How TO - Clickable Dropdown
Learn how to create a clickable dropdown menu with CSS and JavaScript.
Dropdown
A dropdown menu is a toggleable menu that allows the user to choose one value from a predefined list:
Try it Yourself »Create a Clickable Dropdown
Create a dropdown menu that appears when the user clicks on a button.
Step 1) Add HTML:
Example
<div class="dropdown">
<button onclick="myFunction()" class="dropbtn">Dropdown</button>
<div id="myDropdown" class="dropdown-content">
<a href="#">Link
1</a>
<a href="#">Link 2</a>
<a href="#">Link 3</a>
</div>
</div>
Example Explained
Use any element to open the dropdown menu, e.g. a <button>, <a> or <p> element.
Use a container element (like <div>) to create the dropdown menu and add the dropdown links inside it.
Wrap a <div> element around the button and the <div> to position the dropdown menu correctly with CSS.
Step 2) Add CSS:
Example
/* Dropdown Button */
.dropbtn {
background-color: #3498DB;
color: white;
padding: 16px;
font-size: 16px;
border: none;
cursor: pointer;
}
/* Dropdown
button on hover & focus */
.dropbtn:hover, .dropbtn:focus {
background-color: #2980B9;
}
/* The
container <div> - needed to position the dropdown content */
.dropdown {
position: relative;
display:
inline-block;
}
/* Dropdown Content (Hidden by Default) */
.dropdown-content {
display: none;
position:
absolute;
background-color: #f1f1f1;
min-width: 160px;
box-shadow:
0px 8px 16px 0px rgba(0,0,0,0.2);
z-index: 1;
}
/* Links inside the dropdown */
.dropdown-content a {
color: black;
padding: 12px 16px;
text-decoration: none;
display: block;
}
/* Change color of dropdown links on hover */
.dropdown-content a:hover {background-color: #ddd}
/* Show the dropdown menu (use JS to add this class to the .dropdown-content
container when the user clicks on the dropdown button) */
.show {display:block;}
Example Explained
We have styled the dropdown button with a background-color, padding, hover effect, etc.
The .dropdown class uses position:relative, which is needed when we want the
dropdown content to be placed right below the dropdown button (using position:absolute).
The .dropdown-content class holds the actual dropdown menu. It
is hidden by default, and will be displayed on hover (see below). Note the min-width is set to 160px. Feel free to change
this. Tip: If you want the width of the dropdown content to be
as wide as the dropdown button, set the width to 100% (and overflow:auto to
enable scroll on small screens).
Instead of using a border, we have used the box-shadow property to make the
dropdown menu look like a "card". We also use z-index to place the dropdown in
front of other elements.
Step 3) Add JavaScript:
Example
/* When the user clicks on the button,
toggle between hiding and showing
the dropdown content */
function myFunction() {
document.getElementById("myDropdown").classList.toggle("show");
}
// Close the dropdown menu if the user clicks outside of it
window.onclick = function(event) {
if (!event.target.matches('.dropbtn'))
{
var dropdowns = document.getElementsByClassName("dropdown-content");
var i;
for (i = 0; i < dropdowns.length; i++) {
var openDropdown = dropdowns[i];
if (openDropdown.classList.contains('show'))
{
openDropdown.classList.remove('show');
}
}
}
}
Try it Yourself »
Right-aligned dropdown
Dropdown Menu in Navbar
Search (Filter) Dropdown
Tip: Go to our CSS Dropdowns Tutorial to learn more about dropdowns.
Tip: Go to our Hoverable Dropdowns to learn more about hoverable dropdowns
