Pages 2.0 | Create Linked Pages

This article explains what Linked Pages are, their benefits for improving intranet navigation and information accessibility, and details the steps for creating and removing them within a page group.

Pages 2.0 refers to the new version of Happeo Pages, released on April 2, 2025. All Happeo accounts created from this date onward use the new page editor by default.

What are Linked Pages?

Linked Pages are like handy shortcuts within your page group’s navigation. They can jump directly to other important page groups or specific pages in different parts of your intranet, streamlining navigation and improving information accessibility. 

Here’s how they can benefit your page groups:

• Improved user experience: Instead of users having to dig through multiple levels of navigation within different page groups, linked pages offer a direct route to relevant information, making it faster and easier to find what they need.
• Enhanced information discoverability: Important resources or frequently accessed information can be prominently featured in relevant page group navigations. 
• Cross-departmental collaboration & awareness: Linked pages can help break down silos by making information from different teams or departments easily accessible to everyone, fostering better understanding and collaboration across the organization.

Use cases

Here are some use cases with examples:

• Onboarding new employees:
  • Scenario: New hires need to access a variety of information spread across different departments to get onboarded effectively.
  • Linked pages: The "New Employee Resources" page group could contain relevant linked pages such as:
    • "Welcome & Introduction" (a page within the HR page group).
    • "IT Setup Guide" (a specific page within the IT Support page group).
    • "Company Culture & Values" (a page within the About Us page group).

• Linking to related department information:
  • Scenario: An employee in the Marketing department needs to quickly access the Sales team's latest product brochures.
  • Linked page: Within the Marketing page group's navigation, a linked page titled "Sales Resources" could point directly to the Sales page group or a specific "Product Brochures" page within it.
• Providing access to company-wide policies:
  • Scenario: Employees in various departments need to easily find the company's HR policies.
  • Linked page: The main employee portal page group could have a linked page in its navigation called "HR Policies" that directs users to the HR department's page group where all policies are stored.

In essence, linked pages are a convenient tool for creating a more interconnected and efficient intranet, allowing users to navigate seamlessly between different areas and access the information they need quickly and easily.

You can also use Linked Pages to link to pages within the same page group. This is helpful when a page fits naturally as a subpage under a broader topic but is important enough that you want it to appear directly in the main navigation for easier access.

For example:

• A Product Roadmap page that sits under a broader Product Strategy page within the Product Department page group – but deserves direct visibility because it’s frequently referenced.
• A Benefits Overview page that’s technically a subpage of Employee Handbook, but is a high-traffic page that employees often need quick access to.
• A Brand Guidelines page sitting under a broader Marketing Resources page, but critical enough to warrant a shortcut for designers and content creators.

How to create a Linked Page

To create a linked page:

1. Navigate to the desired page group.
2. Click the edit icon at the top-right of the page to enter the page editor.
3. On the left-hand navigation, select Pages.
4. Click the blue Add page button and choose Link to existing Page.
5. Select the target page group or page:
   • You can link to an entire page group, which includes all its pages and subpages.
   • Alternatively, you can link to a specific page or subpage within a page group.
   • Use the search function or scroll through the list of page groups and pages to find your target. Click the arrows next to page groups or pages to expand or collapse the list for easier navigation.
   • IMPORTANT: When selecting a page group or a page, you cannot choose specific pages or subpages within that group; all pages and / or subpages will be linked. 
6. Once you've found the desired page group, page, or subpage, confirm your selection by clicking the blue Select button.

The linked item will now be accessible in the page group's navigation. Selecting it will take users to the designated linked page group, page, or subpage.

How to remove a Linked Page

To remove a linked page from a page group's navigation:

1. First, navigate to the page group that contains the linked page you want to remove.
2. Click the edit icon located at the top-right of the page. This action will open the page editor.
3. Select the Pages option from the left-hand navigation.
4. Locate the specific linked page group or page. 
5. Hover your cursor over this item and click the three dots on the right.
6. Select Unlink.

The linked item will be removed from the navigation menu of the current page group. The linked page group or page itself will not be deleted, only its connection to this specific page group's navigation.

Best practices 

There are a few tips you can refer to when deciding when to use a linked page vs. restructuring your page groups.

Use linked pages when:

• You need to provide quick access to related but distinct content: If information naturally lives in separate page groups (perhaps managed by different teams) but is frequently needed together, linking is ideal. Think of the "New Employee Resources" example – HR, IT, and Company Culture are distinct areas, but new hires need easy access to all of them.
• You want to highlight key information without duplicating it: Instead of copying content to multiple page groups, link to the original source. This ensures everyone sees the most up-to-date information. For instance, linking to company-wide policies from various department pages.
• You want to create shortcuts for specific user journeys: If users often navigate between two particular page groups or specific pages within them, a linked page can streamline this process.
• The content is relevant to a specific context within a page group: If a page or page group is particularly relevant to the content or audience of another page group, a link can provide valuable context without fundamentally changing the structure of either.
• You want to maintain the autonomy of different teams or departments: If different teams manage their own page groups, linking allows for cross-referencing without requiring them to merge their content or navigation entirely.

Consider restructuring your page groups when:

• You notice significant overlap in content or audience across multiple page groups: Imagine you have a page group called "Marketing Materials" containing product brochures, sales decks, and case studies. You also have a "Sales Enablement" page group with many of the same product brochures and sales decks, along with training guides. Both groups target the sales team. The overlap in core content suggests these might be better consolidated into a single "Sales Resources" page group with clear sections for brochures, decks, case studies, and training. This prevents duplication, ensures a single source of truth, and simplifies navigation for the sales team. You can then add a "Sales Resources" linked page within a relevant Marketing page group to provide easy access to essential materials.
• Users are consistently struggling to find information despite using linked pages: Let's say your main "Employee Portal" page group has linked pages to "HR Policies," "IT Support," and "Finance Information." However, users still report difficulty finding basic information like how to request time off (buried deep within HR Policies), how to reset their password (a specific page in IT Support), or how to submit an expense report (somewhere in Finance Information). Even with the top-level links, the internal structure of those linked page groups might be poorly organized, leading to continued frustration. This indicates a need to rethink the structure within the HR, IT, and Finance page groups, not just rely on links to them.
• The number of linked pages within a page group becomes excessive: Too many linked pages can clutter the navigation and make it just as confusing as having to dig through multiple levels. 
• User feedback consistently points to confusion or difficulty in navigating the current structure: Pay attention to what your users are telling you about their experience. Navigation issues often signal that your current page group structure isn't intuitive and needs to be revisited based on how users actually try to find information.

In summary:

Think of linked pages as helpful shortcuts for specific, contextual connections between otherwise logically separate areas. They enhance navigation without fundamentally altering your information architecture.

Think of restructuring as a more significant undertaking to improve the overall organization and flow of information when the current page group structure is no longer serving your users effectively.

FAQs

Can I reorder the linked pages within my page group's navigation?

You can definitely reorder the linked pages within your page group's navigation. For detailed instructions on how to do this, take a look at this article under the section titled "How to reorder pages and subpages."

IMPORTANT: You can reorder linked pages within a page group's navigation, but you cannot change their hierarchical structure by making them into subpages of existing pages.

Is there a limit to the number of linked pages I can have in a page group's navigation?

There is not a technical limit to the number of linked pages you can include in your page group's navigation. However, it's a good idea to keep an eye on the total number. Too many links can make the navigation feel crowded and a bit overwhelming for users to click through easily. So, while you can have a lot, it's often best to aim for a clear and concise navigation experience!

What happens if the target page group or page I've linked to is archived?

If a page group or a page that you've linked to is archived, the link will break, and users will encounter a 404 error when trying to access it.

For this reason, before you archive a page group or a page, it's wise to first check where it's being linked and remove those links.

Can I customize the display name of a linked item in my navigation? 

While you can't directly customize the display name of a linked item from within the page group where the link is located, there's definitely a way to change it! If you have owner or editor permissions for the linked item, you can go directly to that page group or page, open the editor, and change the name there. So, the name change happens at the source, not at the linking point. Your changes will then be reflected in the linked item name.

• Click here to learn how to change a page group’s name.
• Click here to learn how to change a page’s or subpage’s name.

How do the individual permissions of a linked item affect whether users can access it through a link?

A linked page group’s or page’s permissions are what ultimately determine whether a user can access it through the link. So, if a user doesn't have at least viewing permission for the linked item itself, they won't be able to see it, even if they have access to the page group where the link is located.

To ensure everyone who can see the page group can also see the linked item, you'll want to make sure the linked item has at least viewing permissions granted to the same users (or groups of users) who have access to the page group.