---
title: "How to Open Elementor Submenu Dropdown on Click for Free?"
url: https://theplusaddons.com/docs/open-elementor-submenu-dropdown-on-click-for-free/
date: 2023-10-27
modified: 2026-09-02
lang: en
author: "Aditya Sharma"
description: "Do you want to show the Elementor submenu on click? Opening the submenu on click will improve the user experience as it will work on all devices. With the Navigation..."
image: https://theplusaddons.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/How-to-Open-Elementor-Submenu-Dropdown-on-Click-for-Free_-1024x536.jpg
word_count: 730
---

# How to Open Elementor Submenu Dropdown on Click for Free?

## 

- Navigation Menu Lite de The Plus Addons for Elementor cambia el comportamiento del submenú de hover a Click Sub-Menu, para que el submenú solo se expanda cuando el visitante toca o hace clic en el elemento padre.
- The Plus Addons for Elementor ofrece esta opción en la versión gratuita de Navigation Menu Lite, sin necesidad de Pro, y usa el mismo menú de WordPress gestionado en Appearance > Menus.
- Menu Effects separa la animación de apertura del disparador, mientras Menu Hover/Click controla si el submenú abre con hover o con clic.
- Click Sub-Menu resuelve el problema del hover accidental y mantiene un comportamiento consistente en desktop, tablet y mobile, pero al activarlo el primer clic abre el submenú y no navega a la página padre.

Do you want to show the Elementor submenu on click? Opening the submenu on click will improve the user experience as it will work on all devices.

With the Navigation Menu Lite widget from The Plus Addons for Elementor, you can easily open Elementor submenu on a click.

*To check the complete feature overview documentation of The Plus Addons for Elementor Navigation Menu Lite widget, [click here](/docs/navigation-menu-lite-widget-settings-overview/).*

***Requirement – This widget is a part of The Plus Addons for Elementor, make sure its installed & activated to enjoy all its powers.***

Table Of Contents

## What It Does

The Navigation Menu Lite widget's **Menu Hover/Click** control switches how a submenu opens – from the default hover behavior to **Click Sub-Menu**, so a submenu only expands when a visitor taps or clicks the parent item.

## Why It Matters

A hover-only submenu does not work reliably on touchscreens, since there is no hover state on mobile and tablet. Setting the trigger to click makes the same submenu interaction work consistently on desktop, tablet, and mobile, without a separate mobile-only menu setup.

## What You Get

- A **Menu Hover/Click** dropdown with a **Click Sub-Menu** option
- A **Menu Effects** dropdown to choose the animation the submenu uses when it opens
- Consistent submenu behavior across desktop, tablet, and touchscreen visitors

## Benefits

- Available on the free Navigation Menu Lite widget – no Pro upgrade required
- Removes the accidental-hover problem where a submenu opens just from a visitor's cursor passing over the parent item
- Works with the same WordPress menu you already manage in Appearance > Menus, no separate configuration needed

## Capabilities

This is a control on the Navigation Menu Lite widget's navigation settings. **Menu Hover/Click** is a SELECT control; setting it to **Click Sub-Menu** changes the interaction from Elementor's default hover-to-open behavior. The **Menu Effects** dropdown then controls the opening animation independently of the trigger type.

## How It Works

To use the Navigation Menu Lite widget, you need to [create a menu in WordPress](https://codex.wordpress.org/WordPress_Menu_User_Guide).

Then, add the Navigation Menu Lite widget to the header template and follow the steps below.

> *Note: To create the header template, you can use the free *[*Nexter Builder*](https://nexterwp.com/docs/nexter-theme-builder-explained/)* or you can use Elementor Pro if you are already using it.* 

## How to Use It

1. Select the appropriate option from the **Menu Direction** dropdown.

2. Then select your menu from the **Menu Type** dropdown.

3. From the **Menu Hover/Click** dropdown, select **Click Sub-Menu**. 

![Navigation Menu Lite widget Menu Hover/Click dropdown set to Click Sub-Menu](https://theplusaddons.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/navigation-menu-lite-click-sub-menu.png)

You can select the appropriate effects for the dropdown menu from the **Menu Effects** dropdown.

Now, your dropdown menu will open with a mouse click. 

![Elementor submenu dropdown opening on a mouse click after enabling Click Sub-Menu](https://theplusaddons.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/navigation-menu-click-sub-menu-demo.gif)

## Use Cases

- Sites where the header needs to behave identically on desktop and touchscreen devices
- Menus with dense or multi-column submenus where an accidental hover-open is disruptive
- Accessibility-conscious builds where a deliberate click, not a passive hover, should trigger navigation changes

## Limitations

- **Menu Hover/Click** is a single setting for the whole widget instance – you cannot mix hover-open top-level items with click-open others in the same menu
- Clicking a parent item that has a submenu opens the submenu; it does not also navigate to the parent item's own link on the first click
- **Menu Effects** controls only the open/close animation, not the click-vs-hover trigger itself – both controls need to be set independently

## Troubleshooting

- **Clicking a parent menu item with a submenu opens the submenu instead of going to the parent page** – a real support case (ticket #10103) reported this exact behavior on Navigation Menu Lite: the first click/tap opens the submenu rather than navigating, and a second click on the same label is needed to visit the parent page. This is expected with Click Sub-Menu enabled; give the parent item its own visible link inside the submenu (for example "View All") if visitors need a direct route to that page.
- **Submenu list intermittently shows bullet points instead of styled menu items** – a real support case (ticket #11414) reported bullet points appearing and disappearing on a Navigation Menu Lite dropdown. This points to a caching or CSS-loading race condition; clear page cache and any CSS/JS minify-combine settings, then hard-refresh.
- **Submenu does not open on click on some pages but works on others** – source-verified, not from a specific ticket: check for a second navigation or accordion script on those specific pages capturing the same click event before the widget's own script runs.

Also, read [How to Open Elementor Submenu Dropdown on Hover for Free](https://theplusaddons.com/docs/open-elementor-submenu-dropdown-on-hover-for-free/).