Quick Launch: add new heading without an URL

Question

_{Wednesday, June 2, 2010 11:25 AM}

Hi,

On a standard site, I can edit the quick launch menu to add new links and headings.
Whenever I click on "new heading", I'm forced to enter a link for this heading. I cannot leave it blank to have a plain text heading.

When I activate the publishing feature, the quick launch settings get more advanced (and renamed to navigation on the site settings page).
When I add a new heading there, I can leave the URL field blank to get a plain text heading.

Is there any way to do the same with the default quick launch settings, or do I have to enable the publishing feature on every site to accomplish something simple as this ?

All replies (11)

_{Wednesday, June 2, 2010 11:56 AM ✅Answered}

Hello,

No, You can't add new heading without an URL

_{Friday, February 11, 2011 3:55 AM ✅Answered | 1 vote}

You can put "javascript: return true;" in the URL field and it will happily take it and do nothing if a user clicks on it.

_{Thursday, June 3, 2010 8:41 AM}

But why is it possible when activating the Publishing feature then ?

The default menu items are different from the ones after enabling the Publishing feature ?

_{Thursday, June 3, 2010 8:45 AM}

But why is it possible when activating the Publishing feature then ?

The default menu items are different from the ones after enabling the Publishing feature ?

Hello,

no aren't. But navigation are different from the ones after enabling the Publishing feature.

_{Thursday, June 3, 2010 9:34 AM}

Ok thanks for this information.

So whenever I want headings that act as plain text (no links) I'll enable the publishing feature.

_{Friday, February 11, 2011 8:06 AM}

Thanks bgreen.

Currently we're using the publishing feature, so we can stick to the default behaviour from SharePoint and we don't have to come up with workarounds for everything that doesn't work as it should.

_{Wednesday, January 25, 2012 6:35 PM}

Found a workaround, works well...

Better late than never right?

http://kvdlinden.blogspot.com/2011/02/add-spnavigation-heading-to-quicklaunch.html

_{Wednesday, March 28, 2012 2:21 PM}

This worked for me - glad I kept reading past the no anwsers to find this.

Technically they are right as it is still a URL but it doesnt do anything when you click it as stated.

Well done BGreen

_{Wednesday, June 27, 2012 10:00 PM}

When I do this, I get a page error (lower left corner of screen shows Error with the yellow triangle).  Have you ever gotten this page error?

_{Thursday, January 29, 2015 2:22 PM}

When trying to create a non-active link in a heading in the navigation menu, you can put "/javascript:location.reload()" OR "/javascript: returntrue;" in the URL field and it will happily take it and do nothing if a user clicks on it.

_{Monday, December 9, 2019 7:15 PM}

CSOM PowerShell code:

To create quick launch link heading without URL, try below code. It is tested for SharePoint Online.

$newNavNode = New-Object Microsoft.SharePoint.Client.NavigationNodeCreationInformation;
$newNavNode.Title = "Office 365";
$newNavNode.AsLastNode = $true;
$newNavNode.IsExternal = $true;

$libheading = $dQLaunchColl.Add($newNavNode);

Property "IsExternal = $true" does all magic here. Once it is set to true, ExecuteQuery() will not validate URL.