Picture this: a sleek line of code unfolds into an elegant, functional navigator—yeah, I’m talking about those trendy CSS dropdown menu examples you’ve seen on snazzy sites. They’re like the Swiss army knives of navigation, armed with seamless usability and snappy design.
In the realm of front-end development, where first impressions are like gold dust, your dropdown menu is the gatekeeper to your website’s world.
Need to hook visitors? Those menus matter. That’s where I swing in, armed with insider info and tips to make that happen.
We’ll embark on a code-filled adventure, sifting through the crevices of HTML list elements and sprucing up with CSS3 animations, while keeping our sights on responsive design and those ever-so-crucial hover effects.
By the end, you’ll be ready to deploy dropdowns that not only look the part but play it brilliantly across all devices.
Dropdown Menu Examples
Here is a collection of stylish CSS dropdown menu examples web designers and app developers can use in their projects.
Dropdown Menu Examples For Apps
Molten menu
Author: Zealand
Made with: CSS, HTML
Here is a beautifully animated menu to try out. Each drop-down menu flows like liquid fire beneath its main menu item.
Recursive Hover Nav ( Only CSS )
Author: sean_codes
Made with: CSS, HTML
This dropdown menu displays when the main menu is hovered over.
Dropdown Menus
Author: Kevin
Made with: CSS, HTML
With this option, main menu items display in distinctive colors. Dropdown menus descend in a smooth animation.
Simple CSS Dropdown Menu with Hover and :focus-within and Focus states and ARIA
Author: Una Kravets
Made with: CSS, HTML
This is a simple dropdown menu with a minimal design.
CSS Dropdown Menu
Author: Rlski
Made with: CSS, HTML
With this option, the user clicks the dropdown button to display the sub-menu.
Dropdown Menu Examples For Websites and Apps
Pure CSS Dropdown Menu
Author: Cristina Silva
Made with: CSS, HTML
This dropdown menu does not include JavaScript. Of the four menu items, there is only one div class dropdown button included. This button class creates a sub-menu that contains three content fields.
Peace. CSS3 Animated Dropdown Menu
Author: Maxim Aginsky
Made with: CSS, HTML
This option has a beautiful background color and dropdown content when the user hovers over the main menu button.
CSS Dropdown Menu
Author: Amr SubZero
Made with: CSS, HTML
Here is a CSS dropdown menu with a refreshing background color. Each sub-menu displays the dropdown content of its main menu item.
Full width css dropdown menu
Author: Gol Hamer
Made with: CSS, HTML
It’s easy to create a dropdown menu using this simple option.
Swanky Pure CSS Drop Down Menu V2.0
Author: Jamie Coulter
Made with: CSS, HTML
Here’s a great option for a non-JavaScript IU. It features a beautiful background color and a smooth dropdown animation effect.
Simple CSS Dropdown Menu
Author: Jon Bellah
Made with: CSS, HTML
This CSS dropdown menu template has a dropdown button that displays dropdown content when hovered over.
Simple Pure Css dropdown menu with following subnav
Author: Robert Borghesi
Made with: CSS, HTML
A dropdown menu CSS concept that includes a line that follows the user’s cursor. This template includes a grey background color set with a green menu bar. The dropdown button could consist of links to tutorials or other content related to the app or website.
Simple Pure CSS Dropdown Menu
Author: Connor Brassington
Made with: CSS, HTML
A simple CSS dropdown menu. With a bit of adjustment to the button class code, another menu button can be adjusted to display dropdown content.
Vertical Dropdown Menu
Author: Kerem Beyazit
Made with: CSS, HTML
This dropdown menu CSS concept has icons that display their dropdown content to the right of the screen. Each main menu icon appears as a blue symbol that generates dropdown content when hovered over. This is a vertical dropdown concept that can be used for websites and apps.
CSS dropdown menu
Author: Kitty giraudel
Made with: CSS, HTML
A minimal dropdown menu, designed with the checkbox hack. The div class dropdown code may need adjustments before use in your projects.
Pure CSS Dropdown Menu (No JavaScript)
Author: Garet McKinley
Made with: CSS, HTML
In this option, the div class dropdown code may need to be adjusted before use.
CSS Drop Down Menu Paper Folding Effect
Author: Razvan Tudosa
Made with: CSS, HTML
This is a CSS dropdown menu designed with a paper folding animation effect.
Simple Menu
Author: Hugh Balboa
Made with: HTML, CSS
A nice menu bar with two item dropdowns that descend to reveal additional content-menus.
Pure CSS dropdown [work for mobile touch screen]
Author: Jonath Lee
Made with: HTML, CSS
This CSS dropdown menu works well for touch screen devices. It has been tested on:
- Chrome Canary
- Chrome PC
- IE10 PC
- Android emulator
- Firefox PC
- And Android 5 smartphone
Dropdown Menu Examples For Websites
Full-width sub-menu
Author: Alexei Popkov
Made with: CSS, HTML
A full-width dropdown menu. The sub-menus stay beneath their parent items.
CSS3 only dropdown menu with transitions
Author: Carolina Hansson
Made with: HTML, CSS
With this option, the menu text’s color becomes blue and is underlined when hovered over. The ‘About’ menu item drops down to reveal an inline-block display of three extra items.
MainMenu #CodePenChallenge
Author: Mohamed Ayman
Made with: HTML, CSS
This is a beautiful and colorful horizontal dropdown menu.
Tertiary animated CSS dropdown menu
Author: Dan Mathisen
Made with: HTML, CSS
A dropdown menu style that is great for designing a website.
Responsive navigation menu Pure CSS
Author: Jenning
Made with: HTML, CSS
This simple design has a mild background color.
#CodePenChallenge – Menu – Gradient Menu
Author: Halida Astatin
Made with: HTML, CSS
A responsive dropdown menu which displays beautiful colors.
CSS dropdown menu – upward
Author: Nicolas Galler
Made with: HTML, CSS
This dropdown style is excellent for designing pro browsers like Chrome and Firefox. The dropdown menu is set at the lower edge of the screen with an inline-block display.
Pure CSS DropDown Menu
Author: Dr. Web
Made with: HTML, CSS
This example is ideal for designing a website.
Dropdown menu with css3 a
Author: Mario Loncarek
Made with: HTML, CSS
The black menu at the margin-top has a familiar design to make it easy for users. Menu items change color when hovered over.
Pure CSS DropDown Menu
Author: Andor Nagy
Made with: HTML, CSS
This is a simple example of a dropdown menu.
Menu #CodePenChallenge
Author: Ahmad Nasr
Made with: HTML, CSS
With a beautiful background color, this horizontal CSS dropdown menu features a nice animation effect.
Dark HTML CSS Dropdown Menu
Author: Marco Besagni
Made with: HTML, CSS
This design style is simple and has an ideal font size for each menu option.
A simple Dropdown Menu
Author: Mike Rojas
Made with: HTML, CSS
This dropdown menu has an attractive green background color with text set in white.
Cool Dropdown Menu Effects Pure Css
Author: Ruslan Pivovarov
Made with: HTML, CSS
This option is ideal for websites with a cool CSS design.
Zigzag dropdown menu concept
Author: Catalin Rosu
Made with: HTML, CSS
As the name suggests, the sub-menu descends with a fancy zig-zag animation effect. Catalin Rosu outdid herself with this unique style. She used none of the simple effects evident in other layouts.
Simple, CSS only, responsive menu
Author: John Urbank
Made with: HTML, CSS
A responsive dropdown menu option where each sub-menu descends in a white box when the menu list is being hovered.
Simple CSS Dropdown
Author: Doane Hopkins
Made with: HTML, CSS
Here is a simple, multi level CSS dropdown menu.
Pure Css dropdown menu
Author: Sathish Kumar
Made with: HTML, CSS
In this option, the menu display appears on the right side of the screen. This style is user-friendly and attractive. The drop-down menu appears in a white box with blue words.
CodePen Challenge: Menu
Author: Adam Kuhn
Made with: HTML, CSS
This cool animated dropdown menu appears as an orange layout with the sub-menu including a creative symbol in a box. The code can be customized to include your client’s text-decoration symbols.
CSS Dropdown Menu
Author: Guil H
Made with: HTML, CSS
A cool dropdown menu designed with a customizable code.
Responsive Pure CSS Dropdown Menu
Author: Eric Musser
Made with: HTML, CSS
The vibrant color of this option will bring life to your client’s site.
Menu cpc-menus #CodePenChallenge
Author: Vincent Durand
Made with: HTML, CSS
The CSS dropdown menu appears when a user hovers over main items.
Super Simple Dropdown Menu
Author: Anastasiia P
Made with: HTML, CSS
Using CSS and a few nested unordered lists, one can create a dropdown menu in no time at all.
FAQs about CSS dropdown menus
How do you create a CSS dropdown menu?
You kick things off with an unordered list in HTML to define your menu structure. Then, get into the CSS and make the list items block-level elements. Use :hover
selectors to display submenus. Don’t forget, throwing in some CSS3 animations can spice things up.
Can CSS dropdown menus be made accessible?
Absolutely. Start by using ARIA attributes to signpost your menu’s structure for screen readers. Keyboard navigability is key, so ensure that tabindex
attributes are in play. Remember, an accessible menu is a friendlier one, keeping all types of users in mind.
What are the best practices for mobile-friendly CSS dropdown menus?
Lean on media queries to ensure those dropdowns behave on smaller screens. Think touch-friendly with larger targets for fingers. Also, consider toggling submenus with a tap rather than hover, and maybe a collapsible menu action when screen real estate is as valuable as downtown loft space.
Is it necessary to use JavaScript for CSS dropdown menus?
Not always! Pure CSS solutions are there, using the :hover
and :focus
pseudo-classes. But hey, let’s not dismiss JS — it can add functionality and finesse, especially for more complex interactions. It’s about choosing the right tool for the job, right?
How do you style a CSS dropdown menu to match your brand?
Narrate your brand story through color, typography, and spacing in your dropdown menu. With CSS, you tailor the menu style to echo your brand’s heart. Think of the CSS selectors as your stylists, wrapping those list items in your brand’s unique vibe.
Can you make a multi-level CSS dropdown menu?
Sure thing. It’s nesting lists within lists, like a web of intrigue. But beware the rabbit hole; the deeper you go, the more thoughtful you need to be about usability. Keep those UI components intuitive, or you’ll lose users in the labyrinth.
How important is cross-browser testing for CSS dropdown menus?
Critical. You wouldn’t want to host a party and have guests stumble at the doorstep. Cross-browser compatibility is that welcome mat. So, test, adjust, test again. Make sure every user, no matter the browser, gets the full, smooth experience.
What can you do to make CSS dropdown menus load faster?
Streamline your CSS using shorthand properties and reducing overall code bloat. Optimize any accompanying images, and consider the magic of CSS Flexbox—a layout mode that’s efficient and speedy. Every millisecond counts for that first impression.
How do you prevent a CSS dropdown menu from going off-screen?
It’s all about being spatially aware. Use CSS positioning wisely, keeping relative and absolute values in the right dance together. Sometimes, it’s tweaking the top
and left
properties, other times it’s media query magic correcting course when things look tight.
Are there any good CSS frameworks for creating dropdown menus?
For sure, frameworks like Bootstrap come with their own recipe for navigation that’s ready to roll. Tailwind’s utility classes can be mixed and matched for a custom mega menu. They’re like Lego for web design, ready to assemble into whatever you can imagine.
Ending thoughts
And just like that, we loop back to the finish line of our little expedition through the web of CSS dropdown menu examples. What an adventure! We delved into the nifty tricks of submenus design and how to make a menu do backflips on your command with CSS3 animations.
Now, you’ve got the tools—a treasure chest of ideas to build your own mega menu or maybe that pure CSS menu that’s no less than digital craftsmanship. And let’s not forget the best sidekick of all: responsive design, ensuring your menu’s looking sharp on any device, be it a tiny phone or a flashy desktop.
My hope? That you’re walking away with a head full of ideas and a heart set on giving those menus the jazz they deserve. Go forth, create, and may your navigational paths be as smooth as the dropdowns we’ve talked about. Clarity, style, usability—it’s all yours to play with. Dive in, the web’s your canvas!
If you liked this article about CSS dropdown menus, you should check out this article about CSS progress bars.
There are also similar articles discussing CSS select styles, CSS loaders, CSS login forms, and CSS background patterns.
And let’s not forget about articles on CSS image effects, CSS border animations, CSS arrows, and CSS cards.
Hi,
I am trying multiple things and searching lots of video-related menus but not yet given me any tutorials I need.
My website I have created a menu
i want to create a multi-level menu like
Main menu: A, B, C, Sign in, Login
Under ‘A’: Menu1, Menu2
Under ‘Menu1’: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
i have created this type of menu in WordPress, but I have a query in that,
1. when I click or hover on the main menu – ‘A’ then shows under sub-menu ‘menu1’ & ‘menu2’
but when I click on ‘menu1’, it shows a sub-menu in the same location /place. (hide menu1 and show ‘1’, ‘2’, ‘3’, ‘4’, ‘5’ )
2. The sub-menu does not show on the mouse hover effect., it shows only when I click the sub-menu then it shows the same position. (when I click the sub-menu then its sub-menu hides and is replaced with another sub-menu in the same position )
I have attached screenshots for reference,
https://aerogcs.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/image-44.png
when i click on the first menu “Enterprise features” then shows others sub-menu like
https://aerogcs.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/image-45.png
please help me in that asap
Thank you
Hi Kalyani,
Please contact our support so that they can inspect the configuration for the menu to troubleshoot the issue: http://support.sliderrevolution.com/
Thanks.