Menu Builder Block for Moodle

Plugin name: Menu Builder
Component: block_menubuilder
Version: 2026.01.23
Moodle compatibility: Moodle 3.9 – 4.4+ (tested up to Moodle 4.4)
Author: Dynamicpixel Multimedia Solutions
License: GNU GPL v3 or later

Overview

The Menu Builder block allows administrators and teachers to create a fully customizable vertical menu with links, Material Design icons, and role-based visibility directly from the block configuration interface.

Perfect for: - Creating quick-access side menus - Building custom navigation for specific courses or the site front page - Providing role-specific links (e.g., Student Resources, Staff Portal, Parent Links)

Features

• Add up to 20 menu items per block instance
• Set title, URL, and Material Design icon for each item
• Role-based visibility – show items only to selected roles (multiple roles supported)
• Automatic active state highlighting based on current page URL
• Special handling for the Moodle Dashboard (/my) so "/my" links are highlighted correctly
• Clean, modern styling with hover effects and active indicator
• Uses Google Material Icons (Outlined) – just type the icon name (e.g., home, school, assignment)

Installation

1. Download the plugin folder named menubuilder
2. Place it in your Moodle /blocks/ directory
3. Log in as administrator and visit Site administration > Notifications to complete installation
4. The block will appear in the "Add a block" dropdown as Menu Builder

How to Use

1. Add the Menu Builder block to a page (Dashboard, course page, or front page)
2. Click the gear icon > Configure Menu Builder block
3. Set Number of items (0–20)
4. For each item configure:
   • Item title – displayed text
   • Item URL – full or relative URL (e.g., /my/, https://example.com, /course/view.php?id=5)
   • Item icon (optional) – Material icon name, e.g., dashboard, forum, grade
     (See all icons: https://fonts.google.com/icons)
   • Allowed roles – leave empty to show to everyone, or select specific roles
5. Save changes

Tip: Use relative URLs when linking inside your Moodle site (e.g., /calendar/view.php, /grade/report/overview/index.php)

Supported Icon Examples

Just type the name exactly as shown on Google Material Icons.

Requirements

• Moodle 3.9 or higher
• Internet connection (to load Google Material Icons font)
• Theme that does not override block CSS heavily (works perfectly with Boost, Classic, and most child themes)

Known Limitations

• Maximum 20 items per block instance (you can add multiple blocks if needed)
• Icons are loaded from Google Fonts (no local fallback)

Support & Bug Reports

Please report issues or suggestions at:
contact: Dynamicpixel Multimedia Solutions

Changelog

2026.01.23 - Initial public release - Role-based visibility - Material Icons integration - Dashboard (/my) active state fix - Responsive and clean design

License

This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or (at your option) any later version.

See LICENSE.txt for full details.

Made with ❤️ for the Moodle community