Study Hall Navigation Links: Organizing Your Campus Experience
Study Hall Links are built-in navigation shortcuts that appear in the Study Hall sidebar, helping members quickly access key features and sections. This guide will help you teach your Campus members how to understand and utilize these navigation links effectively.
Well-organized navigation is the difference between a confusing Study Hall and an intuitive one. Links help members find what they need fast.
Understanding Study Hall Links
Study Hall Links are automatic navigation elements that your campus platform creates based on enabled features. They appear in the Study Hall sidebar and provide quick access to:
- Feed: Main activity stream with posts and discussions
- About: Study Hall description and overview
- Members: Complete member list with roles
- Documents: File and document library (if enabled)
- Chat: Group chat feature (if enabled)
- Custom Links: Admin-added external or internal links
Teaching Tip for 45+ Audience: Think of Study Hall Links like a table of contents in a book. They show members all available sections and let them jump directly to what they need.
Default Links in Every Study Hall
Guide your members to recognize these standard links:
Feed Link
The primary activity stream where all posts, polls, and discussions appear. This is the "home page" of the Study Hall where members spend most of their time.
About Link
Displays the Study Hall description, purpose, privacy settings, and other overview information. New members often check this first to understand what the Study Hall is about.
Members Link
Shows the complete list of Study Hall members with their roles (Admin, Moderator, Member) and activity status. Great for networking and seeing who’s part of the community.
Campus Map Context: In Phase 2 (Community Building), encourage new members to browse the Members link to find connection opportunities and familiar faces.
Conditional Links Based on Features
Some links only appear when specific features are enabled in Study Hall Settings:
Documents Link
Appears when "Enable File and Document Library for this Space" is turned on in Study Hall Settings → Customization tab. Provides access to shared files, PDFs, images, and resources.
Best Used For:
- Resource libraries
- Course materials
- Reference documents
- Member-submitted files
- Templates and tools
Chat Link
Appears when "Group Chat" is enabled in Study Hall Settings → Customization tab. Opens the real-time chat interface for quick conversations alongside the main feed.
Best Used For:
- Quick questions
- Real-time coordination
- Social connection
- Urgent announcements
- Voice/video calls (if supported)
Teaching Strategy: Not every Study Hall needs every feature. Help members enable only the features (and thus links) that serve their Study Hall’s purpose. More isn’t always better—clarity matters.
Custom Links: Connecting External Resources
Study Hall owners can add custom navigation links to external websites, resources, or other Campus pages. This is covered in detail in our Add Custom Links documentation.
Common Custom Link Uses:
- Link to a related course
- Connect to external tools (Zoom, Google Drive, etc.)
- Reference websites or resources
- Link to payment or registration pages
- Connect related Study Halls
Teaching Members to Navigate with Links
Help your Campus members become comfortable with Study Hall navigation:
For New Members:
- Start with the About link to understand the Study Hall’s purpose
- Check the Members link to see who’s part of the community
- Explore the Feed link to see current discussions
- Discover Documents and Chat links if they’re available
For Active Members:
- Use the Feed link as your daily starting point
- Check Members when looking for specific people
- Visit Documents when you need resources
- Jump to Chat for quick real-time conversations
For Admins:
- Ensure all links are working and relevant
- Review custom links quarterly and remove outdated ones
- Add new links as new resources become available
Link Organization Best Practices
Teach Study Hall owners these strategies for clean navigation:
Keep It Simple
Only enable features (and their corresponding links) that members will actually use. A Study Hall with Feed, About, and Members is perfectly sufficient for many purposes.
Use Descriptive Custom Link Names
If adding custom links, use clear names like "Weekly Zoom Call" instead of just "Zoom" or "Resource Library" instead of "Drive."
Order Matters
While built-in links appear in a standard order, custom links can be arranged. Place the most important custom links near the top.
Mobile Consideration
Remember that many 45+ members access your Campus on tablets and phones. Navigation should work well on smaller screens.
Troubleshooting Common Link Issues
Issue: "The Documents link disappeared!"
Solution: Check Study Hall Settings → Customization. The File and Document Library feature may have been accidentally disabled. Re-enable it to restore the link.
Issue: "Members can’t find the Chat feature."
Solution: The Chat link only appears when Group Chat is enabled in Study Hall Settings → Customization. Enable it, save settings, and the link will appear.
Issue: "I added a custom link but it’s not showing."
Solution: Ensure the link was saved properly and that you have proper permissions. See our Custom Links Guide for detailed troubleshooting.
Navigation and Campus Transformation
Strategic use of Study Hall Links supports transformation at every phase:
Phase 2 (Community Building):
- Clear navigation reduces friction for new members
- Members link helps people find connection opportunities
- About link sets expectations and context
Phase 3 (Engagement Ecosystem):
- Documents link provides ongoing value between discussions
- Chat link enables real-time connection
- Custom links extend engagement beyond the Campus
Phase 4 (Transformation Engine):
- Custom links connect to implementation tools
- Documents link houses transformation resources
- Strategic navigation guides members through learning paths
Need Help? For advanced link customization, see our Add Custom Links Guide or contact our support team.