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Fix SharePoint Hub Site Navigation Not Inheriting in Child Hubs
Question details
Navigation labels added to a top-level SharePoint hub site are not appearing on associated second or third-level child hub sites.
- Product
- SharePoint
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Managing multi-level hub structures and global navigation across SharePoint sites.
- Observed behavior
- Hub-to-hub associations connect search experiences but fail to inherit top-level navigation menus to the child hubs.
Ensure you have Site Collection Administrator or SharePoint Administrator permissions before modifying hub site registrations and associations.
Directly Associate Sites to the Parent Hub
Because hub-to-hub associations do not automatically inherit navigation, you must unregister the child site as a hub and associate it directly with the parent hub.
Hub-to-hub associations are designed to connect search and news experiences, but they do not automatically cascade global navigation down to secondary hubs. To force navigation inheritance, the target site must be a standard site directly associated with the main hub, rather than a registered hub itself.
Navigate to the SharePoint admin center, expand the 'Sites' menu on the left pane, and select 'Active sites'.
Select the site that is currently acting as a child hub and failing to inherit navigation. Click 'Hub' on the top command bar and select 'Unregister as hub site'.
With the site still selected, click 'Hub' again and choose 'Associate with a hub'. Select your top-level parent hub from the dropdown list to ensure the site inherits its global navigation menu.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why does my associated site not show the parent hub navigation?
Only sites directly associated with a parent hub inherit its navigation experience. If your target site is registered as a hub itself (acting as a child hub), it will maintain its own distinct navigation and will not inherit the parent hub's menu.
What is the purpose of a hub-to-hub association if navigation isn't shared?
Associating a hub with another hub primarily links their search experiences and allows news or site activity to roll up across the connected hubs. It is intentionally designed this way to keep navigation distinct while unifying search and content.
Can I force a child hub to inherit the parent hub's navigation?
No, SharePoint currently does not support automatic global navigation inheritance for hub-to-hub associations. You must either manually replicate the navigation links on the child hub or unregister the child hub and associate it as a standard site to the parent hub.
