How to set Icons for Menu Items in WordPress

Posted on September 8th, 2023

WordPress, as you may already know, is a fantastic platform for creating and customizing websites. It offers a world of possibilities when it comes to tailoring your site to your specific needs and style. Today, we’re going to focus on one aspect of this customization journey – setting or changing icons in WordPress menus.

When it comes to web design and user experience, the devil is in the details, and those little details can make a significant difference. Icons in your menu are one of those subtle yet impactful elements. They allow you to add a touch of personalization and flair to your website, making it stand out from the crowd.

Whether you’re running a blog, an e-commerce store, or a corporate site, the ability to set or update menu icons can add that extra layer of professionalism and user-friendliness to your WordPress website. In the following paragraphs, we’ll explore just how easy it is to accomplish this task, giving you the power to refine your site’s look and feel effortlessly.

In this article, we’re going to dive into the world of WordPress menus and show you how to set or update menu icons. You might be wondering, why bother with icons in your menu? Well, they can actually bring some great benefits to your website.

Benefits of Using Icons in the Menu:

1. Enhanced Visual Appeal: Icons make your menu visually appealing and can grab the attention of your website visitors.
2. Improved User Experience: Icons can help users quickly identify different sections or pages on your site, making navigation easier and more intuitive.
3. Brand Recognition: Using custom icons can reinforce your brand identity and make your website more memorable.
4. Mobile-Friendly: Icons can be especially helpful on mobile devices, where screen space is limited. They make it easier to tap on the right option.

So, adding icons to your WordPress menu can be a small change with big advantages for your website. In the upcoming sections of the article, we’ll guide you through the steps to do it.

How to set Icons to WordPress Menu Items

To make this possible, we will use a plugin called WP Menu Icons. It is one of the simplest plugin to set icons for menu items in WordPress menus.

First of all, Install and activate the WP Menu Icons plugin in your WordPress site. Here is the image of the plugin to make sure you are installing a correct plugin.

Once the plugin is installed and activated. Follow the steps given below.

Step 1: Go to the Appearance -> Menus option from the left sidebar of your WordPress admin panel.

Step 2: Now you will see the available menus in your theme. Additionally, You will also see a “+” sign beside the name of the menu item. Click on it to set the icon.

Step 3: Now, You will see a pop-up containing lots of icons to select. You can select the icon that fits best according to your use case. Once done, Click on Save to apply icon to menu item.

Additionally, You can also decide the following things for the menu icon.

• Position: You can set the position of the icon to Before or After the text.
• Vertical Alignment: You can select the vertical alignment of the icon in comparison with text. The default vertical align settings Middle is perfect in most cases.
• Size: You can also set the size of the icon according to your requirements.
• Color: If you have a specific brand guidelines to follow, You can also set the color of the icons.

Finally, You can also Remove an icon for any menu item if needed.

WP Menu Icons – Configuration

WP Menu Icons WordPress plugin also allows you to configure the plugin according to the requirements. It offers 8 different icon libraries that we can use to select icons. However, It is not recommended to include all the icon libraries if not required. If you can find all the useful icons from a single library, It is recommended to use one library only as it can affect the website performance.

If you want to select the Icon Library, Go to WP Menu Icons -> Settings option from the left sidebar of the WordPress admin panel. Now, You will see a screen just like the following image.

Now, select the libraries you want to use and click on the Save button to remove unwanted libraries. It is highly recommended to use one or two libraries only. In some exceptional cases, you might need more active libraries but it can affect the performance of the website.

Conclusion

In conclusion, we’ve unveiled the simple yet impactful world of setting and changing icons in WordPress menus. We’ve seen how this small customization can have a big impact on the visual appeal, user experience, and brand identity of your website.

So go ahead, experiment, and make your WordPress site uniquely yours. Whether you’re aiming for a minimalist design or something more eye-catching, the power to set or update menu icons is at your fingertips. Here’s to a more visually engaging and user-friendly website!