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Troubleshooting Common Raft Theme Menu and Navigation Issues

40 threads Sep 16, 2025 Theme → Raft

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Many users of the Raft theme encounter challenges with their website's navigation menus. These issues can range from menus not displaying correctly on all pages to mobile menu malfunctions. Based on community support threads, here are the most common problems and their solutions.

Common Raft Menu Issues and Solutions

1. Menu Not Appearing on All Pages

The Problem: A header or footer block (which contains the menu) only appears on the homepage but not on other pages of the site.

The Solution: This is typically a template assignment issue. Navigate to the Site Editor (Appearance → Editor) and ensure that the header and footer template parts are included in the necessary templates (e.g., Page, Post, Archive). Edit each template and verify that the required blocks are present and correctly configured.

2. Hamburger Menu Not Working on Mobile

The Problem: The mobile menu icon is visible, but nothing happens when it is clicked.

The Solution: The most common cause for this is an empty navigation block within the header. In the Site Editor, edit your header template part and confirm that a Navigation block is present and has a menu assigned to it. If the block is empty, the mobile menu drawer will have no content to display. Another potential cause is a plugin conflict, particularly with caching or JavaScript optimization plugins. Try disabling all plugins to see if the menu works, then re-enable them one by one to identify the culprit.

3. Default Raft Menu Does Not Update

The Problem: Changes made to a menu in Appearance → Menus do not reflect on the live site. The default Raft menu links remain visible.

The Solution: Raft is a block-based Full Site Editing (FSE) theme. Menus are managed directly within the Site Editor, not the classic Menus screen. To change your navigation, you must edit the header template part and modify the Navigation block located there. You will need to manually build or select your desired menu within this block.

4. Submenus Not Hidden on Mobile

The Problem: On mobile devices, submenu items are always expanded and visible instead of being hidden behind a toggle arrow.

The Solution: This appears to be the default behavior of the theme's navigation block. Achieving a collapsible submenu on mobile may require additional custom CSS to override the default styles or the use of a different navigation block pattern.

5. Menu Alignment and Breakpoint Issues

The Problem: The menu does not switch to a mobile hamburger view at the correct screen width or spills out of the container on smaller desktop browser widths.

The Solution: The responsive breakpoint is controlled by the theme's CSS. Adjusting it requires custom CSS code. You will need to use media queries to modify the point at which the menu changes layout. This is an advanced customization that may involve inspecting the site with a browser's developer tools to identify the correct CSS classes and breakpoints.

General Troubleshooting Steps

If you encounter any persistent menu issue, always follow these steps first:

  1. Clear All Caches: Clear your WordPress caching plugin (if used), your browser cache, and any server-side or CDN caches (e.g., Cloudflare).
  2. Check for Plugin Conflicts: Temporarily deactivate all plugins. If the issue is resolved, reactivate them one by one to identify which one is causing the conflict.
  3. Browser Test: Test the site in a different browser or in an incognito/private window to rule out browser-specific extensions or cache issues.

Understanding that Raft is a block theme that uses the Site Editor for most configurations is key to resolving these common navigation problems. For more complex visual issues, custom CSS may be the most effective solution.

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