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To create a dropdown menu in WordPress, nest one or more child links under a top-level navigation item, then save the menu where your theme displays it. The exact steps depend on whether your active theme uses the Site Editor (block theme) or the classic Appearance > Menus screen.
First, identify which menu editor your theme uses
In your WordPress dashboard, open Appearance. If you see Editor, your site may be using a block theme; navigation is managed with the Navigation block and Site Editor. If Menus is available, you can use the classic menu editor. WordPress 5.9 was the last release to include the classic screen by default for all sites; from WordPress 6.0 onward, block themes normally manage navigation through the Navigation block, while classic or hybrid themes can retain the old screen or restore it with a plugin. See the official Site Editor navigation documentation and Appearance Menus Screen documentation.
| What you see | Use this workflow | How the menu reaches the header |
|---|---|---|
| Appearance > Editor | Navigation block and Site Editor | Assign the menu to a Navigation block in a template part such as Header |
| Appearance > Menus | Classic menu editor | Assign the menu to a theme menu location |
Create a dropdown in a block theme
Block themes use the Navigation block. The menu can be edited from the Site Editor’s Navigation area or from the Navigation block inside a template part.
1. Open the navigation manager
- Go to Appearance > Editor.
- Open the Navigation section, shown in current WordPress documentation as Appearance > Editor > Navigation, or select a Navigation block while editing the relevant template part.
- Select the existing menu you want to change, or create a blank menu.
A newly inserted Navigation block can begin with a Page List block. If you want to control individual links, use the Page List block’s Edit controls to convert it to separate page links. After conversion, newly published pages are not added to that menu automatically. The Navigation block guide explains these options.
2. Add the parent item and submenu links
- Select the top-level item that should open the dropdown.
- In the block toolbar, choose Add submenu.
- Add a page, enter a custom URL, or insert another link or block inside the submenu.
- Alternatively, insert a Submenu block as a child of the Navigation block, then populate it. WordPress documents this relationship in the Submenu block reference.
The parent item is the label visitors see in the main navigation; the links nested beneath it are the dropdown choices.
3. Set the hierarchy and order
Open List View for the Navigation block and drag items into the desired order. Move a child beneath its parent and slightly to the right to create a nested submenu. You can repeat this process for deeper levels, although the appearance and usability of multiple levels depend on the theme’s design.
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4. Choose opening and mobile behavior
In the Navigation block settings, choose whether the submenu opens on Hover or Click, and decide whether to show an arrow beside parent items. The block also provides overlay controls: you can collapse the navigation into a menu icon on mobile or, if appropriate, at all screen sizes. Test the option you choose with keyboard navigation and on a narrow viewport rather than relying only on a desktop hover.
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Creating or editing a menu in the Site Editor’s Navigation screen does not automatically place it on the public site. To connect it:
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- Go to Appearance > Editor and open the template part used for the site header, usually Header.
- Select an existing Navigation block or add one.
- Assign the menu you edited.
- Save the template part and preview the site.
If the menu is empty or the wrong links appear, check that the Navigation block is using the intended menu and that both the menu and template-part changes were saved. If visitors still see an older version, clear the site’s cache where applicable. The official Site Editor navigation instructions cover assignment, saving and previewing.
Create a dropdown with a classic or hybrid theme
Use this route when Appearance > Menus is available.
1. Create or select a menu
- Open Appearance > Menus.
- Create a new menu or select an existing one.
- Add the pages, posts, categories or custom links you want visitors to see.
2. Nest the child links
In the menu structure, drag each child link beneath its intended parent and indent it to the right. The indentation creates the parent-child hierarchy that produces a dropdown. You can drag items back to the left to make them top-level links or change their order within a submenu.
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3. Assign the menu location and save
Use the theme’s Menu settings or Manage Locations controls to assign the menu to the header or another supported location, then click Save Menu. Location names and their number vary by theme, so do not assume that “Primary” or “Header” exists on every installation. Visit the public site to confirm that the assigned location is the one shown in your header. WordPress documents the classic hierarchy and location controls in the Appearance Menus Screen reference.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.If you changed themes: reuse an existing classic menu
A block theme can import an existing classic menu through the Navigation block. Select the classic menu when configuring the block; WordPress copies its data into a block-based representation and leaves the original classic menu unchanged. This lets you move to a block-theme workflow without rebuilding every link. The WordPress Core explanation is available in The new Navigation block.
Why the dropdown is not appearing
The Appearance > Menus screen is missing
Check whether the active theme is a block theme. If so, use Appearance > Editor and the Navigation block instead of treating the missing classic screen as a dashboard error. A classic or hybrid theme, or a plugin that restores the screen, may still provide Appearance > Menus.
The links are listed, but there is no dropdown
- Confirm the child links are indented beneath the parent in the classic editor or nested under that parent in List View.
- In a block theme, verify that the visible Navigation block is assigned to the menu you edited.
- In a classic theme, verify that the menu is assigned to the header’s actual theme location.
- Save both the menu and any template-part changes, then reload the public page.
The menu works on desktop but not on a phone
Preview at a narrow width and open the Navigation block’s overlay settings. A theme may collapse the menu into an icon, while a classic theme may supply its own responsive behavior. Check the menu with touch and keyboard input, not just a mouse hover.
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Verify the finished menu
- Open the public URL, not only the editor preview.
- Activate the parent item and confirm every child link opens the intended destination.
- Check keyboard focus and the chosen hover or click behavior.
- Test a narrow/mobile viewport and the expanded overlay menu if one is enabled.
- Clear relevant caches if the saved structure is not reflected publicly.
The core principle is the same in both editors: a dropdown is a navigation hierarchy, not a separate page type. The editor-specific difference is where you save that hierarchy and how you connect it to the site’s visible header.
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