Creating a WeChat Menu

This article shows you how to plan and create a WeChat menu with auto response messages. 

If you are new to WeChat or want to update your engagement with followers, it's a good idea to start with menus. WeChat menus are an important part of your overall communication strategy with followers.

Planning your WeChat menu 

To save time, plan the structure and content requirements of your WeChat menu before you start building.

You need to consider:

• number of main menu tabs (maximum 3)
• number of submenu items per main menu tab (maximum 5 per main menu tab)
• auto response content for each main menu and submenu item

About Auto Responses

Auto responses are pre-set messages sent to followers from the WeChat menu. The type of content sent to a follower depends on the menu choice selected and how you configured the auto responder.

Auto response messages can include a link, which sends followers to a webpage or WeChat post, or content. Your content can include:

• text messages
• images
• rich posts

At this time, video and audio content cannot be inserted into a WeChat auto response message.

See also

• Updating the WeChat Menu

1  Locating the menu page

1. On the top menu, click WECHAT. The WeChat Content page displays.
2. On the left side menu, click the SETTINGS folder and then Menu. The Menu page displays.

2  Understanding the menu page

On the Menu page, you create a WeChat menu with main tabs and submenu tabs.

• You can have up to 3 main menu tabs. You can create up to 5 submenu tab per main menu tab. However, most of our clients find that amount of content creation takes a lot of time. We suggest starting with 2-3 submenu tabs for each main menu tab at first.
• You give each tab a name. Menu names are limited to 8 English characters or 4 Chinese characters.
• You add a link to each submenu tab (or main menu tab if it has no sub menu tabs). Links send followers to a webpage page or WeChat article.
• Every menu tab must have a link or message content (e.g. text message).
• Main menu tabs which do not have at least one submenu tab must have a link or message. When you add a submenu tab (with a link or message), the link inside the main menu disappears.

As you create your menu, preview the structure on the mock smartphone.

• The main menu tabs are visible on the bottom of the mock screen.
• As you move the mouse pointer, the sub menu structure displays.

3  Creating menu tabs

In this step, you create one main menu tab and 2 submenu tabs.  We deleted everything from the Menu page (as shown in the image below).

Creating a main menu tab

1. Click the Add New Menu Item button. The Add New Menu Item panel displays.
2. Enter a short name for this main menu tab.
3. Click the translator button to insert Simplified Chinese text, if required.
4. Insert a link, if available. Enter the URL with the full http:// or https:// prefix. If you don't have a link, click the Message button and type Hi as a temporary space holder.
5. Click Done. 
6. Click Save at the top of the Menu page.
7. Repeat steps to add up to 3 main menu tabs.

 Creating a submenu tab

1. Hover the mouse pointer on the main menu tab. The green toolbar displays.
2. Click the Plus (+) button. The Add New Menu Item panel displays.
3. Enter a short name for this submenu tab.
4. Click the translator button to insert Simplified Chinese text, if required.
5. Insert a link, if available. Enter the URL with the full http:// or https:// prefix. If you don't have a link, click the Message button and type Hi as a temporary space holder.
6. Click Done.
7. Click Save at the top of the Menu page.
8. Repeat steps to add more submenu tabs.

In the image below, we created 1 main menu tab with 2 submenu tabs.

4  Adding message content to menu tabs

You can place digital assets, instead of a link, inside a main menu tab (which has no sub menu tabs) or submenu tabs. 

All menu tabs must contain a link or content, but not both. If, for instance, you create a menu tab with a link and then later add a text message, the link is deleted. 

1. Hover the mouse pointer on a menu tab. The toolbar displays.
2. Click the Edit button (looks like a pencil). The Edit Menu Item panel displays.
3. Click the Message tab.
4. Select Text, Image, or Rich Post, and then insert the asset or message content.
5. Click Done to save. 
6. Click Save at the top of the Menu page.

At the present time, it's not possible to create a message with video or voice content.

For more information about placing digital assets inside a message, see:

• Adding text messages
• Adding images
• Adding a rich post

Note:  Add content to a main menu tab if it does not have any submenu items. If at a later date, you add one or more submenu items and update the menu on the WeChat portal, the original content in that main menu tab is deleted. 

5  Editing menu tab content

You can edit any part of a menu tab including its name, link, or message content.

1. Hover the mouse pointer on a menu tab. The toolbar displays.
2. Click the Edit button (looks like a pencil). The Edit Menu Item panel displays.
3. Make changes, as required.
4. Click Done to save. 
5. Click Save at the top of the Menu page.

6  Deleting a menu tab 

You can remove a tab from a menu.

1. Hover the mouse pointer on a menu tab. The toolbar displays.
2. Click the Delete button (looks like a trash can). 
3. Click Yes in the Confirmation popup box.
4. Click Done to save. 
5. Click Save at the top of the Menu page.

7  Previewing the menu

You can preview the menu structure on the Menu page.

• On the left side of the screen, you can see the menu hierarchy, with main menu tabs and submenu items.
• On the right side of the screen, you can see a mock smartphone. The main menu tabs appear at the button of the screen. Hover the mouse pointer on a main menu tab to see the submenu items.