Creating Dropdown Menus in Wix: Step by Step

July 22, 2025 • 8 min read

Dropdown menus are an effective tool for improving navigation on your Wix website. They enable a clear structure, direct access to content, and intuitive user guidance – ideal for businesses in the German-speaking region. With Wix, you can create and individually design dropdown menus without any programming knowledge.

The key steps:

Preparation: Log in to Wix, open the editor, and check your settings for language and region.
Menu structure: Add menu items, create dropdown titles, and organise the navigation via drag-and-drop.
Design: Customise colours, fonts, and layouts to make the menus visually appealing and user-friendly.
Mobile view: Optimise the menus for smartphones and tablets to ensure smooth usage.

Advantages and challenges:

Advantages: Compact navigation, quick access, clear structure. Challenges: Issues on mobile devices, technical hurdles, accessibility.

Whether for small businesses or extensive websites – dropdown menus are a practical solution for improving the user experience and optimising navigation.

Wix Dropdown Menu Tutorial 2025: Create A Dropdown Menu In Wix

What You Need Before Getting Started

Before you start creating dropdown menus, you should ensure everything is prepared: This includes an active Wix account, a website already created on the Wix platform, the appropriate editing permissions, and a basic understanding of the Wix editor. If your website is multilingual, you will also need translated texts and images.

Logging in to your Wix website

Visit wix.com and log in with your registered email address and password. If you have forgotten your password, you can use the "Forgot password?" function. Once logged in, select the website you want to edit in the dashboard.

Using the Wix Editor

Open the Wix editor to begin designing your dropdown menus. In the main menu on the left, you will find the most important editing tools. If you have administrator rights, you can make additional customisations. For advanced users, Wix Velo offers the option to integrate custom code.

Settings for German-speaking users

To ensure your website is optimally set up for German-speaking visitors, go to the "Language & Region" settings. There you can set the language to German and select the region (e.g. Germany, Austria, or Switzerland). This ensures dates, numbers, and units are displayed correctly. For multilingual websites, we recommend using the Wix Multilingual app, which also allows you to adjust SEO-relevant settings.

With these preparations, you can now design your dropdown menu step by step.

How to Create Dropdown Menus Step by Step

With the right preparations, you can systematically expand your navigation structure. The process can be divided into several steps:

Adding and customising menu items

In the Wix editor, select your menu and click "Manage Menu" to add elements such as website pages, external links, page sections, anchors, dropdown titles, or mega menus. Through the settings, you can individually customise each element. Move existing menu items via drag-and-drop to the desired order. Make sure to rename menu items appropriately so they clearly and understandably reflect the content.

Creating dropdown menus

The central component of a dropdown menu is the "Dropdown Title". First, add such a title to your menu. Then drag the desired menu items under this title to include them in the dropdown menu.

For multi-level navigation, drag an element directly under a main menu item in the dropdown. Hover over the sub-element, click the "More Actions" icon, and select "Move under 'Element name'".

Configuring main menu items

Consider whether the main menu item should be clickable or merely serve as a heading for the items below. For more complex menus, you can create a new menu via the "Add Elements" panel and set it as an advanced menu. This allows you to design custom menus with pages, links, anchors, and dropdown titles.

Following this, you should ensure your menu is also displayed optimally on mobile devices.

Customising mobile menus

Adjust the display of your dropdown menus for mobile devices. The mobile menu consists of the menu icon, the menu box, and the menu itself.

To open the mobile menu editor, click the menu icon in the mobile editor and then click "Edit Menu". Here you can customise the design of the menu icon, e.g. how it looks when opened or closed. The menu box can also be individually designed, such as choosing the alignment (full screen, left, or right) or background (colour, gradient, or image).

For the menu elements, you can determine the layout, including the position of the dropdown arrow, text direction, and alignment. The design can be adjusted separately for regular and selected states, e.g. by changing colours, borders, shadows, text, and spacing.

With advanced menus, you can also change the order of elements in the mobile menu and create sub-navigations. These include dropdown menus and additional sub-dropdown elements to improve the organisation of menu items.

Styling and Designing Your Dropdown Menus

After creating your menu items, it is time for the visual design. An appealing dropdown menu not only contributes to brand recognition but also significantly improves the user experience. With Wix, you can design your dropdown menu to perfectly match your brand identity – provided you have already added the menu items. Here is how to customise the design elements.

Customising colours, fonts, and layout

In the Wix editor, you can individually customise your dropdown menu design via the Design icon. First, select your menu and click "Edit Menu Design".

Menu Container: Under "What would you like to design?", you can select the Menu Container. Here you can change background colours, borders, corners, shadows, and layout – all of which affect the appearance of your main menu.
Menu Items: Individual menu items can be separately customised via the "Menu Items" option. You can individually design the 'Normal', 'Hover' (when the mouse hovers over an item), and 'Current Page' states by adjusting fonts, colours, and shadows.
Dropdown Menu Container: The dropdown menu container also offers its own customisation options. Dropdown menu items can likewise be designed in various states.

Ensuring accessibility for your menus

To make your navigation accessible to all users, you should consider these important points:

Colour contrasts: Ensure sufficient contrast, e.g. dark text on a light background or vice versa. Avoid colour combinations that are difficult to recognise for colour-blind users.
Readable fonts: Choose easily readable fonts and a minimum size of 16 pixels to ensure readability.
Hover effects: Use clear hover effects so users can immediately see which menu item the cursor is over.
Logical structure: Arrange menu items sensibly and use clear, understandable labels.

Design tips for German-speaking websites

German websites are often characterised by a clear and functional design. Here are some tips specifically relevant for German users:

Structure and white space: Clean lines, sufficient white space, and a clear arrangement of menu items are particularly well-received.
Space for long terms: Since German terms are often longer, sufficient width should be planned for menu items. Test the display on different screen sizes.
Menu item order: German users expect a logical order. For example, "About us" or "Company" should appear before "Contact". Legally required links such as "Imprint" and "Privacy Policy" must be clearly visible.
Colour scheme: Subtle, professional colours like blue, grey, or restrained green tones are particularly popular on German websites.

With these adjustments, you can ensure your dropdown menu not only looks convincing but also meets the needs of your target audience.

Pros and Cons of Dropdown Menus in Wix

Dropdown menus are a popular tool for organising website navigation. However, before deciding to use them, you should carefully consider the specific requirements of your website. These menus offer several advantages but can also present challenges. A thorough evaluation helps find the best solution for your website.

Advantages of dropdown menus

Compact navigation Dropdown menus allow you to clearly display many subpages without overloading the main navigation.

Quick access Visitors can jump directly to subcategories without having to click through multiple pages to reach their goal.

Clear structure The division into main and subcategories creates a clear and logical menu structure.

Although these advantages sound convincing, there are also some weaknesses to consider.

Challenges with dropdown menus

Difficulties on mobile devices Hover effects that work on desktops are not usable on smartphones and tablets. Users must tap the main menu item to open the dropdown, which can sometimes be confusing.

Technical hurdles Complex menu structures can be error-prone. Incorrectly arranged menu items or overlapping elements can make operation difficult.

Compatibility issues Not all browsers or devices display dropdown menus equally. Particularly with domains connected via Cloudflare, additional problems may occur as these configurations are not officially supported by Wix.

Too many options An overloaded dropdown menu can overwhelm users. Subcategories often need to be created to avoid this.

Limited accessibility Dropdown menus are not always optimal for users who rely on keyboard navigation. Poor implementation can impair accessibility.

Problems with event handlers When menus are moved to the header, technical difficulties with event handlers can occur, impairing functionality.

Advantages****DisadvantagesCompact NavigationProblems on mobile devicesQuick access to contentTechnical challengesClear structuringBrowser compatibility issuesOverwhelming due to too many optionsAccessibility limitations

The decision to use dropdown menus should be well considered. They are particularly suitable for complex websites with many subpages. For smaller or simpler sites, however, a flatter navigation can often be the better choice. Ultimately, it depends on how well the menu structure fits the needs of your target audience and how user-friendly the implementation is.

Conclusion

To make the most of dropdown menus, consistently implement the steps described above. These menus are an effective tool, especially for small businesses looking to improve their website navigation. They save space on the user interface by displaying content only when it is actually needed. For German-speaking businesses that frequently work with multilingual websites or extensive product categories, dropdown menus offer a practical and clear solution.

With the flexibility of Wix, dropdown menus can be individually adapted to your business requirements. Whether you run a restaurant or work in retail – the design options are diverse. Make sure to keep lists clear, formulate labels precisely, and create a logical structure. If you want to ensure everything is implemented professionally, it may be worthwhile to bring in experts.

For businesses in Villach and Carinthia that value professional design of their dropdown menus, collaboration with specialists is recommended. Welle West Webdesign, a leading Wix agency in Austria, offers support in developing user-friendly navigation structures. With packages starting at €1,900, you also receive training to manage your website independently in the future.

Remember: A well-thought-out navigation with dropdown menus can be decisive – it makes the difference between a visitor who quickly leaves your site and one who becomes a satisfied customer. A professional implementation improves long-term user-friendliness and increases your conversion rates.