Can someone help me identify if there is a problem with my config.yml that is preventing the navigation columns from showing?

[chrisdburr]

My site is no longer rendering the navigation columns for the sections of the site, regardless of frontmatter options.

Steps to debug already:

• Verify that the pages do not have the following frontmatter options disabling the navigation menus:

---
hide:
  - navigation
  - toc
---

• I have also tried to rebuild the site with minimal configuration but using the same features in my original mkdocs.yml file. The minimal build works, suggesting there is an issue with my config file (below).

As such, I would appreciate any help with trying to find the issue. Here is my mkdocs.yml configuration (unable to attach):

# Project information
INHERIT: images.yml
site_name: Turing Commons
site_url: https://alan-turing-institute.github.io/turing-commons/
site_description: >-
  An online platform to support open dialogue and reflection about the responsible design, development, and deployment of data-driven technologies.

repo_name: alan-turing-institute/turing-commons
repo_url: https://github.com/alan-turing-institute/turing-commons
# edit_uri: edit/main/docs/

# Copyright
copyright: Copyright © 2022 Alan Turing Institute

# Configuration
theme:
  name: material
  custom_dir: overrides

  # Static files
  static_templates:
    - 404.html

  # Default values, taken from mkdocs_theme.yml
  language: en
  features:
    - announce.dismiss
    - content.code.annotate
    # - content.tabs.link
    # - header.autohide
    - navigation.expand
    - navigation.indexes
    - navigation.footer
    - navigation.instant
    # - navigation.sections
    - navigation.path
    - navigation.tabs
    - navigation.tabs.sticky
    - navigation.top
    - navigation.tracking
    - search.highlight
    - search.share
    - search.suggest
    - toc.follow
    # - toc.integrate
  palette:
    - scheme: default
      primary: teal
      accent: deep orange
      toggle:
        icon: material/toggle-switch
        name: Switch to dark mode
    - scheme: slate
      primary: red
      accent: red
      toggle:
        icon: material/toggle-switch-off-outline
        name: Switch to light mode
  font:
    text: Roboto
    code: Roboto Mono
  # favicon: assets/logo.png
  icon:
    logo: material/vector-circle
    admonition:
      bug: octicons/database-16

# Plugins
plugins:
  - blog:
      post_date_format: medium
      post_url_date_format: YYYY/MM/dd
      post_url_format: "{slug}"
      post_readtime: true
  - glightbox:
      touchNavigation: true
      loop: false
      effect: zoom
      width: 100%
      height: auto
      zoomable: true
      draggable: true
  - search:
      separator: "[\\s\\-,:!=\\[\\]()\"/]+|\\.(?!\\d)|&[lg]t;|(?!\\b)(?=[A-Z][a-z])"
  - tags
  # - social (disabled when running locally due to library issues)

# Customization

# Extensions
markdown_extensions:
  - abbr
  - admonition
  - attr_list
  - def_list
  - footnotes
  - meta
  - md_in_html
  - toc:
      permalink: true
  - pymdownx.arithmatex:
      generic: true
  - pymdownx.betterem:
      smart_enable: all
  - pymdownx.caret
  - pymdownx.details
  - pymdownx.emoji:
      emoji_generator: !!python/name:materialx.emoji.to_svg
      emoji_index: !!python/name:materialx.emoji.twemoji
  - pymdownx.highlight:
      anchor_linenums: true
  - pymdownx.inlinehilite
  - pymdownx.keys
  - pymdownx.magiclink:
      repo_url_shorthand: true
      user: squidfunk
      repo: mkdocs-material
  - pymdownx.mark
  - pymdownx.smartsymbols
  - pymdownx.superfences:
      custom_fences:
        - name: mermaid
          class: mermaid
          format: !!python/name:pymdownx.superfences.fence_code_format
  - pymdownx.tabbed:
      alternate_style: true
  - pymdownx.tasklist:
      custom_checkbox: true
  - pymdownx.tilde
  - pymdownx.snippets

extra_javascript:
  - javascripts/mathjax.js
  - https://polyfill.io/v3/polyfill.min.js?features=es6
  - https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/mathjax@3/es5/tex-mml-chtml.js
  - https://unpkg.com/[email protected]/dist/tablesort.min.js
  - javascripts/tablesort.js
  - javascripts/copyurl.js

extra_css:
  - stylesheets/extra.css
  - stylesheets/gallery.css

# Page tree

nav:
  - Home: index.md
  - Welcome: welcome.md
  - Skills Tracks:
      - skills-tracks/index.md
      - Responsible Research and Innovation:
          - skills-tracks/rri/index.md
          - Introduction: skills-tracks/rri/intro/index.md

nav:
  - Home: index.md
  - Welcome: welcome.md
  - Skills Tracks:
      - skills-tracks/index.md
      - Responsible Research and Innovation in Data Science and AI:
          - skills-tracks/rri/index.md
          - Introduction: skills-tracks/rri/intro/index.md
          - What is Responsible Research and Innovation:
              - Introduction: skills-tracks/rri/chapter1/index.md
              - What is Responsibility: skills-tracks/rri/chapter1/responsibility.md
              - A Short History of RRI: skills-tracks/rri/chapter1/history.md
              - Science, Technology, and Society: skills-tracks/rri/chapter1/sts.md
            #   - Science and Technology Studies Timeline: skills-tracks/rri/chapter1/timeline.md
          - Responsible Data Science and AI:
              - Introduction: skills-tracks/rri/chapter2/index.md
              - What is Responsible Data Science and AI: skills-tracks/rri/chapter2/responsible_ds.md
              - Introducing the Project Lifecycle: skills-tracks/rri/chapter2/project_lifecycle.md
              - Roles and Responsibilities: skills-tracks/rri/chapter2/roles_responsibility.md
              - Understanding Bias: skills-tracks/rri/chapter2/understanding_bias.md
          - The Project Lifecycle:
              - Introduction: skills-tracks/rri/chapter3/index.md
              - Case Studies: skills-tracks/rri/activities/case_studies.md
              - Project Planning: skills-tracks/rri/chapter3/project_design/planning.md
              - Problem Formulation: skills-tracks/rri/chapter3/project_design/problem.md
              - Data Extraction or Procurement: skills-tracks/rri/chapter3/project_design/data_extraction.md
              - Data Analysis: skills-tracks/rri/chapter3/project_design/data_analysis.md
              - Preprocessing and Feature Engineering: skills-tracks/rri/chapter3/model_development/preprocessing.md
              - Model Selection and Training: skills-tracks/rri/chapter3/model_development/model_selection.md
              - Model Testing and Validation: skills-tracks/rri/chapter3/model_development/model_testing.md
              - Model Reporting: skills-tracks/rri/chapter3/model_development/model_reporting.md
              - Model Productionalisation: skills-tracks/rri/chapter3/system_deployment/model_productionalisation.md
              - User Training: skills-tracks/rri/chapter3/system_deployment/user_training.md
              - System Use and Monitoring: skills-tracks/rri/chapter3/system_deployment/system_use.md
              - Model Updating or Deprovisioning: skills-tracks/rri/chapter3/system_deployment/model_updating.md
              - Next Steps: skills-tracks/rri/chapter3/summary.md
          - Responsible Communication:
              - Introduction: skills-tracks/rri/chapter4/index.md
              - What is Argument-Based Assurance: skills-tracks/rri/chapter4/assurance.md
              - Assurance and Responsible Communication: skills-tracks/rri/chapter4/communication.md
              - Goals, Properties, and Evidence: skills-tracks/rri/chapter4/gpe.md
          - Conclusion: skills-tracks/rri/conclusion/index.md
      - Public Engagement in Data Science and AI:
          - skills-tracks/ped/index.md
          - What is Public Engagement?:
              - Introduction: skills-tracks/ped/chapter1/index.md
              - Climbing the Ladder: skills-tracks/ped/chapter1/ladder.md
              - Goals of Public Engagement: skills-tracks/ped/chapter1/goals.md
          - The Value(s) of Public Engagement:
              - Introduction: skills-tracks/ped/chapter2/index.md
              - Deliberative Values: skills-tracks/ped/chapter2/deliberation.md
              - Responsible Public Engagement: skills-tracks/ped/chapter2/responsible.md
          - Facilitating Public Engagement:
              - Introduction: skills-tracks/ped/chapter3/index.md
              - When should you engage: skills-tracks/ped/chapter3/when.md
              - How should you engage: skills-tracks/ped/chapter3/how.md
          - Practical Guidance:
              - Introduction: skills-tracks/ped/chapter4/index.md
              - Storytelling with Data: skills-tracks/ped/chapter4/storytelling.md
              - Communicating Uncertainty: skills-tracks/ped/chapter4/uncertainty.md
              - Visualising Uncertainty: skills-tracks/ped/chapter4/uncertainty-example.md
          - Public Trust and Assurance:
              - Introduction: skills-tracks/ped/chapter5/index.md
              - Public Trust in Science and Technology: skills-tracks/ped/chapter5/trust.md
      - AI Ethics and Governance:
          - skills-tracks/aeg/index.md
          - Practical Ethics:
              - Introduction: skills-tracks/aeg/chapter1/index.md
              - Introduction to Metaethics: skills-tracks/aeg/chapter1/metaethics.md
              - Introduction to Normative Theories: skills-tracks/aeg/chapter1/normative.md
          - AI Harms and Values:
              - Introduction: skills-tracks/aeg/chapter2/index.md
              - AI Harms: skills-tracks/aeg/chapter2/harms.md
              - AI Values: skills-tracks/aeg/chapter2/values.md
          - AI Sustainability:
              - Introduction: skills-tracks/aeg/chapter3/index.md
              - Stakeholder Engagement Process: skills-tracks/aeg/chapter3/engagement.md
              - Stakeholder Impact Assessment: skills-tracks/aeg/chapter3/impact.md
          - Fairness & Bias Mitigation, Accountability, and Governance:
              - Introduction: skills-tracks/aeg/chapter4/index.md
              - Introduction to Fairness: skills-tracks/aeg/chapter4/fairness.md
              - AI Fairness: skills-tracks/aeg/chapter4/aifairness.md
              - Bias Mitigation: skills-tracks/aeg/chapter4/bias.md
              - Accountability: skills-tracks/aeg/chapter4/accountability.md
              - AI Governance: skills-tracks/aeg/chapter4/governance.md
          - Transparency, Explainability, and CARE and ACT Principles:
              - Introduction: skills-tracks/aeg/chapter5/index.md
              - Transparency & Explainability: skills-tracks/aeg/chapter5/transparency.md
              - Consider Context: skills-tracks/aeg/chapter5/consider.md
              - Anticipate Impacts: skills-tracks/aeg/chapter5/anticipate.md
              - Reflect on Purpose, Positionality, and Power: skills-tracks/aeg/chapter5/reflect.md
              - Engage Inclusively: skills-tracks/aeg/chapter5/engage.md
              - Act Responsibly: skills-tracks/aeg/chapter5/act.md

  - Resources:
      - resources/index.md
      - Gallery: resources/gallery.md
      - Bibliographies: resources/bibliographies.md
      - Case Studies: resources/case-studies.md
      - Activities: resources/activities.md

  - Blog:
      - blog/index.md

[squidfunk]

You have overrides in place (custom_dir), as well as extra_javascript and extra_css – the problem could be anywhere. The best idea is to try to remove all customizations and see whether the issue persists. If it persists, keep removing from mkdocs.yml.

[chrisdburr]

Thanks @squidfunk, just those three suggestions were enough to narrow the search down for me to some CSS leftover from testing a new template for a single page with custom style classes. Much appreciated.