How to Edit Service Portal Header Menu Items in ServiceNow

ServiceNow’s Service Portal provides an intuitive, user-friendly interface for end users to access services and information. A key element of this experience is the header menu – the navigation bar at the top of the portal that includes links like Knowledge, Catalog, Requests, etc. Organizations often need to customize these menu items to better fit their terminology or to add new navigation options. For example, an admin might want to rename the “Knowledge” menu item to “Knowledge Base” or add a link for “Incident” tracking​. However, figuring out how to edit these menu items is not always obvious from the front-end, leading to confusion for many ServiceNow admins.

In this article, we will walk through step-by-step instructions to edit Service Portal header menu items. We’ll cover two methods: directly modifying the default header menu, and creating a new custom menu and assigning it to your portal. Along the way, we’ll include best practices for menu customization, styling/UX tips to make your header look and function better, and a troubleshooting section in case you encounter common issues. All guidance is based on the current ServiceNow UI and official documentation to ensure accuracy.

Step-by-Step Guide: Editing Service Portal Header Menu Items

There are two primary ways to modify the header menu in a ServiceNow Service Portal:

1. Directly editing the default “SP Header Menu”. This method is useful for simple changes like renaming items or adding/removing items in the out-of-box menu.

   
   

2. Creating a new custom menu and assigning it to your portal. This is useful if you want to revamp the menu structure significantly or keep the default menu intact for reference.

We will explore both methods below.

Method 1: Editing the Existing Header Menu (SP Header Menu)

Most ServiceNow portals (including the default Service Portal that comes with the platform) use a menu record called “SP Header Menu” to control the header navigation items. In this method, we will locate that menu and directly edit its items.

1. Open the Service Portal menus list: In the ServiceNow platform interface, navigate to the Application Navigator (left sidebar) and type “Service Portal”. Under the Service Portal section, click on Menus. This will display a list of all Service Portal menu configurations. You should see an entry titled “SP Header Menu” – this is the default header menu for the portal.

   

    Figure: Service Portal menus list, showing the default "SP Header Menu" which controls the portal's header navigation. Navigate here via Service Portal > Menus in the Application Navigator.
   

2. Locate and open the SP Header Menu record: In the menus list, find the SP Header Menu entry (the Title might be “SP Header Menu”). Click this record to open it. The menu record will typically show some basic info (title, perhaps a related widget like “Header Menu” in the Widget field) and, most importantly, a related list for Menu Items. This related list contains the individual links or dropdowns that appear in the portal header.
   

3. Edit the menu items as needed: In the Menu Items related list of the SP Header Menu, you will see entries for each current menu option (e.g., Knowledge, Catalog, Requests, etc.). Select the menu item you wish to change. For instance, to rename “Knowledge” to “Knowledge Base”, click the Knowledge menu item to open its record. In the menu item form, update the Label field to your desired text (e.g., “Knowledge Base”). You can also adjust other fields if needed:
   

   • Type: This defines what the menu item does. Common types are Page (link to a specific Service Portal page), URL (external or internal link), Catalog (link to Service Catalog), Separator/Label (a non-clickable label or divider), or Scripted List (for dynamic dropdown items like Approvals or Requests).
     

   • URL or Page reference: If the item is a link, ensure the URL or page it points to is correct. (For a Knowledge base link, you might point it to the Knowledge home page, etc.)
     

   • Order: The sequence in which the item appears in the menu (lower numbers appear first/leftmost).
     

   • Roles or Conditions: If you want the item visible only to certain users, you can set a role requirement or a scripted condition. (By default, many core items have no role specified, meaning all users can see them, except for special cases like “Impersonate” or admin links.)
     

   For our example, simply changing the Label from "Knowledge" to "Knowledge Base" is enough​. After editing the label (or other fields), click Save or Update on the menu item form to save your changes.
   

4. (Optional) Add or remove items: While you are on the SP Header Menu record, you can also add new menu items or remove existing ones:
   

   • To add a new header link, click the New button in the Menu Items related list. Fill in the details for the new menu item (Label, Type, target page/URL, etc.). For example, you might add a “My Incidents” item that points to a list of the user’s incidents. Give it an appropriate order number so it appears in the desired position.
     

   • To remove a menu item, you can either delete it from this menu’s related list or simply disable it. There isn’t an explicit “active/inactive” flag on menu items, but one approach is to remove it from the menu or write a condition that hides it. (Alternatively, as a non-destructive approach, you could create a copy of the menu without that item — see Method 2.)
     

5. Save changes and verify: Once you have made your edits (renamed items, added or removed items), ensure all changes are saved. Now go to your Service Portal in a browser and refresh the page. You should see the header menu updated with your changes. For example, the Knowledge tab should now display as Knowledge Base (if you changed that label). New items added will appear in the menu, and removed items will no longer be shown. The changes apply immediately to the portal when the configuration is saved, although you may need to hard-refresh the portal page if it was open prior to the changes.
   

   Tip: If you don’t see your changes, double-check that you edited the correct menu (and menu item) that your portal is using. The default Service Portal (URL usually /sp) uses SP Header Menu by default, but if you have a different portal or a custom one, it might use a different menu. You can confirm which menu is tied to your portal via Service Portal > Portals (see Method 2 Step 3 below).
   

This method is straightforward for small tweaks. After editing, the Service Portal header menu should reflect your custom labels and links, providing users with the updated navigation options.

Method 2: Creating a New Custom Header Menu

In some cases, rather than altering the default SP Header Menu, you may prefer to create a new menu from scratch – for example, if you want to significantly rework the header navigation or keep the original menu untouched. ServiceNow allows you to create multiple menu sets and assign a specific one to each portal. Here’s how to create a new header menu and use it:

1. Create a new menu record: Go to Service Portal > Menus (as in Step 1 of Method 1) and click the New button. This opens a blank menu form. Give your menu a descriptive Title such as “Custom Header Menu” or “IT Portal Header”. (The title is just for identification in the back-end; it won’t display to end users.) You might also see a Widget field which usually would be “Header Menu” – this links the menu to the portal header widget. Leave it as default (“Header Menu”) unless you have a custom widget. Save the new menu record. At this point, you have an empty menu container.
   

2. Add menu items to your new menu: After saving the new menu, you’ll have a Menu Items related list on it (just like the SP Header Menu did). Now add the desired items:
   

   • Click New under Menu Items to add an item. For each menu item, fill in the Label (what users will see) and choose the Type and target:
     

     • If it’s linking to a Service Portal page (such as a homepage, catalog, knowledge, etc.), set Type = Page and select the page from the reference lookup (for example, the page “Knowledge” or a custom page).
       

     • If it’s linking to an external URL or a specific record, you can use Type = URL and provide the URL in the URL field. (For an internal navigation to a module or record, you might use a special URL like /incident_list.do or use Page if you’ve built a portal page for it.)
       

     • If you want a dropdown menu (a parent item that when hovered or clicked shows sub-items), you can create a menu item of type Separator (which can act as a label) or simply a parent item with no URL, and then use the Parent field on child items to nest them. (Nesting menu items will create a submenu structure in the header.)
       

     • You can also specify an Icon (if supported) or use the Additional options (JSON) field for advanced settings – for example, to enable cart/wishlist icons in the header, the JSON field is used, but for most basic menus you won’t need to touch this.
       

   • Add as many items as needed by repeating the above. Keep in mind order values to arrange them. For example, you might recreate the standard set: Home, Knowledge, Catalog, My Tickets, etc., or design a new order. You can also omit certain items that were in the default menu if they’re not needed.
     

   • As you add items, consider using clear labels and perhaps matching what users expect (we’ll cover some best practices later). Each item can also have a role condition if needed (to restrict to certain users).
     

   Your new menu can be built entirely custom – for instance, you might combine Catalog and Knowledge under a single “Resources” dropdown, or add links to external sites. At this stage, however, the new menu isn’t yet active on the portal.
   

3. Assign the new menu to your portal: Once your custom menu structure is ready, you need to tell the Service Portal to use it. Navigate to Service Portal > Portals, and open the portal record that you want to modify (for example, the record for your main Service Portal, often named “Service Portal” or your specific portal name). On the portal form, find the field labeled Main menu. This field determines which menu is shown as the header navigation for that portal. By default it might say “SP Header Menu”. Click the reference icon (magnifying glass) next to this field and select your newly created menu (e.g., “Custom Header Menu”) from the list. Then save/update the portal record.
   

   

    Figure: Service Portal configuration form – setting the Main menu field to use the new custom header menu. This is where you link your portal to a different menu. In this example, the portal “Test Service Portal” is configured to use SP Header Menu, but you could change it to a custom menu created by the admin.
   

4. Verify the new menu on the portal: Go to the Service Portal URL (for example, /sp or the specific URL of your portal) and refresh the page. You should now see your new header menu in place of the old one, with all the items you added in Step 2. Test each menu item to ensure it links to the correct page or URL. If something is not appearing or a link is broken, you can edit the menu items again (go back to Service Portal > Menus, find your custom menu, and adjust its items). Remember that because you’ve assigned the portal to use this new menu, any changes to it will reflect on the portal immediately upon save.
   

Using a custom menu gives you the flexibility to design navigation from scratch. It’s especially useful if the default menu’s structure is very different from what you want. Also, you can switch back to the default by simply reassigning Main menu = SP Header Menu on the portal record if needed, so you’re not permanently affecting the original.

Best Practices for Service Portal Menu Customization

When customizing your Service Portal header menu, keep the following best practices in mind to ensure a clear and maintainable user experience:

• Plan your menu structure and taxonomy: Before making changes, plan what links and sections make sense for your users. Organize menu items logically (for example, group self-service items vs. information links). Involving end-users or stakeholder feedback can help ensure the menu labels and grouping are intuitive. The terminology should match what users understand (e.g., “Knowledge Base” instead of just “Knowledge” if that’s clearer to your audience). This user-centric approach ensures the menu resonates with them.
  

• Keep it concise: A header menu works best with a limited number of top-level items (typically, 5–7 is a good maximum to avoid crowding). If you have many links, consider using dropdown menus or grouping them under broader categories. Too many items in the top navigation can overwhelm users and make it harder to find what they need. Utilize sub-menus for secondary options if necessary.
  

• Maintain consistency: Use consistent naming conventions and styling for menu items. Follow your organization’s branding guidelines for terminology (for example, if one portal uses “Help Desk” make sure another portal doesn’t use a different term for the same function). Visual consistency is also key – ensure capitalization, font, and icon usage are uniform. Consistency in both visual and functional elements builds user familiarity and trust.
  

• Use roles and conditions wisely: If certain menu items should only be visible to specific user roles (like ITIL users, admins, or employees vs. external users), take advantage of the Roles field or the Condition script on the menu item. This will hide or show items based on the user viewing the portal. For example, you might want an “Admin” link visible only to admins (set the menu item’s role to admin), or a “My Approvals” menu that only shows if the user has approvals (could use a scripted condition). Be cautious with this – make sure that critical navigation isn’t hidden from users who need it. Also, document these special cases for maintenance.
  

• Avoid direct core code modifications: ServiceNow’s out-of-box header menu (and the Stock Header widget) can be customized via the menu records without needing to modify the widget’s code in most cases. This means upgrades are less likely to overwrite your changes. Only if you need very advanced changes (like altering how the menu behaves, e.g., a mega menu or a totally different layout) should you consider cloning and modifying the header widget. And if you do, keep track of that customization for future upgrades.
  

• Test in a sub-production environment: As with any ServiceNow customization, try out your menu changes in a development or test instance first. This is especially important if you have many users – you don’t want to confuse them with a half-finished menu. Verify that all links work, the menu looks good on different screen sizes, and that users with different roles see the appropriate options.
  

• Review periodically: Over time, your portal’s content might change. Periodically review the header menu and ensure it’s still relevant. Remove or update links that are no longer useful, and consider user feedback (e.g., if users frequently ask “Where do I find X?”, maybe X should be a top-level menu item).
  

By following these practices, you’ll create a header menu that is user-friendly, scalable, and aligned with your organization’s needs.

Styling and UX Tips for Header Menus

Beyond the basic configuration of menu items, you might want to enhance the look and feel of the header menu to match your company’s branding or improve usability. ServiceNow provides a few tools and approaches to style the Service Portal header:

• Use the Branding Editor for quick theming: The Service Portal Branding Editor (accessible via Service Portal > Service Portal Configuration > Branding Editor) allows you to change the portal’s theme colors, fonts, logo, and other basic styling without coding. Through the branding editor, you can easily adjust the header background color, text color, and add your company logo to the header. For example, you might change the header bar to your corporate color and ensure the text is white (for contrast), and upload a custom logo image to replace the default “ServiceNow” text logo. These changes make the portal instantly feel more integrated with your organization’s identity.
  

• Ensure good contrast and readability: From a UX and accessibility standpoint, make sure your header menu text is easily readable against its background. For instance, if your header background is dark, use a light text color (and vice versa). ServiceNow’s default themes generally ensure contrast, but if you customize colors, refer to WCAG guidelines for contrast (e.g., a minimum contrast ratio of 4.5:1 for normal text). Good contrast improves usability for all users, including those with visual impairments.
  

• Responsive design considerations: The Service Portal header is responsive by default – on smaller screens, the menu typically collapses into a “hamburger” menu (an icon that users can click to see the menu). After making changes, test your portal on a mobile device or by shrinking your browser window. Ensure that the menu collapses properly and that your custom items are accessible via the mobile menu. If you added many top-level items, they might wrap or look crowded on mid-sized screens; in such cases, consider shortening labels or reducing items for better mobile experience. The goal is a smooth navigation experience on all device sizes.
  

• Custom CSS for advanced styling: For more granular control, you can add custom CSS to your portal’s theme or pages. For example, you could make the header semi-transparent, change font sizes, or adjust spacing. One approach from the community is to add CSS to make the header background translucent and adjust the positioning. For instance:
  

This is just an example – your actual CSS would depend on your design goals. Any CSS added can be placed in the Theme (by editing or cloning the sp_theme record) or via the Portal’s CSS field, or even on individual pages if needed. When using custom CSS, make small incremental changes and test, to avoid breaking the layout. Also remember that if ServiceNow changes the DOM or classes in future upgrades, overly specific CSS might need updates.

• Icons and images in menu: The out-of-box header menu will display a shopping cart icon and a user profile icon if those features are enabled (Cart and Wishlist, and User Menu). For your own menu items, if you want to include icons (like little pictograms next to “Knowledge” or similar), you have a couple of options:
  

  • Use Unicode or font icons in the label (for example, the Font Awesome icons are available by default. You could put something like 📘 Knowledge as a label, or use the Font Awesome <i class="fa fa-book"> if the widget supports HTML in labels).
    

  • Alternatively, a more advanced method is to modify the header widget to render certain menu items with icons. This requires developer effort and is beyond simple configuration, so approach with caution. If an icon is critical, often the emoji or Unicode approach in the label might suffice in a pinch.
    

  • Ensure any icons used are just enhancements and not the only indicator of the link’s purpose (for accessibility, text should still be clear).
    

• Hover and focus states: Check how the menu behaves when you hover over items or when using keyboard navigation (Tab key) to focus on the menu. The Styling should provide a visible indicator (like underline, highlight) on hover/focus, which is usually handled by the theme. If you changed the colors, verify that the hover state is still visible. You can adjust CSS for pseudo-classes like :hover or :focus on the menu links if needed to maintain good UX for mouse and keyboard users.
  

• Consider using the Employee Center (if applicable): If your organization has moved to ServiceNow’s Employee Center (EC) for a unified portal, note that the header navigation there is managed differently (often through a taxonomy and mega menu configuration). The classic Service Portal header menu is simpler. If you require a mega menu (multi-column dropdown menus with rich content), you might either implement a custom widget in Service Portal or consider using Employee Center which provides a more modern mega-menu out-of-the-box. For a standard Service Portal, though, typically a straightforward menu suffices for self-service navigation.
  

In summary, leverage the branding tools for quick wins (color, logo, theme), and use custom CSS or widget changes sparingly for advanced tweaks. Always prioritize clarity – the header menu should stand out and be easy to use, guiding users to where they need to go.

Troubleshooting Tips

Even with careful planning, you might run into issues where the header menu doesn’t behave as expected. Here are some common problems and their solutions, presented in a quick reference table:

Issue	Possible Cause	Solution
Menu item click doesn’t go to the right page	The menu item’s URL or Page reference is incorrect, or the URL target is misconfigured. This often happens if the link was typed incorrectly or left blank. Also, if using a Scripted List type, the script might not be pointing to the correct destination.	Double-check the configuration of that menu item. In the menu item record, verify the Page or URL field is set to the desired target, and that URL target is set appropriately (use _self for same window navigation in most cases). For example, if linking to a Knowledge Base page, ensure the page is correct. If it’s a URL, make sure it’s complete. Correct any mistakes and save. This should fix the navigation.
Changes to menu not appearing on portal	You updated or created a menu, but the portal still shows the old menu items. The likely cause is that the portal is still linked to the old menu (SP Header Menu) or the changes weren’t saved. In the case of creating a new menu, if you haven’t assigned it to the portal, the portal won’t know to use it. Another cause might be browser caching, though typically the portal fetches fresh data.	Ensure you have saved all changes. If you created a new menu, go to Service Portal > Portals, open your portal record, and set the Main menu field to your new menu. Save the portal record. Clear your browser cache or do a hard refresh (Ctrl+F5) on the portal page to be sure you’re not seeing a cached version. The portal should now load the updated menu.
New menu item isn’t visible to some users	A menu item was added (or an existing one edited) but it doesn’t show up for certain users or roles. Possible causes: The menu item has a Role specified that those users don’t have, or a Condition script that evaluates to false for them. By default, if the Role field is filled, only users with that role see the item; if it’s blank, all users see it (except maybe public if the portal/page requires login). If it’s a brand new menu on a new portal, also ensure the users are accessing the correct portal.	Check the menu item’s configuration for any role restrictions. If you want the item visible to everyone, remove any roles from the Roles field. If you used a Condition script (or if the item type inherently uses one, like a scripted list), ensure the logic is correct. For instance, if you only want ITIL users to see it, you might use a condition like gs.hasRole('itil'). If using a script, verify it returns true for the expected audience. Once adjusted, save and have the users refresh – they should now see the item if they meet the criteria. For external or public users, ensure the item’s page is accessible publicly and consider the Public role if needed.
“Requests” or other OOTB menu shows wrong count or info	The default “Requests” menu in Service Portal (and others like “Approvals”) are scripted to show dynamic content (like a count of open requests). If you renamed or replaced it, you might notice it not updating, or if you left it but it’s showing something unexpected. This could be due to customizations or because it’s pulling from a different source than you think.	If you haven’t modified the scripted menu item and it’s not working, ensure that the underlying script or data is correct. The “Requests” menu item, for example, might rely on certain conditions. In most cases, if the counts or behavior are off, you may need to look at the Scripted List code (which is advanced). As a quick fix, you could replace the scripted item with a static link to the “My Requests” page. For debugging, refer to ServiceNow documentation or community solutions on that specific menu item.
Header menu looks misaligned or overlaps other elements	After adding several items or custom CSS, you might see the menu wrapping to a second line or overlapping the user profile icon (for instance, if too many items push into the right side where the user avatar is).	This typically means the header has too many items or not enough space. Solutions: Reduce the number of top-level items or shorten their labels to fit on one line. You can also tweak CSS – for example, reducing padding or font size for the menu links might give more room. Another approach is to group some items into a dropdown (“More” menu) to save space. Test on various screen widths. If the overlap is with the user menu or logo, ensure there’s adequate margin. In some cases, cloning and modifying the header widget to adjust the layout might be necessary for a perfect fix, but try simpler tweaks first.

If other issues arise, consider checking the ServiceNow Community forums or official documentation. Many common problems (like the ones above) have been asked by others, and you’ll often find answers there. For instance, renaming “Knowledge” to “Knowledge Base” was a question resolved by pointing to the correct menu configuration, and adding new menu items has been addressed with step-by-step guides. Leverage these resources when in doubt.

Conclusion

Customizing the Service Portal header menu in ServiceNow is an important task to tailor the user experience to your organization. By using the built-in Service Portal > Menus configuration, you can easily rename menu items, add new links, or even design a completely new menu for your portal. We covered two methods: directly editing the default SP Header Menu (great for quick label changes or additions) and creating a new custom menu for your portal (useful for a larger overhaul or when managing multiple portals). We also discussed best practices – such as keeping the menu concise, consistent, and user-focused – and provided tips on styling the menu to align with your branding.

Always remember to assign your portal to the correct menu (via the Main menu field on the portal record) after making changes, and test the outcome. With the flexibility of ServiceNow’s platform, you can achieve a navigation menu that is both attractive and highly usable. By following the guidance above, ServiceNow developers and admins should be able to confidently modify Service Portal header menus to improve their users’ experience.

For more information, you can refer to ServiceNow’s official documentation on Service Portal configuration and the community solutions for specific tweaks. Happy customizing!