Spruce up your WordPress menu by adding social media icons! It’s a fun and easy way for visitors to connect with you on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube. Give it a try! In this guide, you’ll learn how to add these icons to your website menu. At every step, from installing a plugin to uploading custom images, there are several ways to customize your WordPress site, and they are covered to make creating a visible and engaging menu easy. Follow along to improve your WordPress menu with social media links that help visitors connect with you instantly.
Let’s begin our step-by-step guide. We’ll keep everything simple so it’s easy to follow. Whether you’re doing this for the first time or you’ve done it before, this guide will take you through each step clearly and easily. Let’s get started and make everything simple for you!
Accessing the WordPress Dashboard
To access the WordPress Dashboard, enter your username, email, and password in the login fields. Click the login button to open the main WordPress control panel. The dashboard lets you manage site settings, plugins, themes, and more, all from one place.
Adding a New Plugin in WordPress
In the WordPress Dashboard, go to Plugins on the left menu. Please scroll down to find the Add New Plugin option and click on it. This step lets you explore and install plugins. Plugins will enhance your WordPress site by adding new features. The right plugins will help you quickly create and manage a multilingual website.
Search and Install Social Media Icon Plugin in WordPress
Go to the WordPress dashboard, select Plugins, and click To add new social media icons, type the plugin’s name into the search bar. Once the plugin appears, look for the Install Now button next to it and click to start the installation. Notice the ratings and active installations to pick a trusted plugin. This plugin has over 100,000 active users with a high rating, making it a reliable choice.
Activate Social Media Icon Plugin in WordPress
After clicking Install Now, the button changes to Activate. Click on Activate to turn on the social media icon plugin. This step enables the plugin features to add icons to your WordPress menu. Activating the plugin is mandatory when using its tools and options.
Access WordPress Menu for Social Media Icon Setup
After activating the plugin, go to Appearance in the WordPress dashboard. From the dropdown, click on Menus to start setting up your social media icons. This section allows you to adjust menu settings and add icons, making it easy to customize your website navigation with social icons.
Create a New Menu in WordPress
In WordPress’s Menus section, click Create a New Menu to start building a custom menu. This allows you to organize and add items, including social media icons, for easy navigation. Setting up a new menu gives you control over what visitors see in your site’s menu area.
Name and Create Your WordPress Menu
Enter a name for your new menu in the Menu Name field, like ‘Social Media Menu,’ and click on Create Menu. Naming the menu helps you identify it quickly, mainly if you plan to add social media icons. Once created, you can add items to personalize your menu for visitors.
Add Social Media Links Using Custom Links in WordPress Menu
In the Menus section, click on Custom Links to add your social media links. This option allows you to enter URLs for each social media profile, making it easy for visitors to connect with you. Custom links help you personalize the menu with specific links.
Add Social Media Links to WordPress Menu
To add a social media link, go to Custom Links, enter the URL for your social profile, and type the Link Text (e.g., Facebook). Then, click Add to Menu. Repeat this for each social media link you want to add. Once done, your social media icons will appear in the menu for easy access.
Add Social Media Icon Images to WordPress Menu Links
To add an icon image for each social media link in your menu, click the dropdown beside each custom link. This step lets you attach an icon to make the link more recognizable. Adding images helps visitors quickly identify your social media profiles in the menu.
Upload Social Media Icon to WordPress Menu Link
To add an icon to your social media link, click +Add Image/Icon. This feature lets you create a custom image for the link, like a Facebook icon. Adding icons makes your social media links stand out in the menu, giving visitors a clear visual.
Set Social Media Icon Image in WordPress Menu
Click Set Image in the Image & Icon settings to add the icon. This lets you upload or select an icon for your social media link, making it easy for visitors to recognize each profile. Adjust the title position to place the icon correctly in the menu.
Upload Social Media Icon File for WordPress Menu
In the Upload Files section, click Select Files to upload your icon image for the social media menu link. This step lets you upload a unique photo from your computer. By incorporating social media icons that are readily accessible to all visitors, you are actively personalizing the menu.
Select Social Media Icon File to Upload in WordPress
Find the social media icon file on your computer, click on it to select it, and then click Open to upload. This step adds the chosen icon to your WordPress menu, making the social media link visually clear for visitors.
Select and Insert Social Media Icon in WordPress Menu
To upload the social media icon, click the checkbox beside the icon image, then press the Select button to add it to your WordPress menu. This finalizes the icon choice, making it visible next to your social media link in the menu.
Save Changes to Social Media Icon Settings in WordPress Menu
To apply your updates, set the title position to ‘Hide’ if you only want the icon to display, then click Save Changes. This step saves all adjustments and adds the social media icon to your WordPress menu for easy visitor access.
Save Your WordPress Menu with Social Media Icons
Once you’ve added your social media icons, hit the ‘Save Menu’ button to store your updates. This action guarantees that the icons will appear in your WordPress menu, allowing users to access your social media profiles quickly.
Access Theme Builder in WordPress from the Appearance Menu
From the WordPress dashboard, go to Appearance and select Theme Builder. This section allows you to customize and adjust your website’s layout and theme elements. Using the theme builder makes adding social media icons to your menu easy for a clean, matching look.
Edit or Add a Header in WordPress Theme Builder
In the Theme Builder, click on Header to edit an existing header or create a new one by selecting Add New. This step allows you to customize the header area of your WordPress site, including adding social media icons to make them visible at the top of your site. Please refer to my step-by-step guideline for creating a mega menu, where I outline all the steps required to create a new menu. From this point, we will proceed by clicking on ‘Edit.
Drag and Drop WordPress Menu Widget
In the WordPress editor, type ‘menu’ in the search bar to find the WordPress Menu widget. Drag and drop this widget into the desired area above your menu. This step allows you to place the menu in the Header or any other location, improving site navigation for visitors.
Select Social Media Menu from Dropdown in WordPress
Click the Menu dropdown in the Edit WordPress Menu section to see available options. Select Social Media Menu to display it on your site. This step showcases your social media links in the menu, making it easy for visitors to connect with you.
Publish Social Media Menu on WordPress Site
To make your social media menu visible on the live page, click Publish in the top right corner. This step completes the process, allowing visitors to see and interact with your social media icons directly from your WordPress site.
View Social Media Icons in the WordPress Menu
The icons for your social media are now visible within the WordPress menu. This makes it easier for users to interact with you via Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube. Your menu placement will make your social media pages accessible on top of your page, making your presence in them easily detectable by site visitors.
Conclusion
Now that you have integrated your social media icons into the WordPress menu, visitors can find and engage with your profiles more efficiently than ever! By including these icons in site navigation, you strengthen your online presence and engagement—anyone visiting can follow you easily on platforms such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube! This minor update brings significant benefits by keeping your social links just a click away!
About Author
This article was written by Haider Aftab Abbasi. If you’re looking for more insightful content or professional collaborations, feel free to connect with Haider on LinkedIn using the provided link.
