How to Make Local Changes to Your SharePoint Team Navigation with the Quick Launch

SharePoint team sites display a list of navigation links on the Quick Launch navigation along the left side of the page. The Quick Launch, also known as the Current Navigation, displays links to featured site content such as apps and pages. By default, the team site Quick Launch includes three very important links:

• Home: A link back to the main start page for the team site.
• Documents: A direct link to the Documents app.
• Site Contents: A link to the Site Contents page. The Site Contents page shows all the apps in the site.

The Quick Launch navigation takes up valuable space. Depending on the device you’re using, you might want to hide the Quick Launch while working with an app. You can hide the Quick Launch and take over the entire screen by clicking the Full Page Expansion button in the upper-right corner of the screen.

You can manage Quick Launch in the same way you manage the Top Link bar; however, the Quick Launch doesn’t have the capability to inherit from the parent site. Instead, the items that appear in the Quick Launch are determined by the apps you add to the site and the links you manually add to the Quick Launch. Each app contained in a site can display a link to itself on the Quick Launch.

You can easily add or remove an app from the Quick Launch using the app’s settings:

1. Browse to the app you want to add or remove from the Quick Launch. For example, click the Documents app on the Site Contents page.
2. Click the Library tab in the Ribbon and then click Library Settings. The Library Settings page appears.
3. In the General Settings section, click the List Name, Description, and Navigation link. The General Settings page appears.
4. In the Navigation section, indicate whether to include the list or library on the Quick Launch by selecting Yes or No.
5. Click the Save button. The links in the Quick Launch update to reflect your changes.

You also can disable the Quick Launch entirely for a site. You can add a site hierarchy called a Tree View to the left navigation panel instead of the Quick Launch. If you leave the Quick Launch enabled, the Tree View appears below the Quick Launch. To perform either of these tasks, follow these steps:

1. Click the Settings gear icon and choose Site Settings for the site you want to manage.
2. In the Look and Feel section, click the Tree View link. (If you are using SharePoint Online, then the link is called Navigation Elements instead of Tree View.) The Tree View / Navigation Elements page appears. Here is the Tree View / Navigation Elements page.
3. Choose whether to enable the Quick Launch or the Tree View or both by selecting the Enable Quick Launch and/or Enable Tree View check boxes.
4. Click OK.