1. Dynamic Menus

Menu path: Advanced Features → Dynamic Menu

Dynamic menus add an organization-owned micro application or external page to the ThinkLink sidebar. They can also create custom menu groups. Whether a menu is available to a user depends on its enabled state, visibility, and the user's role permissions.

1.1. What Dynamic Menus Do

Without changing the ThinkLink frontend source, a dynamic menu can:

• publish a Micro Application to organization members;
• add an external business system or help page to ThinkLink;
• group related custom entries below one expandable item;
• open content inside the ThinkLink layout or in a separate browser window.

A dynamic menu belongs to the current organization and does not appear in other organizations.

1.2. Content Sources

Content source	Purpose	Required configuration
Micro App	Opens a static site created and uploaded from Micro App.	Select the related application.
External URL	Opens another website or business system.	Enter a complete address beginning with http:// or https://.
Menu Group	Creates an expandable parent in the sidebar and does not open a page itself.	Enter a group name. Groups always stay at the sidebar root.

1.3. Add a Micro-Application Menu

1. Confirm that the target micro application contains its files and previews correctly.
2. Open Advanced Features → Dynamic Menu and click Add.
3. Enter the Menu Name.
4. Set Content Source to Micro App.
5. Select the target application under Related Application.
6. Configure its mount position, open mode, icon, and sort value.
7. Keep Show in Menu and Enable turned on.
8. Click OK to save.
9. Grant the new menu to the target role from Role Management.

1.4. Add an External-URL Menu

1. Click Add and enter the menu name.
2. Set Content Source to External URL.
3. Enter the complete URL in External Address.
4. Configure the mount position, open mode, icon, sort order, visibility, and enabled state.
5. Save and grant the menu to the target role.

The address must begin with http:// or https://. Before choosing Embed in Current Page, confirm that the target website permits embedding. If it blocks embedding, use Open in New Window.

1.5. Add a Menu Group

1. Click Add.
2. Enter the group name.
3. Set Content Source to Menu Group.
4. Configure its icon, sort order, visibility, and enabled state.
5. Save.
6. Add or edit another dynamic menu and select this custom group as its Mount Position.

A menu group can appear only at the sidebar root. It cannot be mounted below another custom group or a built-in platform menu. A group has no application, external address, or open mode of its own.

1.6. Mount Position and Sort Order

Mount Position

• Leave it empty to place the item at the sidebar root.
• Select a built-in platform menu to place the item inside that menu group.
• Select a custom menu group to place the item below that group.

The selector follows the hierarchy and order of the actual sidebar. Custom groups are labeled so they can be distinguished from built-in platform menus.

Sort Order

The sort value positions the item among siblings at the same level:

• a smaller positive value appears earlier;
• 0 places the item at the end of that level;
• the form shows reference numbers for built-in sibling menus to help choose an insertion position.

1.7. Open Modes

Open mode	Result	Recommended use
Embed in Current Page	Opens inside the ThinkLink layout and keeps the sidebar visible.	Same-origin micro applications and internal pages that permit embedding.
Open in New Window	Opens in a separate browser window or tab.	External systems, pages that block embedding, or applications requiring more screen space.

A menu group does not have an open mode.

1.8. Visibility and Enabled State

Setting	Effect when turned off
Show in Menu	The sidebar entry is hidden, but an existing direct address can still open the page. Use this for link-only access.
Enable	The item is no longer provided in the current user's menu, and access through the dynamic host page is rejected.

After changing these settings, users may need to refresh the page or re-enter the organization to load the current menu.

1.9. Grant the Menu to a Role

Dynamic and built-in menus use the same role-permission tree:

1. Open System Management → Role Management.
2. Edit the target role.
3. Find and select the new dynamic menu or menu group in the menu-permission tree.
4. Save the role.
5. Confirm that the target user has that role.
6. Refresh or re-enter the organization as that user and verify the menu appears.

The default admin role has full access in the current organization. A custom role can open a dynamic menu only after that item is selected in its permission tree.

1.10. Delete a Menu or Group

Delete a Normal Dynamic Menu

The entry disappears from the sidebar and its menu permission is removed from roles. Deleting the menu does not delete the related micro-application files.

Delete a Menu Group

Menus directly below the deleted group are not deleted. They become top-level sidebar items. Check their new positions and sort order after deleting the group.

Additional effect: Deleting a micro application also deletes dynamic menus that point to it and removes the associated role permissions. Back up the application and confirm the full scope first.

1.11. A Menu Is Missing or Does Not Open

Check these conditions in order:

1. the dynamic menu is enabled;
2. Show in Menu is turned on;
3. the current user's role includes the dynamic menu;
4. the parent or custom menu group is enabled and visible;
5. the related micro application still exists and its entry file previews correctly;
6. an external address begins with http:// or https://;
7. the target website is not blocking embedded display;
8. refresh the page or re-enter the organization and try again.