How do I apply master page changes to all subsites in SharePoint 2013?

Question

I realize similar questions have been asked, but master pages have changed somwehwat in SharePoint Server 2013, and this is actually several questions in one. I've read lots and lots of articles, and found conflicting information. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

I would like to make two changes to my SharePoint 2013 master pages in an existing site collection full of team sites.

• The first is to change the logo link URL (the link you go to when you click the logo) to point to the root of the site collection, not the root of the current site.
• The second is to bring back the navigation up button, where you can see the hierarchy of sites above you, from SharePoint 2010.

I would then like to push the new master page with these changes down to all existing team sites without breaking anything. These are collaboration sites with lots of content editors and creators, not sites with a few editors and a big read-only audience.

The questions:

1. On the logo link URL change, I've read that adding the old way of changing NavigateUrl="~sitecollection" in the master page change doesn't work on SharePoint 2013. Can anyone confirm that NavigateURL either works or it doesn't?
2. On the navigation up button I've read that you have to delete the ThemeKey=”v15breadcrumb” to get the up image to appear. I've tried this and it seems to work, but I don't want to cause myself pain later. I tried changing the parameter to v14breadcrumb, but that didn't make any difference. The image is blank unless I delete the ThemeKey parameter, and deleting the parameter doesn't sit right with me. What am I deleting here? Is there a better way?
3. I have the Publishing Infrastructure turned on on the Site Collection, but I don't have SharePoint Server Publishing turned on at the top level team site or on lower level team sites. I've read that I need this turned on to push master pages down to subsites. I'd like my new Master page to show up in the Site Layout dropdown of all team sites both existing and to be created. I'd like the existing themes to continue to work.

However, I've read that activating Server Publishing in a team site turns on a Pages gallery, instead of the existing SitePages, and changes the site's home page. I've also read that new pages are created in Pages and not SitePages, which would create a mess with the existing content. Does it change or break anything when I activate Server Publishing (not Infrastructure, which is done) on my top level and lower level team sites?

I do understand that I need to create a copy and change the .HTML master page, and not the .MASTER page itself, as was the case in the past.

Again, thanks for any help.

Answer 1

I recently blogged about how to restore the Navigate Up button in SharePoint 2013 using an AdditionalPageHead delegate control. This lets you add a control to the header of every SharePoint page and you can then do the necessary functions to restore the navigate up button. See this link.

In my example, I am using the following code to get the controls:

var masterPage = this.Page.Master;
var delta = masterPage.FindControl("DeltaBreadcrumbDropdown") as AjaxDelta;
if (delta != null)
{
    var breadcrumb = delta.FindControl("GlobalBreadCrumbNavPopout") as PopoutMenu;
    if (breadcrumb != null)
    {

You could use the same code to get the "DeltaSiteLogo" AjaxDelta control and then get the "onetidProjectPropertyTitleGraphic" SPSimpleSiteLink control. Once you have the control, you can set its NavigateUrl to SPContext.Current.Site.RootWeb.Url or something like that.

Answer 2

1. Site Settings>Design Manager
2. 7 Step Publish and Apply Design
3. Assign master pages to your site based on device channel
4. Check Reset all subsites to inherit this site master page setting and Select your master page for site master page and system master page

Answer 3

1. Go to the settings in the subsite --> Master Page --> select the radio button "Inherit from parent site".

2. If you have used REST api, change the code webAbsoluteUrl of _spPageContextInfo.webAbsoluteUrl to _spPageContextInfo.siteAbsoluteUrl.