---
title: "How to Create a Vertical Menu in WordPress?"
url: https://nexterwp.com/docs/create-a-vertical-menu-in-wordpress/
date: 2024-12-02
modified: 2026-09-13
lang: en
author: "Aditya Sharma"
description: "A vertical menu suits sidebars, side headers and small menus where a stacked list looks cleaner than a row. The free Navigation Menu block in Nexter Blocks switches to a..."
image: https://nexterwp.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/How-to-Create-a-Vertical-Menu-in-WordPress_-1024x519.jpg
word_count: 200
---

# How to Create a Vertical Menu in WordPress?

## Key Takeaways

- Nexter Blocks Navigation Menu block creates a vertical menu in WordPress by adding the block to the header template and selecting Vertical in Menu Layout.
- Nexter Builder is used to create the header template before the Navigation Menu block is added.
- Submenu settings let the user choose the hover event and animation effect that opens nested items in a vertical menu.

A vertical menu suits sidebars, side headers and small menus where a stacked list looks cleaner than a row.

The free Navigation Menu block in Nexter Blocks switches to a vertical layout with one setting.

*For every Navigation Menu setting in one place, see the [Navigation Menu block guide](https://nexterwp.com/docs/add-a-navigation-menu-in-wordpress/).*

[LIVE BLOCK LINK](https://nexterwp.com/nexter-blocks/builder/wordpress-navigation-menu/)

## Before You Start

- **Edition:** Free — works in Nexter Blocks (free) and with Nexter Blocks Pro.- **Block to enable:** Navigation Menu, switched on under **Nexter > Blocks** in your WordPress dashboard.

## Steps

- Add the **Navigation Menu** block and choose a **Type** (Manual Menu, or WordPress Menu with Pro).

- Set **Menu Layout** to **Vertical**.

![Menu Layout set to Vertical with the menu stacked on the canvas](https://nexterwp.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/navigation-menu-layout.webp)

- Add or select your menu items, then set **Submenu Open** and **Submenu Transition**. Save.

![A vertical navigation menu on a website](https://nexterwp.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/navigation-menu-vertical-demo.png)

## How It Behaves

- Menu items are stacked top to bottom.- Opening a parent item shows its sub-items below it and pushes the items underneath down.

## Limitations

- Long vertical menus take a lot of height. For a collapsible version, use the Vertical Toggle layout.

## Troubleshooting

### The menu is still in a row

Check **Menu Layout** is set to Vertical and the block has enough width for the item text.

## Related Docs

- [Navigation Menu block: all settings](https://nexterwp.com/docs/add-a-navigation-menu-in-wordpress/)- [Create a vertical toggle menu](https://nexterwp.com/docs/create-a-wordpress-vertical-toggle-menu/)- [Create a vertical mega menu](https://nexterwp.com/docs/create-a-vertical-mega-menu-in-wordpress/)