Umbraco Menu Items

What is it?

Menu items are extension components that appear throughout the Umbraco backoffice in sidebars, button flyouts, and other locations. They work alongside Menu extensions to provide navigational and action-based functionality. Menu items come in different kinds (link, action, tree) and can use default components or custom elements.

Documentation

Always fetch the latest docs before implementing:

• Main docs: https://docs.umbraco.com/umbraco-cms/customizing/extending-overview/extension-types/menu-item
• Menu: https://docs.umbraco.com/umbraco-cms/customizing/extending-overview/extension-types/menu
• Foundation: https://docs.umbraco.com/umbraco-cms/customizing/foundation
• Extension Registry: https://docs.umbraco.com/umbraco-cms/customizing/extending-overview/extension-registry

Reference Example

The Umbraco source includes a working example:

Location: /Umbraco-CMS/src/Umbraco.Web.UI.Client/examples/menu-item/

This example demonstrates custom menu items with different kinds. Study this for production patterns.

Related Foundation Skills

If you need to explain these foundational concepts when implementing menu items, reference these skills:

• Umbraco Element: When implementing custom menu item elements, explaining UmbLitElement, or creating menu item components

  • Reference skill: umbraco-umbraco-element

• Controllers: When implementing UmbMenuItemAction, action logic, execute methods, or menu item behavior

  • Reference skill: umbraco-controllers

• Context API: When implementing context access or service consumption from menu item actions

  • Reference skill: umbraco-context-api

Workflow

1. Fetch docs - Use WebFetch on the URLs above
2. Ask questions - What kind? Which menu? Link, action, or tree? Custom element needed?
3. Generate files - Create manifest + element (if custom) based on latest docs
4. Explain - Show what was created and how to test

Minimal Examples

Link Menu Item (manifest.ts)

export const manifests = [
  {
    type: "menuItem",
    kind: "link",
    alias: "My.MenuItem.Link",
    name: "My Link Menu Item",
    weight: 100,
    meta: {
      label: "External Link",
      icon: "icon-link",
      menus: ["Umb.Menu.Help"],
      href: "https://example.com"
    }
  }
];

Action Menu Item (manifest.ts)

export const manifests = [
  {
    type: "menuItem",
    kind: "action",
    alias: "My.MenuItem.Action",
    name: "My Action Menu Item",
    api: () => import('./menu-item-action.js'),
    meta: {
      label: "Execute Action",
      icon: "icon-wand",
      menus: ["My.Menu"]
    }
  }
];

Action Implementation (menu-item-action.ts)

import { UmbMenuItemAction } from '@umbraco-cms/backoffice/menu';

export class MyMenuItemAction extends UmbMenuItemAction {
  async execute() {
    console.log('Menu item clicked!');
    // Perform custom logic here
  }
}

export default MyMenuItemAction;

Tree Menu Item (manifest.ts)

export const manifests = [
  {
    type: "menuItem",
    kind: "tree",
    alias: "My.MenuItem.Tree",
    name: "My Tree Menu Item",
    meta: {
      label: "Tree Structure",
      icon: "icon-folder",
      menus: ["Umb.Menu.Content"],
      treeAlias: "My.Tree"
    }
  }
];

Custom Element Menu Item (menu-item.element.ts)

import { html, customElement } from '@umbraco-cms/backoffice/external/lit';
import { UmbLitElement } from '@umbraco-cms/backoffice/lit-element';

@customElement('my-menu-item')
export class MyMenuItemElement extends UmbLitElement {

  #onClick() {
    // Custom logic
  }

  render() {
    return html`
      <uui-menu-item
        label="Custom Item"
        @click="${this.#onClick}"
      >
        <uui-icon name="icon-wand"></uui-icon>
      </uui-menu-item>
    `;
  }
}

export default MyMenuItemElement;

Menu Item Kinds

1. Link - Navigate to external URLs (href property)
2. Action - Execute custom logic on click (requires api implementation)
3. Tree - Display submenu from tree structure (treeAlias property)

Key Properties

• type: Always "menuItem"
• kind: Type of menu item ("link", "action", "tree")
• alias: Unique identifier
• meta.label: Display text
• meta.icon: Icon identifier
• meta.menus: Array of menu aliases to appear in
• weight: Controls ordering (higher = later in list)
• element: Path to custom element (optional)
• api: Action implementation (for kind: "action")

That's it! Always fetch fresh docs, keep examples minimal, generate complete working code.