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School of Medicine IT

Add External Links to the Left-Hand Navigation

Sometimes you need a navigation item that points somewhere else instead of displaying a page on your site. The Page Links To plugin makes this possible by allowing a page to function as a redirect.

Because the left-hand navigation is generated from your site’s pages, you’ll create a page and configure it to redirect to another destination. The page appears in the left navigation like any other page, but when clicked, it sends visitors to an external website or another location within your site. This approach allows you to include important resources in the navigation without duplicating content or maintaining information you don’t own.

You can use this technique for links to:

  • External websites (NIH, PubMed, or partner institutions)
  • University-managed resources (HR systems, faculty or student resources)
  • Partner organization pages
  • Donation platforms
  • Forms or password-protected content hosted elsewhere
  • Content that belongs in multiple sections of your site

Link, Don’t Copy Content

When the material you want to include is owned or maintained by another organization, always link to it rather than copying it into your own pages. For example, the Health Sciences site includes an Insurance link under the Students section that redirects to the official insurance resource. Linking ensures visitors always see the most accurate and up-to-date information and helps prevent copyright or content ownership issues.

How To Add External Links to the Left Navigation

  1. Add a new page
    • From the dashboard, go to Pages → Add New.
  2. Give the page a Title
    • Give the page a descriptive title — this becomes the link text in the left navigation (“Student Insurance,” “Clinical Trials,” etc.).
  3. Assign a parent page
    1. In the Page Attributes panel, set the Parent to the section where you want the link to appear.
    2. Left navigation is based on page hierarchy, so this determines where your link appears.
    3. Learn more in our Left Navigation documentation.
  4. Add the redirect URL
    • Scroll to the Page Links To panel at the bottom of the editor and enter the full URL for the destination.
    • If you don’t see this panel, the plugin may need to be activated (see below).
  5. Publish the page.
  6. Test the Link
    • Check the left navigation to confirm placement and test that the link redirects correctly.

Activating the Page Links To Plugin

The Page Links To plugin is enabled by default on all SOM websites. If the Page Links To panel doesn’t appear in the editor, the plugin may have been deactivated.

Only users with Administrator access can manage plugins. If you do not have this role, contact your site administrator and request that they activate the plugin. Learn more about site access and permissions.

Activate the Plugin

  1. From the Dashboard, select Plugins.
  2. Find Page Links To in the list of plugin.
  3. Click Activate if it’s not already active.

Edit or Delete an External Navigation Link

Although redirect links can appear in your site’s navigation, you can’t edit them directly from the front end. When someone clicks the link, the web system redirects immediately, so the Edit Page option isn’t accessible.

How to Edit

  1. In the Dashboard, go to Pages.
  2. Locate the redirect page — these are marked with a link icon next to the title.
  3. Click the page title to edit.
  4. From here you can:
    • Change the redirect URL
    • Change the page title (link text)
    • Move it to a different section of your site (change the parent)
    • Delete the page if it’s no longer needed

Avoid Duplicating Content Across Sections

Some content naturally fits into multiple areas of your website. For example:

  • A Clinical Trials page might belong under Patient Care to recruit participants.
  • The same content might also belong under Research to highlight current studies.

Instead of duplicating the content, place it in one section, then create an external (redirect) link in the other section’s left-hand navigation. This ensures consistency and simplifies content management.