A hamburger menu is a type of navigation menu commonly used in website design. Represented by that simple three-line icon (which kind of looks like a hamburger), tapping or clicking it makes a hidden menu slide out, drop down, or appear in some way. It's a popular trick for keeping things clean and taking advantage of space, especially on smaller screens such as phones, without hiding essential ways of navigating the website.

Basically, the hamburger menu design keeps a website tidy and still makes it easy for people to get what they need in one click or tap.

How does a hamburger menu work?

When you tap or click on that hamburger button, it’s like you flip a switch to reveal the secret navigation links. Here are some of its core features.

• Hidden by default. The menu icon is kept out of view, keeping the main view of the website clean.
• Click/tap to reveal. When you interact with the icon, the menu appears, showing you the links to different parts of the site. The resulting displayed menu list provides easy access to navigation options.
• Sequential access. Since menu items are usually stacked on a list, users often go through them in order. This layout is perfect for prioritizing important links.
• Space-saving. It's a clever way to deal with a lot of links and you have limited screen real estate. On mobile, where you only have so few pixels to work with, a hamburger menu keeps the interface clean.

Examples of hamburger menus

You've probably encountered hamburger menus on lots of familiar sites and apps.

• Facebook. Whether you're on your phone or even the desktop version sometimes, that three-line icon usually opens up a menu with groups, events, settings, and more.
• Amazon. When you're browsing Amazon on your phone, the hamburger menu is often there to give you quick access to shopping categories, your account details, and other important sections without making the main screen too busy.

Why use a hamburger menu?

The main reason why hamburger menus are so common is that they give the user interface a cleaner and more organized look. They're particularly helpful if:

• You want to save space or reduce clutter on a website.
• You have numerous pages or divisions, and you require a compact way of organizing them.
• Your design is mobile-first or needs to adapt seamlessly to smaller screens.

However, it’s important to use it thoughtfully. Hiding navigation behind an icon can sometimes make it a little harder for people to immediately see what's available. 

How to add a hamburger menu to your website

Want to add a hamburger menu button to your own site? Here’s how.

1. Choose a design. Do you want the menu items to come in from the side, fall in from the top, or something else?
2. Use a plugin or framework. If you're using a website builder, there usually are options or plugins available that make it easy to add a hamburger menu. If you're coding from scratch and creating a site, you'll likely be using some code (CSS and JavaScript).
3. Add the menu icon. You'll need to insert the three-line icon itself. You can insert this using code or use an image or icon font.
4. Style the expanded menu. You'll have to determine what it's like when it falls out, including how it animates and what style the links are.
5. Test it on mobile. Since hamburger menus are commonly utilized for mobile, make sure it appears and works well on varying phone and tablet displays.

FAQs about hamburger menus

Why is it called a hamburger menu?

The term "hamburger menu" comes from the icon's resemblance to a hamburger. The three stacked horizontal lines resemble the layers of a sandwich: bun, patty, and bun.

Are hamburger menus good for SEO?

The hamburger menu itself doesn’t negatively impact SEO. However, it can hide important links from search engine crawlers, depending on how it’s coded. It's important to make sure your important links are still easily discoverable by search engines within the code, even if they're hidden visually.

When should I use a hamburger menu?

A hamburger menu is great for when you need to save space, especially on mobile, or when you have a lot of navigation options. But for very simple websites, a more traditional menu might be more straightforward.

How do hamburger menus affect user experience?

When done well, hamburger menus keep things clean and simple. But if they're not obvious or if key links are hidden away, it can be frustrating for users.

What should I do if my hamburger icon disappeared?

If your hamburger menu icon disappeared, it could be due to a CSS or JavaScript issue. A good first step is to see if any styling rules are accidentally hiding the icon. Also, if the menu relies on a bit of code to make it appear and disappear, that code might not be loading correctly.

Sometimes, clearing your browser's cache can be surprisingly helpful. And just to rule things out, try looking at the website on a different phone or computer. That can tell you if the problem is with the website itself or something specific to your device.

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