WordPress guide v1.0.0

Off-canvas slide-out navigation panel for WordPress. Customizable sidebar with widgets, menus, and content areas.

Overview

Off-canvas slide-out navigation panel for WordPress. Customizable sidebar with widgets, menus, and content areas.

Requirements

  • A maintained, up-to-date WordPress installation.
  • PHP 7.4.
  • A recent backup before installation or update.

Installation

  1. Download the plugin ZIP file.
  2. In WordPress, open Plugins → Add New Plugin → Upload Plugin.
  3. Select the ZIP, install it, then click Activate.
  4. Reload the administration area and locate the new menu or settings page.
  5. On production sites, clear application and page caches after activation.

Initial configuration

  1. Open the settings page added by the plugin.
  2. Configure only the services and options that are actually used.
  3. Save, then test the behaviour with a non-administrator account.
  4. Check the result on desktop and mobile.
  5. If WooCommerce or another plugin is required, also verify its status and version.

Features

Off-canvas panel

Sliding sidebar from left or right. Two animation modes: slide (pushes content) or overlay (floats above). Smooth CSS transitions.

Full customisation

Separate colours for the main menu and submenus. Background image, Google Fonts, size, weight, spacing and uppercase mode configurable.

Native accessibility

Full ARIA, focus trapping, keyboard navigation (Tab, Space, Escape) and focus restoration on close. WCAG 2.1 level A compliant.

Multi-level submenus

Unlimited submenu depth support. Animated arrow indicators, automatic expansion of the current page and optional clickable parent links.

Mobile-first

Optional fixed mobile navigation bar, configurable responsive threshold (320–1200px) and separate button positioning on mobile. Touch-friendly and smooth.

Integrated social networks

6 preconfigured networks (Facebook, X, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, Email) with built-in SVG icons and customisable colour.

Integrated search

Native WordPress search field directly in the panel. Your visitors find what they are looking for without leaving the navigation.

Widget area

Dedicated WordPress widget area in the panel. Add any standard widget, plus HTML/shortcode zones above and below the logo.

First steps

  1. Start with a simple use case and non-sensitive data.
  2. Validate the result with the team that will use the extension.
  3. Record site-specific choices such as roles, automations, templates and integrations.
  4. Roll out gradually, then monitor logs and user feedback.

Screenshots

Installing On the side
Extension administration interface.

Troubleshooting

The extension does not appear after installation
Check the installer message and the component/plugin status, then clear Joomla or WordPress caches.
An action is denied
Review the user group permissions, session token and any security restrictions.
The output does not match the site
Test with caching disabled, inspect template overrides and look for CSS or JavaScript conflicts.
An external integration fails
Check the URL, credentials, quotas and logs without copying secrets into a support request.

Updating and uninstalling

Before updating, back up files and the database, read the release notes, and test on a copy of the site. Export useful data before uninstalling. Removing a package may remove several related components, modules or plugins.