--- title: "HMENU" manual: "TypoScript Explained" version: "main" permalink: "https://docs.typo3.org/permalink/t3tsref:cobj-hmenu@main" source: "ContentObjects/Hmenu/Index.rst" modified: "2026-09-15T06:04:04+00:00" --- # HMENU > [!WARNING] > This TypoScript object is still available to provide backward compatibility > for old sites. When creating a new menu or refactoring an existing one > always use the [menu data processor](https://docs.typo3.org/permalink/t3tsref:menuprocessor@main) > and a Fluid template. Objects of type HMENU generate hierarchical menus. In a [FLUIDTEMPLATE](https://docs.typo3.org/permalink/t3tsref:cobj-fluidtemplate@main) the HMENU can be used as a DataProcessor called [MenuProcessor](https://docs.typo3.org/permalink/t3tsref:menuprocessor@main), which internally uses the HMENU functionality. The cObject HMENU allows you to define the global settings of the menu as a whole. For the rendering of the single menu levels, different [menu objects](https://docs.typo3.org/permalink/t3tsref:menu-objects@main) can be used. Apart from creating a hierarchical menu of the pages as they are structured in the page tree, HMENU also allows you to use the [.special property](https://docs.typo3.org/permalink/t3tsref:hmenu-special-property@main) to create special menus. These special menus take characteristics of special menu types into account. ## Properties **1, 2, 3, ...** - **1, 2, 3, ...** - *Type:* [menu object](https://docs.typo3.org/permalink/t3tsref:data-type-menuobj@main) - *Default:* (no menu) For every menu level, that should be rendered, an according entry must exist. It defines the menu object that should render the menu items on the according level. 1 is the first level, 2 is the second level, 3 is the third level and so on. **The property "1" is required!** The entry 1 for the first level always must exist. All other levels only will be generated when they are configured. TYPO3 offers [the menu object TMENU](https://docs.typo3.org/permalink/t3tsref:menu-objects@main). **cache_period** - **cache_period** - *Type:* [integer](https://docs.typo3.org/permalink/t3tsref:data-type-integer@main) The number of seconds a menu may remain in cache. If this value is not set, the first available value of the following will be used: 1. cache_timeout of the current page 1. config.cache_period defined globally 1. 86400 (= 1 day) **cache** - **cache** - *Type:* [cache](https://docs.typo3.org/permalink/t3tsref:cache@main) See [cache function description](https://docs.typo3.org/permalink/t3tsref:cache@main) for details. **entryLevel** - **entryLevel** - *Type:* [integer](https://docs.typo3.org/permalink/t3tsref:data-type-integer@main) / [stdWrap](https://docs.typo3.org/permalink/t3tsref:stdwrap@main) - *Default:* 0 Defines at which level in the rootLine the menu should start. **special** - **special** - *Type:* *"directory" / "list" / "updated" / "rootline" / "browse" / "keywords" / "categories" / "language" / "userfunction"* Lets you define special types of menus. See the section about the [.special property](https://docs.typo3.org/permalink/t3tsref:hmenu-special-property@main)! **special.value** - **special.value** - *Type:* *list of page-uid's* / [stdWrap](https://docs.typo3.org/permalink/t3tsref:stdwrap@main) List of page uid's to use for the special menu. What they are used for depends on the menu type as defined by ".special"; see the section about the [.special property](https://docs.typo3.org/permalink/t3tsref:hmenu-special-property@main)! **minItems** - **minItems** - *Type:* [integer](https://docs.typo3.org/permalink/t3tsref:data-type-integer@main) / [stdWrap](https://docs.typo3.org/permalink/t3tsref:stdwrap@main) The minimum number of items in the menu. If the number of pages does not reach this level, a dummy-page with the title "..." and `uid=[currentpage_id]` is inserted. **Note:** Affects all sub menus as well. To set the value for each menu level individually, set the properties in the menu objects (see "Common properties" table). **maxItems** - **maxItems** - *Type:* [integer](https://docs.typo3.org/permalink/t3tsref:data-type-integer@main) / [stdWrap](https://docs.typo3.org/permalink/t3tsref:stdwrap@main) The maximum number of items in the menu. Additional items will be ignored. **Note:** Affects all sub menus as well. (See "minItems" for a notice.) **begin** - **begin** - *Type:* [integer](https://docs.typo3.org/permalink/t3tsref:data-type-integer@main) / [stdWrap](https://docs.typo3.org/permalink/t3tsref:stdwrap@main) [+calc](https://docs.typo3.org/permalink/t3tsref:objects-calc@main) The first item in the menu. **Note:** Affects all sub menus as well. (See "minItems" for a notice.) **excludeUidList** - **excludeUidList** - *Type:* list of [integer](https://docs.typo3.org/permalink/t3tsref:data-type-integer@main) / [stdWrap](https://docs.typo3.org/permalink/t3tsref:stdwrap@main) See [excludeUidList](https://docs.typo3.org/permalink/t3tsref:confval-menuprocessor-excludeuidlist@main). **excludeDoktypes** - **excludeDoktypes** - *Type:* list of [integer](https://docs.typo3.org/permalink/t3tsref:data-type-integer@main) - *Default:* 6,254 See [excludeDoktypes](https://docs.typo3.org/permalink/t3tsref:confval-menuprocessor-excludedoktypes@main). **includeNotInMenu** - **includeNotInMenu** - *Type:* [boolean](https://docs.typo3.org/permalink/t3tsref:data-type-boolean@main) / [stdWrap](https://docs.typo3.org/permalink/t3tsref:stdwrap@main) See [includeNotInMenu](https://docs.typo3.org/permalink/t3tsref:confval-menuprocessor-includenotinmenu@main) **alwaysActivePIDlist** - **alwaysActivePIDlist** - *Type:* list of [integer](https://docs.typo3.org/permalink/t3tsref:data-type-integer@main) /[stdWrap](https://docs.typo3.org/permalink/t3tsref:stdwrap@main) See [alwaysActivePIDlist](https://docs.typo3.org/permalink/t3tsref:confval-menuprocessor-alwaysactivepidlist@main) **protectLvar** - **protectLvar** - *Type:* [boolean](https://docs.typo3.org/permalink/t3tsref:data-type-boolean@main) / keyword See [protectLvar](https://docs.typo3.org/permalink/t3tsref:confval-menuprocessor-protectlvar@main). **if** - **if** - *Type:* [->if](https://docs.typo3.org/permalink/t3tsref:if@main) If "if" returns false, the menu is not generated. **wrap** - **wrap** - *Type:* [wrap](https://docs.typo3.org/permalink/t3tsref:data-type-wrap@main) / [stdWrap](https://docs.typo3.org/permalink/t3tsref:stdwrap@main) Wrap for the HMENU. **stdWrap** - **stdWrap** - *Type:* [->stdWrap](https://docs.typo3.org/permalink/t3tsref:stdwrap@main) (Executed after ".wrap".) For examples on how to use the HMENU please refer to old version of this document, for example [HMENU](https://docs.typo3.org/m/typo3/reference-typoscript/11.5/en-us/ContentObjects/Hmenu/Index.html#cobj-hmenu)