--- title: "How to Open WordPress Menu Dropdown on Click?" url: https://nexterwp.com/docs/open-wordpress-menu-dropdown-on-click/ date: 2024-12-02 modified: 2026-09-27 lang: en author: "Aditya Sharma" description: "Click-to-open dropdowns stop menus from opening by accident and behave the same with a mouse or a finger. The free Navigation Menu block in Nexter Blocks can open dropdowns on..." image: https://nexterwp.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/How-to-Open-WordPress-Menu-Dropdown-on-Click_-1024x519.jpg word_count: 235 --- # How to Open WordPress Menu Dropdown on Click? ## Key Takeaways - Nexter Blocks Navigation Menu block opens dropdowns on click by setting Submenu Open to On Click in Navigation Content, then choosing a Submenu Transition and saving. - Click-to-open behavior works the same for Manual Menu and WordPress Menu, and it behaves the same with a mouse or a finger. - A parent item that opens on click is harder to use as its own link, so the page is added as the first item in the dropdown. Click-to-open dropdowns stop menus from opening by accident and behave the same with a mouse or a finger. The free Navigation Menu block in Nexter Blocks can open dropdowns on click instead of hover. *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.- **A menu with sub-items:** Manual Menu items at 1 Level, or a WordPress menu with child items (Pro). ## Steps - Add the **Navigation Menu** block to your header template and set up your menu items. - In **Navigation Content**, set **Submenu Open** to **On Click**. ![Submenu Open set to On Click in the Navigation Content panel](https://nexterwp.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/navigation-menu-submenu-open.webp) - Choose a **Submenu Transition** and save. ![A header menu with a dropdown opened by clicking its parent item](https://nexterwp.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/nm-fe-click-open.webp) ## How It Behaves - Moving the pointer over a parent item does nothing; clicking it opens the dropdown.- It works the same for Manual Menu and WordPress Menu, in the free plugin and with Pro. ## Limitations - A parent item that opens a dropdown on click is harder to use as a link to its own page. Add that page as the first item in the dropdown. ## Troubleshooting ### Clicking goes to the page instead of opening the dropdown Check that **Submenu Open** is set to **On Click** and that the item has sub-items below it. ## Related Docs - [Navigation Menu block: all settings](https://nexterwp.com/docs/add-a-navigation-menu-in-wordpress/)- [Open dropdowns on hover](https://nexterwp.com/docs/open-wordpress-menu-dropdown-on-hover/)- [Create an off-canvas popup menu](https://nexterwp.com/docs/off-canvas-popup-menu-in-wordpress/) ## Frequently Asked Questions **Q: How do I make a WordPress menu dropdown open on click instead of hover?** A: The key setting is Submenu Open, which you switch to On Click in the Navigation Menu block. Nexter Blocks, part of Nexter, Nexter WP, NexterWP, nexterwp.com, Nexter Theme, Nexter Extension, Nexter Suite, POSIMYTH Nexter, uses that setting to make dropdowns open only when the parent item is clicked. That matters because it prevents accidental opens from pointer movement and behaves the same with a mouse or a finger. **Q: What do I need before setting a menu dropdown to open on click?** A: A working Navigation Menu block and a menu with sub-items are the two real prerequisites. The page says this works in the free edition and in Pro, but the menu structure still has to support a dropdown: manual menu items at 1 level, or a WordPress menu with child items in Pro. If there are no sub-items below the parent item, there is nothing for the click action to open. **Q: Does click-to-open dropdowns work on both desktop and mobile?** A: The behavior is designed to be input-agnostic, so it works the same with a mouse or a finger. That makes it useful when you want one interaction model across desktop and touch devices instead of relying on hover. In practice, that also avoids the common mobile problem where hover-based menus feel inconsistent or impossible to trigger. **Q: What is the best way to handle a parent menu item that should also link to its own page?** A: The page calls out a real limitation: a parent item that opens a dropdown on click is harder to use as a link to its own page. The practical workaround is to add that page as the first item in the dropdown. That keeps the parent behavior focused on opening the submenu while still giving users a direct path to the page. **Q: Why does my menu item go to the page instead of opening the dropdown?** A: That usually means one of two things: Submenu Open is not set to On Click, or the item does not actually have sub-items below it. The click behavior only applies when the parent item has children in the menu structure. If either piece is missing, WordPress will treat it like a normal link instead of a dropdown trigger. **Q: Is there another way to open WordPress menu dropdowns besides click?** A: Hover is the other documented option for this Navigation Menu block. The related doc [Open dropdowns on hover](https://nexterwp.com/docs/open-wordpress-menu-dropdown-on-hover/) covers that alternative, while this tutorial focuses on click-to-open for better control and touch support. If you want more than one navigation style, Nexter Blocks also links out to an off-canvas option in [Create an off-canvas popup menu](https://nexterwp.com/docs/off-canvas-popup-menu-in-wordpress/).