---

name: rspress-nav description: Configure RSPress navigation bars and sidebars with _nav.json and _meta.json files. Use when setting up navigation, organizing sidebar sections, or configuring collapsible menu items. allowed-tools: Read, Write, Edit, Glob, Grep agent: rspress-doc-agent

RSPress Navigation Configuration

Configure RSPress navigation using _nav.json (navbar) and _meta.json (sidebar) files.

Navigation Architecture

RSPress uses two navigation systems:

• Top Navbar (_nav.json) - Global navigation in the header
• Sidebar (_meta.json) - Contextual navigation per section/directory

Navbar Configuration

Place _nav.json in the docs root (e.g., docs/src/en/_nav.json).

Navbar Item Fields

Example Navbar

Copy[
  {
    "text": "Guide",
    "link": "/guide/introduction",
    "activeMatch": "^/guide/"
  },
  {
    "text": "API",
    "items": [
      { "text": "Core API", "link": "/api/core" },
      { "text": "Plugins", "link": "/api/plugins" }
    ]
  }
]

Sidebar Configuration

Place _meta.json in each directory to configure sidebar for that section.

Sidebar Entry Fields

Example Sidebar

Copy[
  {
    "type": "file",
    "name": "introduction",
    "label": "Getting Started"
  },
  {
    "type": "dir",
    "name": "concepts",
    "label": "Core Concepts",
    "collapsible": true,
    "collapsed": false
  },
  {
    "type": "divider"
  },
  {
    "type": "file",
    "name": "advanced"
  }
]

Common Navigation Patterns

Auto-Generated Sidebar

Omit _meta.json to auto-generate sidebar from directory structure.

Section Dividers

Use {"type": "divider"} to create visual separators in the sidebar.

Nested Directories

Place _meta.json in subdirectories to configure nested sidebar sections. Each directory can have its own metadata configuration.

Active Route Matching

Use activeMatch with regex to highlight navbar items:

Copy{
  "text": "Documentation",
  "link": "/docs/intro",
  "activeMatch": "^/docs/"
}

Configuration Instructions

1. Create navbar - Add _nav.json in docs root with top-level navigation items
2. Configure sections - Add _meta.json in each directory to define sidebar structure
3. Set labels - Use label field to override default titles
4. Organize with dividers - Add dividers to group related items
5. Enable collapsing - Set collapsible: true for expandable directory sections
6. Test navigation - Verify active states and links work correctly

File Structure Example

Copydocs/src/en/
├── _nav.json           # Top navbar configuration
├── guide/
│   ├── _meta.json      # Guide section sidebar
│   ├── introduction.md
│   └── advanced.md
└── api/
    ├── _meta.json      # API section sidebar
    └── reference.md

Notes

• File name must match the actual filename (without .md extension)
• Auto-generated sidebars use alphabetical order
• Navbar supports one level of nested dropdown items
• Sidebar supports unlimited nesting via directory structure