Sharing Menu Items

Sharing configuration controls which users can see specific Menu Items in navigation. Link and Web Menu Items support manual sharing to security roles and user groups, providing administrators with granular control over Menu Item visibility. Understanding sharing requirements ensures users see appropriate navigation options based on their roles and group memberships.

Requirements

To configure Menu Item sharing, users must be assigned a security role with the following permissions:

• Administrator System Role

Understanding Menu Item Sharing

Menu Item Types and Sharing Support

Not all Menu Item types support manual sharing. The following table summarizes sharing capabilities by Menu Item type:

How Sharing Affects Visibility

Menu Item visibility for Link and Web types is determined by the combination of:

1. App Assignment: The Menu Item must be assigned to an App that the user has access to
2. Sharing Configuration: The Menu Item must be shared to at least one role or group the user belongs to

Both conditions must be met for a user to see the Menu Item in navigation. If a Menu Item is assigned to an App but not shared to the user's roles or groups, the Menu Item will not appear.

Accessing Menu Item Sharing

To access sharing configuration for a Menu Item:

1. Navigate to the Setup Home page and click Create > Navigation Menu
2. Click the Menu Items tab
3. Locate the Link or Web Menu Item you want to share
4. Click the Actions dropdown and select Share

Sharing to Security Roles

Security role sharing makes a Menu Item visible to all users who belong to the specified roles.

Adding Role Sharing

To share a Menu Item to security roles:

1. Access the sharing configuration for the Menu Item
2. In the Security Roles section, locate the available roles
3. Select the roles that should have visibility to the Menu Item
4. Click Save to apply the sharing configuration

Removing Role Sharing

To remove sharing from security roles:

1. Access the sharing configuration for the Menu Item
2. In the Security Roles section, locate the currently shared roles
3. Deselect the roles that should no longer have visibility
4. Click Save to apply the changes

Sharing to User Groups

User group sharing makes a Menu Item visible to all members of the specified groups.

Adding Group Sharing

To share a Menu Item to user groups:

1. Access the sharing configuration for the Menu Item
2. In the User Groups section, locate the available groups
3. Select the groups that should have visibility to the Menu Item
4. Click Save to apply the sharing configuration

Removing Group Sharing

To remove sharing from user groups:

1. Access the sharing configuration for the Menu Item
2. In the User Groups section, locate the currently shared groups
3. Deselect the groups that should no longer have visibility
4. Click Save to apply the changes

Combined Role and Group Visibility

When a Menu Item is shared to both security roles and user groups, visibility is determined using OR logic. A user can see the Menu Item if they meet either condition:

• The user belongs to at least one security role the Menu Item is shared to, OR
• The user is a member of at least one user group the Menu Item is shared to

When an app is assigned to both roles and groups, access is determined using OR logic:

• Users can access the app if they belong to at least one assigned role.
• Users can access the app if they are members of at least one assigned group.

Users do not need to satisfy both conditions. Meeting either the role requirement or the group requirement grants visibility to the Menu Item.

Example Scenarios

Scenario 1: Role-Only Sharing

A Link Menu Item is shared to the "Partner Manager" security role. Only users with the Partner Manager role can see the Menu Item. Users in other roles or groups cannot see it.

Scenario 2: Group-Only Sharing

A Web Menu Item is shared to the "North America Partners" user group. Only members of the North America Partners group can see the Menu Item, regardless of their security role.

Scenario 3: Combined Role and Group Sharing

A Link Menu Item is shared to the "Sales Representative" role and the "Enterprise Accounts" group. Users can see the Menu Item if they have the Sales Representative role OR if they are members of the Enterprise Accounts group. A user with a different role who belongs to Enterprise Accounts can still see the Menu Item.

Sharing Configuration Workflow

For optimal results, configure Menu Item sharing before assigning Menu Items to Apps. This recommended workflow ensures visibility is properly established:

1. Create the Menu Item: Configure all Menu Item fields including label, icon, URL, and Mobile Ready setting
2. Configure Sharing: Share the Menu Item to appropriate security roles and user groups
3. Assign to App: Add the Menu Item to the appropriate App through the Menu Builder
4. Test Visibility: Verify the Menu Item appears correctly for users in the target roles and groups

Visibility for Other Menu Item Types

While Link and Web Menu Items use manual sharing, other Menu Item types have visibility controlled by different mechanisms:

Entity Menu Items

Entity Menu Item visibility is controlled by system permissions on the underlying entity. Users who have access to view the entity will see the Menu Item. Administrators cannot manually share Entity Menu Items; instead, adjust entity permissions to control visibility.

For information on configuring entity permissions, see Configuring Entity Permissions.

Active Page Menu Items

Active Page Menu Item visibility depends on the user's access to the underlying Active Page. Active Page access is typically controlled through role and group configuration on the Active Page itself. Administrators cannot manually share Active Page Menu Items.

Feature Menu Items

Feature Menu Item visibility is controlled entirely by the underlying feature that created them. For example:

• Article List Menu Items are visible to users who have access to the Article Types within that list
• Storefront Menu Items are visible based on storefront sharing configuration
• Wiki Menu Items are visible based on wiki access permissions

Administrators cannot manually share Feature Menu Items. To control visibility, adjust the sharing or permissions on the underlying feature.

Best Practices

Planning Sharing Strategy

Role-Based Approach: Use security role sharing when Menu Items should be visible based on job function or access level. Role sharing is effective for navigation that aligns with organizational hierarchy or permission tiers.

Group-Based Approach: Use user group sharing when Menu Items should be visible based on criteria other than security roles, such as geographic region, partner tier, product specialization, or project team membership.

Combined Approach: Use both role and group sharing when Menu Items need to be visible to multiple distinct audiences that don't share common roles or group memberships.

Maintaining Sharing Configuration

Document Sharing Decisions: Keep records of which Menu Items are shared to which roles and groups, along with the business rationale. This documentation aids future maintenance and troubleshooting.

Review After Role Changes: When security roles are added, modified, or removed, review Menu Item sharing to ensure navigation remains appropriate for all user types.

Review After Group Changes: When user groups are restructured, verify that Menu Item sharing still provides appropriate visibility for affected users.

Testing Visibility

Test Across User Types: After configuring sharing, test Menu Item visibility by logging in as users with different roles and group memberships. Verify that intended audiences can see the Menu Item and unintended audiences cannot.

Verify App Context: Remember that sharing alone does not make a Menu Item visible. The Menu Item must also be assigned to an App the user can access. Test the complete visibility chain from App assignment through sharing configuration.

Troubleshooting

Menu Item Not Visible After Sharing

Issue: A Link or Web Menu Item is not visible to users despite sharing configuration.

Solution: Verify the following:

• The Menu Item is shared to at least one role or group the user belongs to
• The Menu Item is assigned to an App the user has access to
• The user's security role and group memberships are correctly configured
• If the Menu Item is in a Folder, verify other Menu Items in the Folder are also visible (Folders hide when empty)

Menu Item Visible to Unintended Users

Issue: Users who should not see a Menu Item can access it in navigation.

Solution: Review the sharing configuration and check for:

• Overly broad role sharing that includes unintended user types
• Group memberships that grant unexpected access
• Remember that role OR group membership grants visibility; users may qualify through either path

Share Option Not Available

Issue: The Share option does not appear in the Actions dropdown for a Menu Item.

Solution: Only Link and Web Menu Items support manual sharing. Entity, Active Page, and Feature Menu Items do not have a Share option. For these Menu Item types, visibility is controlled through other mechanisms as described in this documentation.

Sharing Changes Not Taking Effect

Issue: Changes to sharing configuration do not appear to affect Menu Item visibility.

Solution: Ensure you clicked Save after making sharing changes. Have affected users refresh their browser or log out and back in to see updated navigation. Verify the user's current role and group memberships match expectations.

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