--- title: "How to Open Elementor Submenu Dropdown on Hover for Free?" url: https://theplusaddons.com/docs/open-elementor-submenu-dropdown-on-hover-for-free/ date: 2023-10-27 modified: 2026-09-04 lang: en author: "Aditya Sharma" description: "Are you looking to open the Elementor submenu dropdown on hover? Opening the submenu on hover makes it easy for users to check the submenus without an extra click. [nexter-builder..." image: https://theplusaddons.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/How-to-Open-Elementor-Submenu-Dropdown-on-Hover-for-Free_-1024x536.jpg word_count: 832 --- # How to Open Elementor Submenu Dropdown on Hover for Free? ## - Navigation Menu Lite in The Plus Addons for Elementor includes a Menu Hover/Click setting that opens a dropdown submenu on hover when Hover Sub-Menu is selected. - The Plus Addons for Elementor makes Navigation Menu Lite free to use for this setting, and no Pro upgrade is required. - Menu Effects offers multiple animation styles, including fade and slide, while the hover or click trigger stays separate from the reveal transition. - Hover Sub-Menu works with any Menu Direction, any WordPress menu source, and desktop-first navigation, but touch devices still require a tap because there is no true hover on touchscreens. Are you looking to open the Elementor submenu dropdown on hover? Opening the submenu on hover makes it easy for users to check the submenus without an extra click. Table Of Contents ## What It Does The Navigation Menu Lite widget in The Plus Addons for Elementor includes a Menu Hover/Click setting. Setting it to Hover Sub-Menu makes any dropdown submenu open automatically the moment a visitor's cursor moves over the parent menu item, instead of requiring a click. ***Requirement – This widget is a part of The Plus Addons for Elementor, make sure it's installed & activated to enjoy all its powers.*** Navigation Menu Lite is the free widget; no Pro upgrade is required for this setting. *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/).* ## Why It Matters A click-to-open submenu adds an extra step between a visitor and the page they want, and on desktop it can feel slower than visitors expect from a standard navigation bar. Hover-to-open dropdowns match the behavior most desktop visitors are used to, so submenus feel instant and navigation doesn't require any extra clicks. ## What You Get - A **Menu Hover/Click** dropdown with **Hover Sub-Menu** and **Click Sub-Menu** options - A **Menu Effects** dropdown with multiple animation styles for how the submenu appears - Works with any **Menu Direction** (horizontal or vertical) and any WordPress menu source ## Benefits - **Free** – part of the free Navigation Menu Lite widget, no Pro upgrade needed - **Familiar UX** – matches the hover-to-open pattern most desktop visitors already expect - **Animated reveal** – the Menu Effects dropdown lets you style how the submenu transitions in, not just whether it opens ## Capabilities Menu Hover/Click lives in the widget's Extra Options tab. Its two states, Hover Sub-Menu and Click Sub-Menu, are mutually exclusive per widget instance – a single Navigation Menu Lite instance is either fully hover-driven or fully click-driven, not mixed per menu item. Menu Effects (multiple built-in styles) controls the submenu's reveal transition independently of the hover/click behavior. ## How It Works When Menu Hover/Click is set to Hover Sub-Menu, the widget attaches a mouse-enter listener to each top-level menu item that has children; moving the cursor over that item reveals its dropdown, and moving away closes it. The Menu Effects setting only changes the CSS transition used for that reveal (fade, slide, etc.) – it does not change whether hover or click triggers the submenu. ## How to Use It 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 – > *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.* 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 **Hover Sub-Menu**. ![Elementor editor panel showing the Navigation Menu Lite Menu Hover/Click dropdown set to Hover Sub-Menu](https://theplusaddons.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/navigation-menu-lite-hover-sub-menu.png) Menu Hover/Click set to Hover Sub-Menu in the Extra Options tab You can select the appropriate effects for the dropdown menu from the **Menu Effects** dropdown. Now, your dropdown menu will open on hover. ![Demo of an Elementor submenu dropdown opening automatically on hover](https://theplusaddons.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/navigation-menu-hover-sub-menu-demo.gif) Submenu opening on hover with Navigation Menu Lite ***Also Read:*** [How to Open Elementor Submenu Dropdown on Click for Free](https://theplusaddons.com/docs/open-elementor-submenu-dropdown-on-click-for-free/) if you'd rather require a click than a hover. ## Use Cases - Desktop-first business sites where visitors expect an instant hover-triggered dropdown, not an extra click - Multi-level navigation menus where quick access to submenu links speeds up browsing - Any free-tier site that wants standard dropdown behavior without upgrading to the Pro Navigation Menu widget ## Limitations - Hover Sub-Menu is a desktop interaction pattern; on touch devices the widget needs a tap to reveal the submenu regardless of this setting, since there is no true "hover" on touchscreens. - Menu Hover/Click is set per widget instance, not per individual menu item – you cannot mix hover-triggered and click-triggered submenus in the same Navigation Menu Lite instance. - This is the free Navigation Menu Lite widget; the Pro Navigation Menu widget covers additional layouts like Off Canvas and Sticky Menu, which Navigation Menu Lite does not include. ## Troubleshooting - **No product-specific FluentSupport ticket was found for this exact scenario (Navigation Menu Lite hover submenu) at the time of this rewrite.** A targeted search of FluentSupport for "navigation menu hover submenu" and "submenu hover dropdown" returned zero results, disclosed here rather than an invented issue. - **Submenu doesn't open on hover on mobile or tablet.** This is expected: touchscreens have no hover state, so Hover Sub-Menu behaves like a tap-to-open menu on touch devices regardless of the Menu Hover/Click setting. - **Submenu flickers or closes too quickly when moving the cursor toward it.** This usually happens when there is a visible gap between the parent menu item and the dropdown panel; reduce any top padding/margin on the submenu so the cursor path from parent item to submenu stays continuous. ## Suggested Reading - [How to Open Elementor Submenu Dropdown on Click for Free](https://theplusaddons.com/docs/open-elementor-submenu-dropdown-on-click-for-free/) - [Navigation Menu Lite Widget Settings Overview](/docs/navigation-menu-lite-widget-settings-overview/)