Explaining Menu Icons that Make Website Navigation Easy

Is your website's navigation causing confusion? Choosing the right menu icon can make all the difference. This guide provides tips & tricks for selecting the perfect icon for a user-friendly experience.

A lot of times when you visit a website you will see the website has different categories or different pages to navigate through. These pages are represented using icons in the form of images. These are called menu icons.

Did you know?

Food items inspired menu icons for navigation.

The menu icon (or hamburger icon) is the single most important visual element on any website. These make a website more appealing and give that personal touch. In recent times, the use of menu icons in the navigation of a website has been increasing.

These little strange icons have taken the internet by storm and can be found on all sorts of websites and are commonly used in mobile versions of websites and apps. You know, sometimes it happens that you want to add a menu to your website, but you are not sure what kind of menu icon to choose for your navigation. This blog will look at the different menu icons and offer some tips for what you should use for your navigation.

Soumyadeep Auddy is the UI Head at Yellow Slice, and he highlights the correct usage of icons.

“In many cases, icons can stand up for the text, which makes them so popular in the world of modern design. They are small but vital for the efficiency rate of any application or website. They look simple but take loads of time and effort to feel that way.”

Common Types of Menu Icons in UI Design and How, When and Where to Use Them

When used appropriately, menu icons can smooth navigation and improve user experience in digital products. However, you must have come across a website or an app that’s so frustrating to use that you can’t really find any features. All the key features are hidden somewhere under the carpet, inaccessible.

Here is a list of common menu icon types used in UI design, along with their purposes. 

Hamburger Menu Icon

The hamburger icon is one of the most commonly used icons on websites and apps today. As its name suggests, the icon looks like a hamburger, with two buns and a patty in between. It is a three-line button that opens up a menu when clicked on. The icon is usually found in the top or bottom corner of a website or app, and it indicates to users that there is more content to explore beyond the current page or screen. The hamburger icon can be used to display the applications menu area, especially when there are multiple sections. However, it is best to avoid using the icon in the desktop view whenever possible.

The below chart indicates the pros & cons of the hamburger menu icon:

PROSCONSRecognizableMakes pages less importantCleanLow engagementSecondary accessInefficient

Kebab Menu Icon

The kebab menu icon (three dots arranged in a vertical line) is a good choice when you want to give users the ability to access a hidden menu of options. When using this icon, it's important to consider the context in which it will be used. For example, if your website has a lot of content, you may want to use the kebab menu icon to give users quick access to the most important sections. Alternatively, if your website has a limited number of pages, you may want to use the kebab menu icon as the primary navigation tool, as it will provide a more streamlined experience.

Meatballs Menu Icon

The meatballs menu, also known as the three horizontal dots menu, is an icon used to open a menu with additional options. This icon is typically located at the top-right or top-left of the screen or window. When you see this icon, simply click on it to open the menu and view the additional options! Used to open a menu or display actions for a related item, dropdowns are easy to use and repeat on webpages. Because they are horizontal, they work well with tables and other horizontally-oriented elements.

Doner Menu Icon

The doner menu, a popular Turkish dish-turned-filter symbol, is most commonly used in conjunction with global filters in modern applications. It consists of a vertical stack of three lines of different lengths - one long, one shorter at the bottom, and one cropped even shorter at the bottom - making it a distinct user interface element from the hamburger menu, which consists of three lines of equal length stacked on top of each other.

Bento Menu Icon

The bento menu, named after the bento boxes, is a grid-based menu of items. The Bento icon is most commonly used to open a menu with different applications, solutions, or functions within the same product so that users can quickly switch between them. This icon is typically located in the upper right-hand corner of the interface. In the Google Play store, for example, this icon can be found in the upper right corner of the screen.

Conclusion: Additional tips to remember when selecting menu icons?

• The icons should be easily recognizable and legible.
• The icons should be consistent with the overalldesignof the website.
• The icons should be intuitive and easy to use.
• The icons should be spaced evenly on the menu bar.

By now you should have a good understanding of how to select the correct menu icon for your website's navigation. In general, the best icons to use for navigation will be the standard arrows that are used for navigation in every browser. But there may be times when a custom icon is the best choice. What you need to consider then is the meaning behind the icon and how it relates to the content on your website.

A clear and concise menu icon can make a huge difference in improving the overall user experience of a website.

Forbes

By now, you should have a good understanding of how to select the correct menu icon for your website's navigation. There may be times when a custom icon is the best choice. What you need to consider then is the meaning behind the icon and how it relates to the content on your website.

FAQS About Website Navigation Menu Icons

1. What are menu icons in website navigation?

Menu icons are small graphical symbols that appear on a computer screen or mobile device, typically in a list or menu. They indicate what options are available to the user. They are often used to represent different functions or options within an application or system and can be an efficient way to navigate a user interface. Without cluttering the interface when space is limited. 

2. What are the 3 lines on a website called?

The three horizontal lines icon is typically called a hamburger menu. Named after the layers of a burger. This icon is used to signify a menu, and when clicked, it will often reveal a list of options or navigation choices. It is a way to condense a lot of information into a small space.

3. What is the difference between a hamburger menu and a kebab menu? 

A hamburger menu uses three horizontal lines stacked vertically and typically opens a full navigation panel. A kebab menu uses three vertical dots and is better suited for revealing a small set of contextual actions related to a specific item, such as edit, share, or delete options, rather than site-wide navigation.

4. When should you use a hamburger menu vs. visible navigation on a desktop? 

On a desktop, a visible navigation bar is almost always better than hiding links behind a hamburger icon. Visible menus increase engagement, help search engines crawl internal links faster, and reduce the number of clicks users need to reach key pages. The hamburger menu is best for mobile or tablet layouts where screen space is tight and there’s a risk of the interface looking cluttered.

5. Can menu icons affect website SEO? If yes, then how? 

Menu icons affect SEO indirectly, but they should not be ignored. Hiding navigation behind a hamburger icon on the desktop can slow down Google's ability to crawl and interpret the data on the website. Important internal links reduce user engagement and increase bounce rates. A clear navigation structure helps search engines understand site hierarchy and index pages. 

6. What is a bento menu icon, and when is it used? 

A bento menu icon is a 3×3 grid of dots inspired by Japanese bento boxes. It is commonly used to switch between multiple apps or products within the same platform. For example, Google's app switcher in the top-right corner that you use when you have to reach Google Drive, Google Meet, etc. It is best used when users need to quickly navigate across distinct tools or sections within a suite, rather than as a primary site navigation element.

7. Where should menu icons be placed on a website? 

The hamburger and bento icons are typically placed in the top-right or top-left corner of the screen. Kebab and meatball icons are placed contextually, next to the specific item they relate to, such as in a table row or card. Consistent placement across all pages is key, as users rely on muscle memory to find navigation controls quickly.

8. Are hamburger menus bad for user experience? 

Hamburger menus are not inherently bad, but they do reduce content discoverability when overused. On mobile, they are an accepted and space-efficient pattern. On desktop, however, hiding primary navigation behind a hamburger icon is associated with lower engagement and higher bounce rates. Best practice is to use visible navigation on the desktop and reserve the hamburger icon for smaller screens.