Managing App Menus
The App Menu in ClayHR controls the navigation experience for the Users—what modules appear in their left sidebar or top menu and how the system is organized for their daily use.
The App Menu defines the navigation experience, while permissions determine what a user is allowed to do, the App Menu determines what they initially see when navigating the system.
Within the larger ClayHR permissions framework—including User Groups, the Permission Matrix, Advanced Settings, Custom Field permissions, and Report-level permissions—the App Menu works as the final presentation layer. It controls the visibility of modules and links but does not grant access by itself.
In this article:
- How Menu Visibility and Permissions Interact
- What the App Menu Controls
- Setting up the App Menu
- Assigning Menus to Users
1. How Menu Visibility and Permissions Interact
This is a critical distinction in ClayHR:
✔ A user will not see a menu item unless it is included in the App Menu assigned to them.
Even if the user has full permission to use a feature, the menu item will not appear unless their App Menu includes the corresponding hyperlink.
✔ However, permissions still control access.
If a user does not have the required permission and clicks a menu item (or accesses a URL directly), the system will block access.
⚠ Important Warning
If a user does have the correct permissions (as enabled through their User Groups and the Permission Matrix), they may still be able to access a page directly via its URL, even if the menu item is hidden from them.
- Hiding an item from the App Menu ≠ blocking access.
- Permissions determine actual access.
- Menus determine visibility and navigation convenience.
This is why menu setup must always be done together with proper permission configuration.
2. What the App Menu Controls
The App Menu determines:
- Which modules and pages appear in the left or top navigation
- The order of menu items
- Grouping of related features
- Which menu version each User Group or user receives
- Whether custom links or external tools appear in the navigation
It ensures users are presented with a clean, role-appropriate interface.
3. Setting up the App Menu
To configure the App Menu:
- Go to Set up Menu (Gear icon to the top right)
- Click on the Look & Feel submenu
- Select the App Menu tab
- Create a new menu or edit an existing one
Each menu can be assigned to users or User Groups depending on your organizational needs.
4. Assigning Menus to Users or User Groups
Menu assignment determines what a user sees.
- You can assign menus to specific Users one by one or in bulk
- Users can be assigned only one menu at a time
Summary
In ClayHR:
- Permissions define access
- Menus define visibility
A user cannot see a menu item unless it is assigned to their App Menu, but a user can still access a feature via direct URL if they have the required permissions.
By combining App Menu configuration with User Groups and the Permission Matrix, administrators can deliver a streamlined navigation experience without compromising access control.
The App Menu makes it easy to find what you need within the application. It includes a default set of menus and sub-menus to get started easily. Users can also create their own custom menus and sub-menus to organize the app in a way that suits them best.
- Navigate to the “Gear” icon and select “Look & Feel”.
- Choose “App Menus” and click “App Menus” again.
- On the App Menu page, click on “New App Menu”.
- Note: For activating modules, navigate to Setup > Your Account and Billing Information > Modules & Add-Ons.
- On the Menu Configuration page, specify the name of the app menu (e.g., “App Menu for Kenya”) and toggle modules on or off as required.
- Note: Multiple app menus can be created based on e.g. roles, locations, etc, and assigned to different users.
- After configuring, click on the “Save Configuration” button.
- Note: To deactivate specific modules (e.g., “Ask HR”), toggle them off and save the configuration to ensure users do not see those modules.
How to Assign the App Menus
- Once the configuration is saved, a new app menu will appear on the app menu homepage. Click on the newly created app menu.
- On the menu configuration page, navigate to the “Assignment” tab.
- To assign the menu to individual users:
- Click on “Add Assignment,” which will open a new pop-up.
- Enter the name of the user you wish to assign the app menu to and click on “Save Member.”
- To assign the menu to users in bulk:
- Follow the steps outlined in the following link for bulk user updates Bulk User Update.
How to Create and Delete Custom Menus
1. On the menu configuration page, navigate to the “Custom Menu” tab.
2. To change the menu name, click on the edit icon.
3. Here you can edit the name and update the preferences of the 'Custom Menu'.
4. Add the name and the hyperlinks to the sub-menus e.g. if you want to create a sub-menu time as PTO, you can simply add the name as PTO and in the Hyperlink just add the URL.
5. This section allows you to add and delete sub-menu items along with their respective hyperlinks.
- To add a new sub-menu, click on the '+ New Sub Menu' option
- To delete a sub-menu, click on the trash icon next to it.
6. This section allows you to add and delete The Menu along with their respective sub-menus.
- To add a new sub-menu, click on the '+ Add New Menu' option
- To delete the Menu, click on the trash icon next to it.
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