem.label` | `string` | Yes | User-facing text of the menu link. |
| `navigationMenuItem.position` | `int` | Yes | 1-based sort order of the menu item in the navigation bar. |
| `navigationMenuItem.type` | `string` | Yes | `SalesforceObject`, `InternalLink`, `ExternalLink`, `MenuLabel`, `GlobalAction`, `NavigationalTopic`, `SystemLink`, `Event`, or `Modal`. |
| `navigationMenuItem.target` | `string` | Conditional | Object API name (`Account`), relative path (`/support-cases`), or external URL (`https://...`). Omit when `type` is `MenuLabel`. |
| `navigationMenuItem.targetPreference` | `string` | No | `None`, `OpenInExternalTab` (opens external link in a new browser tab), or `OpenExternalLinkInSameTab`. |
| `navigationMenuItem.publiclyAvailable` | `boolean` | No | When `true`, guest (unauthenticated) users can see this menu item. |
| `navigationMenuItem.subMenu` | `NavigationSubMenu` | No | Nested child `navigationMenuItem` entries under a `MenuLabel` header. |

---

## Real-World XML Example (`navigationMenus/Partner_Header_Menu.navigationMenu-meta.xml`)

```xml
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<NavigationMenu xmlns="http://soap.sforce.com/2006/04/metadata">
    <container>Partner Portal</container>
    <containerType>Network</containerType>
    <label>Partner Header Menu</label>
    <navigationMenuItem>
        <defaultListViewId>All_Open_Deals</defaultListViewId>
        <label>Deal Registrations</label>
        <position>1</position>
        <publiclyAvailable>false</publiclyAvailable>
        <target>Deal_Registration__c</target>
        <type>SalesforceObject</type>
    </navigationMenuItem>
    <navigationMenuItem>
        <label>Resources</label>
        <position>2</position>
        <publiclyAvailable>true</publiclyAvailable>
        <subMenu>
            <navigationMenuItem>
                <label>Price Books</label>
                <position>0</position>
                <publiclyAvailable>false</publiclyAvailable>
                <target>/price-books</target>
                <type>InternalLink</type>
            </navigationMenuItem>
            <navigationMenuItem>
                <label>Developer API Portal</label>
                <position>1</position>
                <publiclyAvailable>true</publiclyAvailable>
                <target>https://api.acme.example.com</target>
                <targetPreference>OpenInExternalTab</targetPreference>
                <type>ExternalLink</type>
            </navigationMenuItem>
        </subMenu>
        <type>MenuLabel</type>
    </navigationMenuItem>
</NavigationMenu>
```

---

## Querying `NavigationLinkSet` and `NavigationMenuItem` via SOQL

In SOQL, a `NavigationMenu` is stored in the `NavigationLinkSet` object, and its individual links are stored in `NavigationMenuItem`.

### 1. List All Experience Cloud Navigation Menus

```sql
SELECT Id, DeveloperName, MasterLabel, NetworkId, Network.Name
FROM NavigationLinkSet
ORDER BY Network.Name, MasterLabel
```

### 2. Inspect Live vs. Draft Navigation Menu Items

```sql
SELECT Id, Label, Type, Target, Position, Status,
       AccessRestriction, NavigationLinkSet.DeveloperName
FROM NavigationMenuItem
WHERE Status = 'Live'
ORDER BY NavigationLinkSet.DeveloperName, Position ASC
```

> [!TIP]
> **Why `NavigationMenuItem` Shows Duplicate Rows in SOQL:** Experience Builder maintains both a `Draft` and a `Live` row for every menu item in `NavigationMenuItem`. Always filter by `Status = 'Live'` when querying active portal links in Apex or SOQL!

## Frequently Asked Questions

### Why did NavigationMenu replace NavigationLinkSet inside the Network metadata type?

Starting in API version 47.0, Salesforce extracted NavigationMenu into its own metadata type in the navigationMenus/ folder so teams can deploy Experience Builder menus independently without deploying the entire Network configuration.

### What types of links can a NavigationMenuItem point to?

A NavigationMenuItem Type field supports SalesforceObject (standard or custom objects), InternalLink (site-relative paths starting with /), ExternalLink (full HTTP/HTTPS URLs), MenuLabel (parent dropdown header for a subMenu), GlobalAction, Event, and NavigationalTopic.

### Why does deploying a NavigationMenu with a defaultListViewId sometimes fail across sandboxes?

In older orgs or uncleaned metadata, defaultListViewId sometimes stores a hardcoded 15-character ListView record ID or a sandbox-specific list view developer name. Ensure the referenced ListView metadata is deployed first.

### Can you query Experience Cloud Navigation Menus and their items using SOQL?

Yes. You can query NavigationLinkSet to list menus associated with each NetworkId, and query NavigationMenuItem to inspect Label, Type, Target, Position, Status, and ParentId for every menu entry.

## Official References

- https://developer.salesforce.com/docs/atlas.en-us.api_meta.meta/api_meta/meta_navigationmenu.htm