Creating, editing, and activating your navigation bar

NOTE: THIS DOCUMENTATION IS OUTDATED, AND NEW NAVIGATION BAR CHANGES WILL BE IMPLEMENTED IN FALL 2024

You can add links to D2L Brightspace tools that you use in your class, such as Content, Quizzes, Assignments, Discussions, and Grades to a navigation bar. You can also add links to content on other web sites or to tools that are not part of the default navigation bar. You cannot add all the tools on the navigation bar. Some tools are only available in widgets and on the minibar.

Before making changes to your navigation, please know that our students strongly prefer consistent navigation and layout in their courses.

Since the minibar contains links to My Home, courses, and user settings, the links on your navigation bar should primarily be tools that your students need to complete your course work.

  • Who is this for: Online Instructors
  • What is required: A D2L Brightspace course and links to tools or resources not currently in the navbar

Create a custom navbar

  1. Click Course Admin in your navbar.
  2. Select Navigation and Themes.
  3. Click the action menu next to the one of the PCC navbar you want to copy, e.g. PCC Default Navbar.
  4. Select Copy from your options. This will make a copy of that navbar for you to edit and customize.
  5. Click the title of your custom navbar.
  6. Adjust the name to something appropriate. e.g. Jim’s BA101 Navbar.
    • To add links to your navbar, click Add Links. Use the search box to find the link you want to add (e.g. Online Rooms), check the box next to it, and click the Add button.
    • To rearrange the order of your new navbar, hover over the button you want to move, left mouse click it, then drag and drop it into its new location.
    • To delete unwanted items from the navbar, hover over the button and click the X.
  7. Click the Save and Close button.

Edit a custom navbar

  1. Click Course Admin in your navbar.
  2. Select Navigation and Themes.
  3. Click the title of your custom navbar.
    • To add links to your navbar, click Add Links. Use the search box to find the link you want to add (e.g. Online Rooms), check the box next to it, and click the Add button.
    • To rearrange the order of your new navbar, hover over the button you want to move, left mouse click it, then drag and drop it into its new location.
    • To delete unwanted items from the navbar, hover over the button and click the X.
  4. Click the Save and Close button.

Activate your custom navbar

  1. Click Course Admin in your navbar.
  2. Select Navigation and Themes.
  3. Under the Create Navbar button at the top of the page you will see a heading for Active Navbar.
  4. Click the action menu by the title of the current navbar.
  5. Select your custom navbar.
  6. Click the Apply button.