Create managed metadata navigation in SharePoint 2013/2016

This SharePoint tutorial, we will discuss how to create managed metadata navigation in SharePoint 2013/2016.

In my previously Configure and Consume managed metadata service we have learned how to configure MMS and consume it in a list. Now let us see how to create a top and left navigation panes.

SharePoint managed metadata navigation

We have many ways to create navigation panes in SharePoint, few of them are:

• Hard coding the navigation in user control and render with c#
• Create a SharePoint list to add elements for navigation and read them using c# or CSOM
• Creating top navigation using SharePoint designer
• Add elements as part of site navigation
• Implement a term store and associate it in site navigation

Advantages of managed metadata service (MMS) Navigation in SharePoint

We will get many benefits if we create top/left navigation using managed metadata service (MMS) service a few of them are:

• Less Maintenance
• More reusability
• More control on elements in the navigation

• Less Maintenance: Since we are using out of the box functionality there is no code deployments and code maintenance.
• More Reusability: As we are using managed metadata service (MMS) term store we can use the same term store other site collections as well. This is really cool and time-saving approach.
• More control on elements in navigation: Adding terms / new elements requires special permissions so we will have more control on navigation elements.

Create managed metadata navigation in SharePoint 2013/2016

Let us walk through the process of implementing this approach.

Ensure that managed metadata service (MMS) service is associated/configures for the web application

• Log on to SharePoint 2013/2016 Central Administration
• Navigate to below path
• Central Admin -> Application Management -> Manage Service Application (under Configure Service Application Associations)
• Ensure that managed metadata service (MMS) is associated with the web application as shown in below screenshot

Navigate to the site collection where you want to configure Term Store
Site settings -> Term Store Management

Note: You must have Site Owner permissions to perform this.

Create Term set and Term as guided in my previous article Configure and Consume MMS.

After you created Term Set enable Site Navigation option as shown below

• Select Term Set parent Click on “INTENDED USE” on right-hand side
• Select the checkbox for “use this Term Set for Site Navigation”
• Click on Save button

As soon as you click on “Save” button SharePoint will add one more tab called “TERM-DRIVEN PAGES” to custom page URL for each and every term.

Now let us associate the Terms with their respective pages by clicking on browse option and click on Save.

Repeat this for all the Term(s) in the Term Set as shown below.

Once you complete this custom page association, move on navigation Site Settings -> Navigation

Note: This navigation is available only if the site collection feature “SharePoint Server Publishing Infrastructure“

Select Managed Navigation option in both Global and Current Navigation and select Term Set as shown below and click on OK.

Once it is association completed success it will look like as below.

You may like following SharePoint tutorials:

• The Managed Metadata Service or Connection is currently not available.
• Create a responsive navigation menu using managed metadata navigation in SharePoint server 2013
• SharePoint 2013 The Managed Metadata Service or Connection is currently not available
• How to create and configure metadata navigation and filtering SharePoint Online?
• Working with Enterprise Metadata and Keywords Settings for List and Document library in SharePoint Online
• How to configure metadata navigation for document libraries in SharePoint Online?
• Enterprise Metadata and Keywords Settings in SharePoint 2013
• Error loading navigation: The Managed Navigation term set is improperly attached to the site SharePoint 2013 error
• Managed Metadata not displaying Group name Site collection URL SharePoint 2013 Office 365
• SharePoint Metadata Navigation Settings tutorial (List and Library)
• Top Navigation Managed Metadata Open menu in New Window Office 365 SharePoint 2013
• Create Page templates in SharePoint Online Modern Experience

This is how we can create managed metadata navigation in sharepoint 2013 or SharePoint 2016.