Step 1: Go to the Menu Editor

In your WordPress dashboard, hover over “Appearance” in the left-hand navigation and click “Menus.” This will take you to the menu editor where you can manage all your site’s navigation menus.

Step 2: Select the Menu You Want to Edit

At the top of the Menus page, you’ll see a dropdown that lists all your existing menus. Select the one you want to edit and click Select. The menu structure will load below.

Step 3: Add Your Sub-Menu Item

If the page or link you want to use as a sub-item isn’t already in the menu, add it first using the left-hand panel. You can add pages, posts, custom links, or categories. Once it appears in the menu structure on the right, drag it slightly to the right and underneath the parent menu item you want it to sit below.

When it’s indented, that means it’s now a sub-item of the menu item above it. You can nest multiple sub-items under the same parent to create a full dropdown.

Step 4: Save Your Menu

Click the Save Menu button in the top right corner. That’s it!

Step 5: Preview It on Your Site

Head to the front end of your site and hover over the parent menu item. You should see your new sub-item appear in a dropdown. If you don’t see it right away, try clearing your browser cache and refreshing the page.

A Few Tips to Keep in Mind

• You can nest sub-items under other sub-items to create a second level of dropdowns, though it’s best to keep things simple for your visitors.
• If a parent menu item doesn’t need to link anywhere on its own, you can set it as a custom link with just a # in the URL field so clicking it does nothing on its own but the dropdown still works.
• Not all WordPress themes support multi-level dropdowns, so if your second-level items aren’t showing up, that may be a theme limitation.

Need help organizing your site’s navigation? Let us know and we’re happy to help.