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Menu Widget

Welcome to the Datacake Menu Widget tutorial! This guide walks you through how to use the Menu Widget to create custom navigation systems inside your Datacake dashboards.

The Menu Widget allows you to redirect customers to internal dashboards, external websites, documentation portals, support pages, and more, helping you build a seamless customer navigation experience.

Getting Started with the Menu Widget

To begin, navigate to your dashboard in Datacake and enter edit mode by clicking on the Edit Mode button. Once enabled, you’ll be able to add and configure widgets on your dashboard.

Adding a Menu Widget

  1. Click the Add Widget button.

  2. The widget picker modal will appear.

  3. Select the Menu widget to continue.

The Menu Widget can be found under the general widget collection.

Selecting the Menu Widget

Configuring Your Menu Widget

After selecting the Menu Widget, you’ll be taken to the widget editor where you can configure your navigation menu.

The editor is divided into three sections:

  • Content

  • Layout

  • Colours

Creating Navigation Entries

Inside the Content tab, you can create custom navigation items.

Each navigation entry supports:

  • A custom label

  • A destination URL

  • An icon

  • Optional “Open in New Tab” behaviour so URLs aren't loaded in the same screen

You can use these links to direct users to:

  • Other Datacake dashboards

  • External websites

  • Documentation portals

  • Customer support systems

  • Internal tools

To add a new navigation item, click the Add button at the bottom of the editor.

Navigation Entries

Configuring Navigation Links

For every menu item, configure the following:

Label

The visible text displayed in the navigation menu.

Examples:

  • Home

  • Dashboard

  • Documentation

  • Support

URL

The destination URL users will be redirected to when clicking the navigation item.

Examples:

  • https://example.com

Please make sure the full URL address is pasted, otherwise the navigation may not work correctly.

Open in New Tab

Enable this option if you want external links to open in a separate browser tab.

This is especially useful for:

  • Documentation portals

  • External company websites

  • Support systems

Layout Configuration

The Layout tab allows you to control how the navigation menu is displayed on the dashboard.

Available layout options:

  • Sidebar (Vertical) Displays navigation items vertically.

  • Top Bar (Horizontal) Displays navigation items horizontally.

You can also adjust the navigation font size to better match your dashboard design.

Layout Settings

Styling and Customisation

The Colours tab allows you to customise the appearance of the Menu Widget to match your dashboard branding.

Available styling options include:

  • Background Colour

  • Link Text Colour

  • Hover Background Colour

  • Hide Background Toggle

These settings make it possible to create fully branded customer navigation systems.

Colour Settings

Example Use Cases

The Menu Widget can be used in a variety of ways:

  • Creating navigation between multiple dashboards

  • Building customer portal navigation

  • Linking to documentation websites

  • Redirecting users to support systems

  • Creating white-labeled customer experiences

  • Linking external tools and applications

Best Practices

Keep Labels Short

Use short and descriptive labels to improve readability and navigation clarity.

Good examples include:

  • Home

  • Devices

  • Reports

  • Documentation

  • Support

Use Icons Consistently

Using consistent icons helps customers quickly identify navigation destinations.

Open External URLs in New Tabs

For external websites and portals, enabling Open in New Tab provides a smoother dashboard experience.

Match Your Branding

Use the colour customisation settings to align the Menu Widget with your company branding and dashboard theme.

Workspace Dashboard Support

The Menu Widget can also be used inside workspace dashboards.

This allows you to create centralised navigation systems that link:

  • Multiple dashboards

  • Workspace pages

  • Documentation portals

  • External applications

This is especially useful for enterprise and customer-facing dashboard environments.

Saving Your Widget

Once you’ve finished configuring your Menu Widget:

  1. Click Save inside the widget editor.

  2. Rearrange the widget as needed on your dashboard.

  3. Exit edit mode to publish your changes.

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