In WordPress, the pages can already be created in a hierarchy, which can help the clarity but also the URL structure. However, if the parent web page should not be filled with content and link directly to the child element, a little coding is required.
Solution: Ideally, you create an empty php file (e.g. blank.php) in a child theme, so that this file is not overwritten when the theme is updated. Finally, insert the following code.
<?php
/*
* Template Name: Parent Menu
* Description: Redirects empty parent page to first child page
*/
$child_page = get_pages( "child_of=" . $post->ID . "&sort_column=menu_order" );
if ( $child_page ) {
$parent_page = $child_page[0];
wp_redirect( get_permalink( $parent_page->ID ) );
}
In the last step, the template must be changed in the backend on the desired parent page. In the above case, on „Parent Menu“.