Why & How: Replace Page List Menu Gadget with a Link List

The Default Blogger Templates(which can be customized using the Designer) are all made to use the “Blog Pages” as your Blog’s Top Navigation Menu. This is done using a Page List Gadget. But , you might want to setup your own menu with Custom Links. In that case, you can replace the Page List Gadget with a Link List. This tutorial guides you on how you can replace the Page List with a Link List without loosing the Menu Styling(and the highlighted active links)..

How do i add non-page links to my Menu

This is a frequently asked question on the Blogger Help Forum. The solution is simple, if you want to display anything other than page links on your Menu, then you will have to use a Link List Gadget instead of using a Page List. If you are using one of the Default Blogger Templates, and if you have added a Page List Gadget below the header, you will be using "Page" links as the Navigation Menu. To change this to a Link list, follow these simple steps.
1. Login to your Blogger Account and navigate to the Design > Edit HTML tab. Do NOT check the “Expand Widget Templates” Option.
2. Now look for(Ctrl + F)
<b:widget id='PageList
and you will find some line like

<b:widget id='PageList1' locked='false' title='Pages' type='PageList'/>

3. Replace this line by the following Code

<b:widget id='LinkList123' locked='false' title='Menu' type='LinkList'>
<b:includable id='main'>
<div class='widget-content PageList'>
   <ul>
     <b:if cond='data:blog.url == data:blog.homepageUrl'>
     <li class='selected'>
     <a expr:href='data:blog.homepageUrl'>Home</a>
     </li>
     <b:else/>
     <li><a expr:href='data:blog.homepageUrl'>Home</a></li>
     </b:if>
     <b:loop values='data:links' var='link'>
       <b:if cond='data:blog.url == data:link.target'>
       <li class='selected'>
       <a expr:href='data:link.target'><data:link.name/></a>
       </li>
       <b:else/>
       <li><a expr:href='data:link.target'><data:link.name/></a>
       </li>
       </b:if>
     </b:loop>
   </ul>
   <b:include name='quickedit'/>
</div>
</b:includable>
</b:widget>

4. Save the Template.
5. Now you can manually add links to the Menu by using the Quick Edit Wrench Button