How to Create a Hub Site Navigation Model

You want to connect multiple SharePoint sites under a single navigation structure so users can move between departments, projects, or regions without remembering different site URLs. A hub site navigation model lets you define a shared top-level navigation bar that appears on every site associated with the hub. This article explains how to set up that model by registering a hub site, associating child sites, and configuring the global navigation links.

A hub site acts as a central point for organizing related sites. When you associate a site with a hub, the hub’s navigation automatically appears on the associated site. You can also create a global navigation menu that includes links to the hub itself, child sites, and external resources like SharePoint pages or Microsoft Teams channels.

This guide covers the prerequisites, step-by-step configuration, and common mistakes to avoid when building a hub site navigation model in SharePoint Online.

What Is a Hub Site Navigation Model

A hub site navigation model is a hierarchy of SharePoint sites where one site acts as the central hub. The hub’s navigation bar appears on every site that joins the hub. This creates a consistent user experience across different site collections without requiring users to remember separate URLs or navigate back to a portal.

The navigation model includes two main elements:

Hub Navigation

Hub navigation is the top-level menu bar that displays on the hub site and all associated sites. By default, it shows the hub site name and links you define. You can add up to 10 links to the hub navigation bar.

Global Navigation

Global navigation is a separate menu that appears below the hub navigation. It can contain links to child sites, pages, document libraries, or external URLs. Global navigation supports up to 15 links and can include submenus with up to 10 links each.

Before you start, you need the following permissions:

• SharePoint admin or Global admin role to register a site as a hub.
• Site owner or site collection administrator permission on the hub site to configure navigation.
• Site owner permission on child sites to associate them with the hub.

Steps to Create a Hub Site and Configure Navigation

Follow these steps in order. You must register the hub first, then associate sites, and finally configure the navigation links.

1. Register a site as a hub site
   Go to the SharePoint admin center at https://admin.microsoft.com/SharePoint. In the left navigation, select Active sites. Find the site you want to use as the hub. Select the site name to open the details panel. Scroll to Hub site and choose Register as hub site. In the dialog, enter a display name for the hub. Optionally, add a description. Select Save. The site is now a hub.
2. Associate child sites with the hub
   Open the child site you want to connect. Select the gear icon to open the Site information panel. Under Hub site association, click Join a hub. In the search box, type the name of the hub site you registered. Select the hub from the results. Click Join. The child site now displays the hub’s navigation bar. Repeat for each child site.
3. Add links to the hub navigation bar
   On the hub site, select Settings (gear icon) and then Hub site settings. Under Hub navigation, click Add link. Choose the link type: Site (a SharePoint site), Page (a site page), or URL (any external address). Enter the display name and the URL. Click OK. Repeat to add up to 10 links. Use the drag handle to reorder links. Click Save at the bottom of the page.
4. Configure global navigation for child sites
   Still in Hub site settings, scroll to Global navigation. Select Show global navigation on all sites associated with this hub. Click Add link to start building the menu. For each link, specify the type, display name, and URL. To create a submenu, select a link and click Add sublink. You can nest links up to two levels deep. Click Save to apply the global navigation to all associated sites.
5. Verify the navigation on a child site
   Open any associated child site. The hub navigation bar appears at the top of the page. The global navigation menu appears below it if you enabled it. Click each link to confirm it opens the correct destination. If a link is missing, return to hub site settings and check that the link is saved.

Common Mistakes and Limitations

Hub navigation links do not appear on child sites

This happens when the child site has not fully synced with the hub. Wait up to 15 minutes after association. If the issue persists, remove the child site from the hub and rejoin it. Go to the child site’s Site information panel, click Leave hub, then follow the association steps again.

Global navigation menu is empty or missing

The global navigation only appears if you explicitly enable it in hub site settings. Go to Hub site settings > Global navigation and confirm the checkbox Show global navigation on all sites associated with this hub is selected. Also verify you added at least one link.

Maximum link limits

Hub navigation supports a maximum of 10 links. Global navigation supports up to 15 links, with each link allowing up to 10 sublinks. If you exceed these limits, the navigation may truncate or fail to save. Plan your navigation hierarchy before adding links.

Associating a site that is already a hub

A site cannot be both a hub and a child of another hub. If you try to associate a registered hub site with a different hub, the association will fail. You must first unregister the site as a hub before joining another hub. Go to the SharePoint admin center, select the site, and choose Unregister as hub site.

Navigation links point to broken pages

If you move or delete a site or page that a navigation link points to, the link becomes broken. Review your hub navigation and global navigation links periodically. Use the Check link option in hub site settings to test each URL.

Item	Hub Navigation	Global Navigation
Where it appears	Hub site and all associated child sites	Hub site and all associated child sites
Maximum number of links	10	15
Supports submenus	No	Yes, up to 10 sublinks per link
Configuration location	Hub site settings > Hub navigation	Hub site settings > Global navigation
Link types allowed	Site, Page, URL	Site, Page, URL

You can now create a hub site navigation model that connects multiple SharePoint sites under a single menu. Start by registering a communication site or team site as a hub in the SharePoint admin center. Then associate your department, project, or regional sites with that hub. Finally, build the hub navigation and global navigation links to match your organization’s information architecture.

For advanced scenarios, consider using SharePoint site themes to ensure the hub and child sites share the same color scheme. You can apply a theme to the hub site, and child sites can inherit it by selecting Use the same theme as the hub site in their site appearance settings. This creates a fully branded navigation model that aligns with your company’s visual identity.