Title: Auto Submenu Author: Diana van de Laarschot Published: April 26, 2012 Last modified: December 3, 2025 --- Search plugins ![](https://ps.w.org/auto-submenu/assets/icon-128x128.png?rev=2957683) # Auto Submenu By [Diana van de Laarschot](https://profiles.wordpress.org/anaid/) [Download](https://downloads.wordpress.org/plugin/auto-submenu.1.0.5.zip) * [Details](https://pcd.wordpress.org/plugins/auto-submenu/#description) * [Reviews](https://pcd.wordpress.org/plugins/auto-submenu/#reviews) * [Installation](https://pcd.wordpress.org/plugins/auto-submenu/#installation) * [Development](https://pcd.wordpress.org/plugins/auto-submenu/#developers) [Support](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/auto-submenu/) ## Description The default custom menu in WordPress only allows checking the “Automatically add new top-level pages” (Appearance > Menus) or adding a Navigation block with all pages and all child pages (Appearance > Editor). With Auto Submenu you get extra functionality to automatically include child pages into the menu. **NEW: ASM now provides support for the Customizer via Appearance > Customize** ** NEW: ASM now provides support for Full Site Editing with the Gutenberg Block Editor via Appearance > Editor** ### Using it Enable the plugin and go to Appearance > Editor. For each Page in your menu, you now have the following extra configuration options: * Add child pages as submenu y/n; * child pages are ordered ascending by Menu Order; * specify the (maximum) nesting depth of children you want to show (max 3); * specify the title for the child pages. For this you can use %post_title, %post_author and other wildcards, see ‘Other Notes > Wildcards’. Default value: %post_title Via Appearance > Menus and Appearance > Customize you also get the following option: * Check the “Automatically add new top-level and all its child pages to this menu( Auto Submenu)”-checkbox. * If this option is checked, all top-level pages will automatically be added and will automatically have all child pages added as submenu. With the Free version you cannot control the nesting depth of the child pages, all subpages are added, regardless the depth of the page tree. #### Wildcards You can control the title of the menu items generated by the plug-in with the following wildcards: * %post_title * %post_author * %post_date for the unformatted post date: 2012-11-10 18:14:23 * %post_date() for a formatted post date with the following default formatting: November 10th, 2012 * %post_date() for custom date formatting. Example: %post_date( l jS \of F Y, h:i:s A). See [https://codex.wordpress.org/Formatting_Date_and_Time](https://codex.wordpress.org/Formatting_Date_and_Time) for formatting options. * %post_date_gmt * %post_date_gmt() * %post_date_gmt() ## Screenshots * [[ * Go to Appearance > Menu to automatically add top level and all its child pages to the menu when publishing a page. * [[ * Go to Appearance > Customize to automatically add top level and all its child pages to the menu when publishing a page. * [[ * Go to Appearance > Editor to enable/disable and set the options for adding child pages to each top level page in your menu. ## Blocks This plugin provides 1 block. * ASM Navigation Link Extension ## Installation 1. Go to plugins in your dashboard and select “Add New” 2. Search for “Auto Submenu” 3. Install and Activate the plugin ## FAQ ### How do I use it? Here’s a walkthrough: 1. Create a page with title “Page 1” 2. Save the page 3. Create a child page with title “Child Page 1” and parent “Page 1” 4. Save the child page 5. Go to Appearances > Menus (or via Appearance > Customize or Appearance > Editor, in WordPress 5.4 or higher) 6. Add your page named “Page 1” 7. Open the menu item and check “Automatically create submenu with child pages” 8. Save the menu If you now look at your website, “Page 1” has a submenu with “Child Page 1” below it. Add additional child page and you will automatically see these additional child pages in the menu. ### Missing CSS classes The CSS class ‘current-post-ancestor’ is not applied correctly. This is a bug in WordPress that I have reported here: https://core.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/32918 This is not something I am able to fix in the plugin, it has to be fixed in WordPress. I’m sorry for the inconvenience. ### Performance issues The plugin is potentially very expensive, especially when you have a lot of pages and child pages. The solution would be to cache the menu using transients, as reported here https:// wordpress.org/support/topic/performance-problem-many-database-queries?replies=11# post-7829450 > $my_cached_menu = get_transient( ‘my_cached_menu’); > if( $my_cached_menu === false ) > { > $my_cached_menu = wp_nav_menu( … ); > set_transient( “my_cached_menu_”, $my_cached_menu, YEAR_IN_SECONDS ); > } > echo $my_cached_menu; ### Can’t see it working in any way Problem: “I can’t see what effect it has had. Nothing has changed (not that I can see) in the Appearance > Menu/Customize/Editor pages. It’s just like before.” If you are using a recent version of Auto Submenu and an updated version of WordPress, the problem can only occur due to your theme or other plugins conflicting with Auto Submenu. Please disable all themes and plugins except ASM; verify that the ASM fields show; enable other plugins and themes one by one to determine which plugin/theme conflicts with ASM. Note: A theme must either call wp_nav_menu() or apply_filters( ‘wp_nav_menu_objects’,…) for ASM to be triggered. ### Does not work for scheduled pages Automatically adding future dated child pages doesn’t work due to what appears to be a bug in the WordPress core. Future dated top-level pages don’t seem to get added to custom menus either. ## Reviews ![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/b0ad371d89b67dacbedbe94d6241bda4b90222bc2a5ac9bf188bd98f1d5177db? s=60&d=retro&r=g) ### 󠀁[Should be indeed core function](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/should-be-indeed-core-function/)󠁿 [emrock5](https://profiles.wordpress.org/emrock5/) October 15, 2024 Page Structure sync to Menu rocks.Works like a charm along with “CMS Tree Page View”– Plugin ![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/0c981f78e13343a15c68dc885c4013031d4648bee1bcdd236898881d09233c44? s=60&d=retro&r=g) ### 󠀁[Does not work](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/does-not-work-1539/)󠁿 [coconutboy](https://profiles.wordpress.org/megazord/) November 3, 2023 Appreciate the dev to have developed something like this but it’s amazing how in 2023, wordpress cannot resolve URL like every other cms. Wow, just wow. ![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/73bfb2993c68daef6f76d9e2101de9c3d7944c35873c0e8d0777caa8e9ac3d61? s=60&d=retro&r=g) ### 󠀁[Working fine in 2023](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/working-fine-in-2023/)󠁿 [Claudio](https://profiles.wordpress.org/cl4udio/) August 30, 2023 Simple solution for a simple problem. Works like a champ without apply any additional settings. ![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/a4cb3cccc09f9a4d2ece725205ee15e7cc89089782686bb03ceb783d3c915882? s=60&d=retro&r=g) ### 󠀁[Works perfect](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/works-perfect-347/)󠁿 [mkoppen](https://profiles.wordpress.org/mkoppen/) September 3, 2016 This work simple and perfect. for me as a beginner with wordpress Thanks ![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/46f7b40dfcdb119108ec69f887eae9aa24fcbd380849af058fbf489ba17b4090? s=60&d=retro&r=g) ### 󠀁[it Works, but with Flaws…](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/it-works-but-with-flaws/)󠁿 [thorshammer](https://profiles.wordpress.org/thorshammer/) September 3, 2016 An excellent tool, thank you! Flaws: 1. Needs better explanation on how to implement– getting started might seem intuitive to some, others (like myself) have to figure out how to start a new menu’s “child” hierarchy correctly; 2. When adding new pages, MUST get it right first try; if you forget to make the new page a child (using “ PARENT” drop-down), you cannot go back after and correct – the auto-add menu feature won’t see it; have to redo /clone the page and get it right this time; ![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/a9b5bac015540d35b2eb5ab2f6bc995bbca3813289296fa5f931b2f34e4e03b6? s=60&d=retro&r=g) ### 󠀁[Doesn't work](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/doesnt-work-1249/)󠁿 [simon_a6](https://profiles.wordpress.org/simon_a6/) September 3, 2016 With or without that other box ticked, and with Setting Parent correct, it doesn’t appear in the menu. [ Read all 25 reviews ](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/auto-submenu/reviews/) ## Contributors & Developers “Auto Submenu” is open source software. The following people have contributed to this plugin. Contributors * [ Diana van de Laarschot ](https://profiles.wordpress.org/anaid/) * [ jamocreations ](https://profiles.wordpress.org/jamocreations/) [Translate “Auto Submenu” into your language.](https://translate.wordpress.org/projects/wp-plugins/auto-submenu) ### Interested in development? [Browse the code](https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/auto-submenu/), check out the [SVN repository](https://plugins.svn.wordpress.org/auto-submenu/), or subscribe to the [development log](https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/log/auto-submenu/) by [RSS](https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/log/auto-submenu/?limit=100&mode=stop_on_copy&format=rss). ## Changelog #### 1.0.5 * Confirmed compatibility with WordPress 6.9 #### 1.0.4 * Confirmed compatibility with WordPress 6.8 #### 1.0.3 * Confirmed compatibility with WordPress 6.7 #### 1.0.2 * Confirmed compatibility with WordPress 6.6 #### 1.0.1 Bugfix: Plugin moved page to the bottom of the submenu. #### 1.0.0 Now provides support editing via the Customizer. Now provides support for Full Site Editing with the Gutenberg Block Editor. #### 0.3.1 * Confirmed compatibility with WordPress 6.4 #### 1.0.0 Plugin has been split into a Free and a Premium version. The Free version functionality is unchanged. Premium version has extended functionality. #### 0.3.0 * Confirmed compatibility with WordPress 6.3 * If the page is moved under a different parent, also move it in the menu. #### 0.2 * Added support for multiple menus. #### 0.1 * First release. ## Meta * Version **1.0.5** * Last updated **4 months ago** * Active installations **2,000+** * WordPress version ** 5.4 or higher ** * Tested up to **6.9.4** * PHP version ** 7.4 or higher ** * Language * [English (US)](https://wordpress.org/plugins/auto-submenu/) * Tags * [menu](https://pcd.wordpress.org/plugins/tags/menu/)[navigation](https://pcd.wordpress.org/plugins/tags/navigation/) [pages](https://pcd.wordpress.org/plugins/tags/pages/)[submenu](https://pcd.wordpress.org/plugins/tags/submenu/) [subpages](https://pcd.wordpress.org/plugins/tags/subpages/) * [Advanced View](https://pcd.wordpress.org/plugins/auto-submenu/advanced/) ## Ratings 4 out of 5 stars. * [ 16 5-star reviews ](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/auto-submenu/reviews/?filter=5) * [ 2 4-star reviews ](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/auto-submenu/reviews/?filter=4) * [ 2 3-star reviews ](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/auto-submenu/reviews/?filter=3) * [ 0 2-star reviews ](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/auto-submenu/reviews/?filter=2) * [ 5 1-star reviews ](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/auto-submenu/reviews/?filter=1) [Add my review](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/auto-submenu/reviews/#new-post) [See all reviews](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/auto-submenu/reviews/) ## Contributors * [ Diana van de Laarschot ](https://profiles.wordpress.org/anaid/) * [ jamocreations ](https://profiles.wordpress.org/jamocreations/) ## Support Got something to say? Need help? [View support forum](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/auto-submenu/) ## Donate Would you like to support the advancement of this plugin? [ Donate to this plugin ](https://wordpress.telodelic.nl/auto-submenu)