This feature is in beta. please contact support@joinblink.com if you would like early access.
Introduction
Our new web app introduces customizable navigation menus, empowering administrators to create a tailored global navigation experience. This feature seamlessly integrates Blink's core tools—such as Feed, Chat, and Directory—with additional content that your team needs to perform their tasks effectively.
In addition to selecting what appears alongside Feed, Chat, and Connect, you can configure mega menus for more detailed navigation.
What's new?
This update also brings a refreshed look to Blink, providing the necessary space to showcase the enhanced navigation features effectively.
On desktop, the navigation will move from the left-hand side of the app to the top.
Blinks universal search bar also moves to the top of the app and will now appear in the same place no matter where you are in the app.
Links to your profile, admin, notification centre and the moderation centre move to the top right.
This change means that your logo and background image made need adjusting. If you have any difficulty with this please contact support@joinblink.com
Setting up the new navigation
To set up the new navigation for the first time, follow these steps:
Once enrolled in the beta: Once a member of the Blink team has enrolled you in to the beta, organization admins will notice a new option in the Admin panel. The previous "Branding" option will be replaced with "Customization," which now includes both "Branding" and "Navigation." Click on Navigation.
Select your company: You will be directed to a page introducing the new navigation feature, where you'll select the company you want to customize the navigation for. If you're testing the feature and don't want changes to affect all users, choose a company with a limited user group. After making your selection, click Edit Navigation.
Edit and Publish: You'll be taken to the Edit Navigation screen, where you can configure the navigation layout. Note that no changes will be visible to users until you click Publish.
Adding a new top-level item
Start adding a new item:
Click the Add navigation item button located on the right-hand side of the page.
A modal will appear, allowing you to choose what type of item to add. Each item requires a label.
Choose the type of item:
Menu: Create a mega menu that will appear when clicked.
External URL: Link users from Blink to any external website. Ensure the URL starts with
http://.Hub item: Search for and add any item from the Hub to this level of the navigation.
Example: Creating a custom menu:
For this example, we’ll create a new top-level menu called "Custom Menu." After entering the label, click Add.
Important: Saving does not immediately update the navigation. To apply your changes, you must click Publish on the Edit Navigation page.
Adding items to a custom menu:
Once your custom menu is added, you can populate it with items. Note that all menus must contain at least one item before you can publish the navigation.
To add items, click the Add to Menu button.
Choose what to add inside the menu:
You’ll have two options:
Add heading: Use this to create titles or groupings for links. Each heading will generate a new column in the navigation, which will wrap based on the available space.
Add link: Add a link to a Hub item or an external URL
Example: Adding a link to the finance menu:
Here, we’ll add a link to the Finance page in the Hub. After selecting the page, provide a label, optionally add an emoji, and include a description to help users understand the content and purpose of the link.
Reordering items
To reorder top-level items, headings, or links within a menu, use the panel on the right side of the Edit Navigation page. Simply drag and drop the items to arrange them in your desired order.
Editing an existing navigation item
In the right-hand panel, hover over the item you want to edit. When the pencil icon appears in the top-left corner, click on it to begin editing.
Publishing Your Navigation
When you’re satisfied with your updates, click the Update button in the bottom-right corner. Your changes will be applied to users in that company and will take effect the next time they refresh or open the app.
Rolling Out Your Changes to Other Companies
Navigate to the Admin Panel: Go back to the main Admin page and click Copy.
Select Companies: In the modal that appears, choose the company you want to copy the navigation from. Then, type in the names of the companies where you want to apply this navigation.
Apply the Changes: Once you've selected the companies, click Save to apply the updates.
FAQs
Who can adjust the navigation?
Only Organization Administrators have the ability to edit the navigation.
How quickly are changes applied?
Changes will become visible to users as soon as they refresh or reopen the app.
How many items can I add to the navigation?
There’s no limit to the number of items you can add. Feel free to customize as much as you like, but keep in mind that a well-organized navigation ensures a better user experience.
What happens if I link to something in Hub that not all users can access?
The navigation is global and visible to all users in the company. If you add a Hub link that some users don’t have access to, they will still see the link but won’t be able to access the content in Hub.