SPJeff

Step by step demo how to populate the Top Navigation bar with PowerShell PS1 and CSV automation. Attention given to parent > child relationship and how links are nested for compatibility to many branding scenarios. Also supports both QuickLaunch (left) and TopNavigation (top) placement. Cheers

VIDEO

CODE – PS1

function Main() {
    # Load PnP PowerShell Module
    #Install-Module "PnP.PowerShell" -MaxVersion 1.13 -Scope CurrentUser
    Import-Module "PnP.PowerShell"
 
    # Target SharePoint site URL
    $tenant = "https://test.sharepoint.com"
    $url = "https://spjeffdev.sharepoint.com/sites/Communication"
    $location = "QuickLaunch"
    # Connect to SharePoint Online site
    Connect-PnPOnline -Url $url -UseWebLogin
    # Get the current web to display Title and URL
    Get-PnPWeb
    # Read current top navigation
    $topNav = Get-PnPNavigationNode -Location $location
    Write-Host "Current Top Navigation Links:"
    foreach ($node in $topNav) {
        Write-Host "- $($node.Title): $($node.Url)"
    }
    # Read CSV with schema (ID,Parent,Title,URL) of desired top navigation links including primary key ID and ParentID for parent-child relationships
    $csvPath = ".\Fill-Top-Nav.csv"
    $topNavLinks = Import-Csv -Path $csvPath
    # Create top navigation links (if missing) from CSV
    foreach ($link in $topNavLinks) {
        $existingLink = Get-PnPNavigationNode -Location $location | Where-Object { $_.Title -eq $link.Title }
        if (-not $existingLink) {
            Write-Host "Adding top navigation link: $($link.Title)"
            # For parent-child relationships, find the parent node by ParentID
            if ($link.ParentID -ne 0) {
                $parentLink = $topNavLinks | Where-Object { $_.ID -eq $link.ParentID }
                $parentNode = Get-PnPNavigationNode -Location $location | Where-Object { $_.Title -eq $parentLink.Title }
                if ($parentNode) {
                    # SCENARIO 1 - Create with Parent
                    $url = $tenant + $link.URL +"/"
                    Write-Host $url -Fore Yellow
                    Add-PnPNavigationNode -Title $link.Title -Url $url -Location $location -Parent $parentNode.Id
                    Write-Host "Link created [$($link.Title)] under parent [$($parentLink.Title)]" -ForegroundColor "Green"
                }
                else {
                    Write-Host "Parent not found for [$($link.Title)]" -ForegroundColor "Yellow"
                }
            }
            else {
                # SCENARIO 2 - Create without Parent
                $url = $tenant + $link.URL +"/"
                Write-Host $url -Fore Yellow
                Add-PnPNavigationNode -Title $link.Title -Url $url -Location $location
            }
        }
        else {
            Write-Host "Link already exists [$($link.Title)]" -ForegroundColor "Green"
        }
    }
}
# Open Log
$prefix = $MyInvocation.MyCommand.Name
$host.UI.RawUI.WindowTitle = $prefix
$stamp = Get-Date -UFormat "%Y-%m-%d-%H-%M-%S"
Start-Transcript "$PSScriptRoot\log\$prefix-$stamp.log"
$start = Get-Date
# Run Main
Main
# Close Log
$end = Get-Date
$totaltime = $end - $start
Write-Host "`nTime Elapsed: $($totaltime.tostring("hh\:mm\:ss"))"
Stop-Transcript

CODE – CSV

ID,ParentID,Title,URL
1,0,Business Services,/sites/Communication/Business Services
2,1,Business Services Forms,/sites/Communication/Business Services/BusinessServices-Forms
3,0,Communications,/sites/Communication/Communications
4,3,Placeholder,/sites/Communication/Communications/Placeholder
5,0,Resources,/sites/Communication/Resources
6,5,Records,/sites/Communication/Records
7,0,Director Office,/sites/Communication/DirectorOffice
8,7,Placeholder,/sites/Communication/DirectorsOffice/PH
11,0,Finance,/sites/Communication/Finance
12,0,Operations and Planning,/sites/Communication/OperationsPlanning
13,0,Health,/sites/Communication/Health
13,0,Inventory,/sites/Communication/Inventory
14,0,Planning,/sites/Communication/Planning

REFERENCES

• https://pnp.github.io/powershell/cmdlets/Add-PnPNavigationNode.html
• https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/customize-the-navigation-on-your-sharepoint-site-3cd61ae7-a9ed-4e1e-bf6d-4655f0bf25ca