ActiveManage Docs ← Back to activemanage.co.uk

Header

Customising the Site Header

The site header is the strip at the top of every page — logo, navigation links, user menu, sometimes search and notifications. Customising it well is essential for brand consistency and discoverability.

Annotated header showing logo on the left, primary navigation in the middle, search bar, notifications bell, user avatar/menu on the right — with each region labelled

Customisation Surface

  • Logo: Upload your logo (PNG or SVG); choose size and link target.
  • Primary nav: List of top-level menu items; visible only when permitted.
  • Search: Show the global search bar in the header or hide it.
  • Notifications: Show the bell badge for in-app notifications.
  • User menu: Avatar + dropdown with profile, preferences, sign out.
  • Colours: Background, text, hover, accent — pulled from your theme.
  • Sticky behaviour: Header stays visible on scroll or slides away.
  • Compact mode: Smaller header for screens with limited vertical space.

Per-Audience Header

Different users may need different headers:

  • External customer: Logo, public nav, Sign in / Sign up buttons.
  • Internal staff: Logo, full admin nav, search, notifications, user menu.
  • Marketing visitor: Logo, marketing nav, big CTA button.
  • Mobile: Compact — logo + hamburger menu.

Step-by-Step

  1. Open Architect Panel → Header.
  2. Upload your logo. Use SVG where possible for crisp rendering at all sizes.
  3. Add primary nav items — title, link target, visibility rule (signed in / signed out / group).
  4. Toggle search and notifications.
  5. Choose the user-menu items (profile, billing, settings, sign out).
  6. Set colours from your theme palette.
  7. Test in different states — signed in, signed out, mobile.

Worked Examples

  • SaaS public site: Logo, [Features, Pricing, Docs, Blog], Sign in, Sign up button. Sticky on scroll. No search, no notifications.
  • Logged-in SaaS: Logo, [Dashboard, Customers, Reports, Settings], search, notifications, user avatar menu. Compact mode.
  • White-label tenant: Custom logo and colours pulled from tenant theme; primary nav identical to default; ensures branded consistency.
  • Mobile-first customer app: Compact header with hamburger; primary nav inside the slide-out menu rather than in the header bar.