When a WordPress menu shows the wrong pages, first identify the menu used by the visible header. Editing a similarly named menu will not help if the page uses another template, a different mobile menu, or an automatic Page List block.
Start with the exact page and device
Copy the affected public URL and open it signed out. Record one wrong menu label and its destination. Repeat on a narrow screen. A desktop menu that is correct while the mobile drawer is wrong usually calls for a different investigation than a sitewide failure.
Check whether the problem affects the homepage, posts, product pages, or every template. Builders can apply header conditions by page type. For a header that disappears or breaks structurally, use the Avada header override guide instead of repeatedly changing menu items.
Find the active source
On a classic theme, inspect Appearance and its menu or customization controls. Confirm which menu is assigned to the relevant theme location. Names such as Primary and Header are conventions, not proof that the menu is active.
In a block theme, open the actual header template part and select its Navigation block. Check the selected menu and inspect its inner blocks in List View. A Page List can automatically include newly published pages. If you need a curated list, use the supported conversion or editing controls and verify the resulting links before saving.
A builder header may use its own menu widget and template conditions. Do not assume changing the global WordPress menu assignment overrides a widget with an explicitly selected menu.
Find the template: Homepage, post, product, or custom header. Identify the menu: Selected object, not a familiar label. Inspect one destination: Custom URLs can still point to staging. Test both headers: Desktop links and mobile drawer. Explanatory checklist, not a customer test result.
Separate labels from destinations
Open the item that is wrong. A label can say Contact while its custom URL still points to staging. Copy the actual destination, including its scheme and hostname. Compare it with the intended published page. Fix a single item first and verify it in the public header.
For a migrated site, review custom links, buttons, footer links, and language-specific menus. Use a redirect map for moved destinations rather than adding chains of temporary redirects to compensate for incorrect navigation.
Save the correct objects, then check caching
The Site Editor may ask you to save multiple changed objects, such as the navigation and template part. Review the save list so you know what is being published. On staging, a harmless temporary label can help prove which menu you are editing. Remove that marker before production publication.
Only after the stored selection is correct should you clear the affected page or header cache. Compare a fresh signed-out request with the editor preview. If the wrong link remains in the downloaded HTML, inspect the selected template or server cache. If HTML is correct but a drawer displays old content, inspect its separate rendering or script behavior.
Finish with a navigation check
Test desktop and mobile links, keyboard focus, submenu expansion, and the main conversion destination. Preserve the existing menu as a rollback reference until those checks pass. Get help tracing the active header if several templates or plugins compete for control.
Reference: WordPress Navigation block.
References reviewed October 2, 2026. Examples are explanatory; production changes require an appropriate backup and authorized access.