# Using the Discourse sidebar

**URL:** https://meta.discourse.org/t/using-the-discourse-sidebar/258478
**Category:** Using Discourse
**Tags:** reference, sidebar, interface
**Created:** [March 17, 2023, 8:49am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/using-the-discourse-sidebar/258478 "2023-03-17T08:49:20Z")
**Posts on this page:** 1
**Showing post:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![Discourse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/discourse/32/148734_2.png) [@Discourse](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Discourse)
#### Post date: [March 17, 2023, 8:49am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/using-the-discourse-sidebar/258478/1 "2023-03-17T08:49:21Z")

</div>

> 🔖 This is a comprehensive guide explaining the various features and functionalities of the Discourse sidebar, including how to customize it for your needs.
> 
> 🙋 Required user level: All users

The sidebar in Discourse provides quick access to various forum features and allows for easy navigation. This guide will walk you through the different sections of the sidebar and how to use them effectively.

## Community section

The community section contains essential navigation links. It is divided into primary links shown directly, and secondary links accessible under **More**.

**Primary links:**

- **Topics** : Shows the latest posts on your forum.
- **My Posts** : Takes you to your activity page. When you have drafts, this link dynamically changes to show “My Drafts” and takes you to your drafts instead.
- **My Messages** : Takes you to your personal messages (visible if you can send private messages).
- **Invite** : Allows you to quickly invite others to the forum (visible if you have permission to invite).

Staff members will also see **Review** (for moderation) and **Admin** (for site management) options.

**Secondary links (under More):**

- **Users** : Shows the user directory.
- **About** : Provides information about your forum.
- **FAQ** : Links to your forum’s FAQ page.
- **Groups** : Takes you to the groups page.
- **Badges** : Displays the badge gallery.
- **Filter** : Opens the advanced topic filter page.

Administrators can customize the community section by clicking **More** and then **Customize this section** to add, remove, or reorder links for all users.

> 💡 There may be additional buttons if you have plugins installed. For example, if you have [Cakeday](https://meta.discourse.org/t/discourse-cakeday/38447) installed on your forum, **Anniversaries and Birthdays** will appear in your sidebar.

## Categories and tags

This section displays categories and tags for easy access. To customize:

1. Click on the pencil icon next to the section header to edit your categories or tags.
2. Use the modal to add or remove categories and tags.
3. Click on **All categories** or **All tags** to view the complete list.

Administrators can set which categories and tags appear by default for all users via the `default navigation menu categories` and `default navigation menu tags` site settings.

## Chat

If your forum has Chat enabled, Chat appears as a separate panel in the sidebar. You can switch between the main forum panel and the Chat panel using the panel switcher buttons.

The Chat panel includes:

- **My Threads** : View threads you’re participating in
- **Starred Channels** : Quick access to channels you’ve starred
- **Channels** : Browse and access public chat channels (if enabled)
- **Direct Messages** : Access your personal chats

To start a new direct message, click the **+** button in the Direct Messages section.

## Customizing your sidebar

You can adjust how navigation items behave in your user preferences:

1. Go to your user preferences.
2. Find the **Navigation Menu** section.
3. Adjust settings for how new and unread topics are displayed (link to filtered list, show count of new items).

To customize which categories and tags appear in your sidebar, use the pencil icon directly on the Categories or Tags sections in the sidebar itself.

## Creating custom sidebar sections

To add a custom section:

1. Click the **+** button at the bottom of the sidebar.
2. In the modal, customize the icon, name, and links for your new section.

This feature allows you to create personalized navigation options to improve your productivity. Administrators can also create global sidebar sections visible to all forum members by toggling the **Public** option when creating a section.

## Mobile access

To open the sidebar on mobile devices, tap the hamburger menu icon in the top right corner, next to your profile picture.

## Additional notes

- The sidebar layout and available options may vary depending on your forum’s settings and installed plugins.
- Administrators can customize the community section links for all users and create global sidebar sections.

> ✍ This document was originally written by @twofoursixeight.

> Last edited by @lindsey 2025-01-17T12:57:19Z
> 
> Last checked by @hugh 2024-10-29T00:35:45Z
> 
> > **Check document**
> >
> > Perform check on document:

---

_[View the full topic](https://meta.discourse.org/t/using-the-discourse-sidebar/258478)._