Navigation item types
Every item in a navigation menu has a type. The type decides what the item points to and what your users get when they select it.
There are four: Internal link, Web link, Sub Navigation, and CQL.
You set the type when you add an item, and you can change it later by editing the item. For how to add and edit items, see Configure navigation menus.
Internal link
Links to a page in your Confluence site. Select the page from the Link picker rather than pasting a URL, so the link keeps working if the page moves.
Internal links point to pages. To link to a space, a blog post, or anything else, use a Web link.
Display name is optional here. Leave it empty and the item shows the page's own title, which then stays in step with the page if someone renames it.
Web link
Links to any URL, inside or outside Confluence. Use it for external systems, and for Confluence content an internal link can't reach, such as a space or a blog post.
Enter the full address in URL, including https://. The field rejects an address without it.
Sub Navigation
Groups other items into a folder. Users select it to open the items inside rather than to go anywhere.
Sub Navigation items can hold other Sub Navigation items, up to three levels deep. That's enough for a section, a subsection, and the links inside it.
To add items inside a folder, hover over it and select +. See Configure navigation menus.
CQL
Fills the menu with content that matches a Confluence Query Language (CQL) search, instead of links you pick by hand. The list updates itself as content changes, so it suits anything that shouldn't be maintained manually: recent blog posts, pages with a particular label, everything in a given space.
Enter your query in the CQL field. For example, type = blogpost lists blog posts.
If the query can't run, you see an error when you save it.
Users see the matching pages as a list under the item. They can jump straight to one result from the menu, or open everything in one place - every list is completed by View all in advanced content search option, which opens the full set of results in Advanced Content Search.
Settings on every item
Whatever type you choose, each item also has:
Icon adds an image next to the item. Show only icon hides the display name and leaves just the icon, which is useful for keeping a crowded menu narrow.
Allow list and Block list control who sees the item. Every item needs an allow list; any logged-in user is the default. See Visibility and permissions.
Link tab behavior appears on Internal link and Web link items. Choose Same tab to open the link in place, or New tab to leave the current page where it is. CQL items don't have this setting and will open in the same tab.
Limits
Display name: under 30 characters. Required for Web link, Sub Navigation, and CQL. Optional for Internal link.
Sub Navigation: can be configured only three levels deep.