Dropdown Menu
Displays a menu of items that users can select from when triggered.
Structure
Reusable Components
If you're planning to use Dropdown Menu in multiple places, you can create a reusable component that wraps the Dropdown Menu component.
This example shows you how to create a Dropdown Menu component that accepts a few custom props that make it more capable.
You can then use the MyDropdownMenu
component like this:
Managing Open State
Bits UI offers several approaches to manage and synchronize the Dropdown Menu's open state, catering to different levels of control and integration needs.
1. Two-Way Binding
For seamless state synchronization, use Svelte's bind:open
directive. This method automatically keeps your local state in sync with the component's internal state.
Key Benefits
- Simplifies state management
- Automatically updates
isOpen
when the menu closes/opens (e.g., via escape key) - Allows external control (e.g., opening via a separate button)
2. Change Handler
For more granular control or to perform additional logic on state changes, use the onOpenChange
prop. This approach is useful when you need to execute custom logic alongside state updates.
Use Cases
- Implementing custom behaviors on open/close
- Integrating with external state management solutions
- Triggering side effects (e.g., logging, data fetching)
3. Fully Controlled
For complete control over the dialog's open state, use the controlledOpen
prop. This approach requires you to manually manage the open state, giving you full control over when and how the dialog responds to open/close events.
To implement controlled state:
- Set the
controlledOpen
prop totrue
on theDropdownMenu.Root
component. - Provide an
open
prop toDropdownMenu.Root
, which should be a variable holding the current state. - Implement an
onOpenChange
handler to update the state when the internal state changes.
When to Use
- Implementing complex open/close logic
- Coordinating multiple UI elements
- Debugging state-related issues
Note
While powerful, fully controlled state should be used judiciously as it increases complexity and can cause unexpected behaviors if not handled carefully.
For more in-depth information on controlled components and advanced state management techniques, refer to our Controlled State documentation.
Groups
To group related menu items, you can use the DropdownMenu.Group
component along with either a DropdownMenu.GroupHeading
or an aria-label
attribute on the DropdownMenu.Group
component.
Group Heading
The DropdownMenu.GroupHeading
component must be a child of either a DropdownMenu.Group
or DropdownMenu.RadioGroup
component. If used on its own, an error will be thrown during development.
Checkbox Items
You can use the DropdownMenu.CheckboxItem
component to create a menuitemcheckbox
element to add checkbox functionality to menu items.
The checked
state does not persist between menu open/close cycles. To persist the state, you must store it in a $state
variable and pass it to the checked
prop.
Radio Groups
You can combine the DropdownMenu.RadioGroup
and DropdownMenu.RadioItem
components to create a radio group within a menu.
The value
state does not persist between menu open/close cycles. To persist the state, you must store it in a $state
variable and pass it to the value
prop.
Nested Menus
You can create nested menus using the DropdownMenu.Sub
component to create complex menu structures.
Svelte Transitions
You can use the forceMount
prop along with the child
snippet to forcefully mount the DropdownMenu.Content
component to use Svelte Transitions or another animation library that requires more control.
Of course, this isn't the prettiest syntax, so it's recommended to create your own reusable content component that handles this logic if you intend to use this approach. For more information on using transitions with Bits UI components, see the Transitions documentation.
Custom Anchor
By default, the DropdownMenu.Content
is anchored to the DropdownMenu.Trigger
component, which determines where the content is positioned.
If you wish to instead anchor the content to a different element, you can pass either a selector string
or an HTMLElement
to the customAnchor
prop of the DropdownMenu.Content
component.
API Reference
The root component which manages & scopes the state of the dropdown menu.
Property | Type | Description |
---|---|---|
open $bindable | boolean | The open state of the menu. Default: false |
onOpenChange | function | A callback that is fired when the menu's open state changes. Default: undefined |
controlledOpen | boolean | Whether or not the open state is controlled or not. If Default: false |
dir | enum | The reading direction of the app. Default: ltr |
children | Snippet | The children content to render. Default: undefined |
The button element which toggles the dropdown menu.
Property | Type | Description |
---|---|---|
disabled | boolean | Whether or not the menu trigger is disabled. Default: false |
ref $bindable | HTMLButtonElement | The underlying DOM element being rendered. You can bind to this to get a reference to the element. Default: undefined |
children | Snippet | The children content to render. Default: undefined |
child | Snippet | Use render delegation to render your own element. See Child Snippet docs for more information. Default: undefined |
Data Attribute | Value | Description |
---|---|---|
data-state | enum | The open state of the menu or submenu the element controls or belongs to. |
data-menu-trigger | '' | Present on the trigger element. |
A component that portals the content of the dropdown menu to the body or a custom target (if provided).
Property | Type | Description |
---|---|---|
to | union | Where to render the content when it is open. Defaults to the body. Can be disabled by passing Default: body |
disabled | boolean | Whether the portal is disabled or not. When disabled, the content will be rendered in its original DOM location. Default: false |
children | Snippet | The children content to render. Default: undefined |
The content displayed when the dropdown menu is open.
Property | Type | Description |
---|---|---|
side | enum | The preferred side of the anchor to render the floating element against when open. Will be reversed when collisions occur. Default: bottom |
sideOffset | number | The distance in pixels from the anchor to the floating element. Default: 0 |
align | enum | The preferred alignment of the anchor to render the floating element against when open. This may change when collisions occur. Default: start |
alignOffset | number | The distance in pixels from the anchor to the floating element. Default: 0 |
arrowPadding | number | The amount in pixels of virtual padding around the viewport edges to check for overflow which will cause a collision. Default: 0 |
avoidCollisions | boolean | When Default: true |
collisionBoundary | union | A boundary element or array of elements to check for collisions against. Default: undefined |
collisionPadding | union | The amount in pixels of virtual padding around the viewport edges to check for overflow which will cause a collision. Default: 0 |
sticky | enum | The sticky behavior on the align axis. Default: partial |
hideWhenDetached | boolean | When Default: true |
updatePositionStrategy | enum | The strategy to use when updating the position of the content. When Default: optimized |
strategy | enum | The positioning strategy to use for the floating element. When Default: fixed |
preventScroll | boolean | When Default: true |
customAnchor | union | Use an element other than the trigger to anchor the content to. If provided, the content will be anchored to the provided element instead of the trigger. Default: null |
onEscapeKeydown | function | Callback fired when an escape keydown event occurs in the floating content. You can call Default: undefined |
escapeKeydownBehavior | enum | The behavior to use when an escape keydown event occurs in the floating content. Default: close |
onInteractOutside | function | Callback fired when an outside interaction event completes, which is either a Default: undefined |
onFocusOutside | function | Callback fired when focus leaves the dismissible layer. You can call Default: undefined |
interactOutsideBehavior | enum | The behavior to use when an interaction occurs outside of the floating content. Default: close |
onOpenAutoFocus | function | Event handler called when auto-focusing the content as it is opened. Can be prevented. Default: undefined |
onCloseAutoFocus | function | Event handler called when auto-focusing the content as it is closed. Can be prevented. Default: undefined |
trapFocus | boolean | Whether or not to trap the focus within the content when open. Default: true |
forceMount | boolean | Whether or not to forcefully mount the content. This is useful if you want to use Svelte transitions or another animation library for the content. Default: false |
preventOverflowTextSelection | boolean | When Default: true |
dir | enum | The reading direction of the app. Default: ltr |
loop | boolean | Whether or not to loop through the menu items in when navigating with the keyboard. Default: false |
ref $bindable | HTMLDivElement | The underlying DOM element being rendered. You can bind to this to get a reference to the element. Default: undefined |
children | Snippet | The children content to render. Default: undefined |
child | Snippet | Use render delegation to render your own element. See Child Snippet docs for more information. Default: undefined |
Data Attribute | Value | Description |
---|---|---|
data-state | enum | The open state of the menu or submenu the element controls or belongs to. |
data-menu-content | '' | Present on the content element. |
The content displayed when the dropdown menu is open. (Static/No Floating UI)
Property | Type | Description |
---|---|---|
onEscapeKeydown | function | Callback fired when an escape keydown event occurs in the floating content. You can call Default: undefined |
escapeKeydownBehavior | enum | The behavior to use when an escape keydown event occurs in the floating content. Default: close |
onInteractOutside | function | Callback fired when an outside interaction event completes, which is either a Default: undefined |
onFocusOutside | function | Callback fired when focus leaves the dismissible layer. You can call Default: undefined |
interactOutsideBehavior | enum | The behavior to use when an interaction occurs outside of the floating content. Default: close |
onOpenAutoFocus | function | Event handler called when auto-focusing the content as it is opened. Can be prevented. Default: undefined |
onCloseAutoFocus | function | Event handler called when auto-focusing the content as it is closed. Can be prevented. Default: undefined |
trapFocus | boolean | Whether or not to trap the focus within the content when open. Default: true |
preventScroll | boolean | When Default: true |
forceMount | boolean | Whether or not to forcefully mount the content. This is useful if you want to use Svelte transitions or another animation library for the content. Default: false |
preventOverflowTextSelection | boolean | When Default: true |
dir | enum | The reading direction of the app. Default: ltr |
loop | boolean | Whether or not to loop through the menu items in when navigating with the keyboard. Default: false |
ref $bindable | HTMLDivElement | The underlying DOM element being rendered. You can bind to this to get a reference to the element. Default: undefined |
children | Snippet | The children content to render. Default: undefined |
child | Snippet | Use render delegation to render your own element. See Child Snippet docs for more information. Default: undefined |
Data Attribute | Value | Description |
---|---|---|
data-state | enum | The open state of the menu or submenu the element controls or belongs to. |
data-menu-content | '' | Present on the content element. |
A menu item within the dropdown menu.
Property | Type | Description |
---|---|---|
disabled | boolean | Whether or not the menu item is disabled. Default: false |
textValue | string | The text value of the checkbox menu item. This is used for typeahead. Default: undefined |
onSelect | function | A callback that is fired when the menu item is selected. Default: undefined |
ref $bindable | HTMLDivElement | The underlying DOM element being rendered. You can bind to this to get a reference to the element. Default: undefined |
children | Snippet | The children content to render. Default: undefined |
child | Snippet | Use render delegation to render your own element. See Child Snippet docs for more information. Default: undefined |
Data Attribute | Value | Description |
---|---|---|
data-orientation | 'vertical' | |
data-highlighted | '' | Present when the menu item is highlighted. |
data-disabled | '' | Present when the menu item is disabled. |
data-menu-item | '' | Present on the item element. |
A menu item that can be controlled and toggled like a checkbox.
Property | Type | Description |
---|---|---|
disabled | boolean | Whether or not the checkbox menu item is disabled. Disabled items cannot be interacted with and are skipped when navigating with the keyboard. Default: false |
checked $bindable | union | The checkbox menu item's checked state. Default: false |
onCheckedChange | function | A callback that is fired when the checkbox menu item's checked state changes. Default: undefined |
controlledChecked | boolean | Whether or not the checked state is controlled or not. If Default: false |
textValue | string | The text value of the checkbox menu item. This is used for typeahead. Default: undefined |
onSelect | function | A callback that is fired when the menu item is selected. Default: undefined |
ref $bindable | HTMLDivElement | The underlying DOM element being rendered. You can bind to this to get a reference to the element. Default: undefined |
children | Snippet | The children content to render. Default: undefined |
child | Snippet | Use render delegation to render your own element. See Child Snippet docs for more information. Default: undefined |
Data Attribute | Value | Description |
---|---|---|
data-orientation | 'vertical' | |
data-highlighted | '' | Present when the menu item is highlighted. |
data-disabled | '' | Present when the menu item is disabled. |
data-state | enum | The checkbox menu item's checked state. |
A group of radio menu items, where only one can be checked at a time.
Property | Type | Description |
---|---|---|
value $bindable | string | The value of the currently checked radio menu item. Default: undefined |
onValueChange | function | A callback that is fired when the radio group's value changes. Default: undefined |
controlledValue | boolean | Whether or not the value is controlled or not. If Default: false |
ref $bindable | HTMLDivElement | The underlying DOM element being rendered. You can bind to this to get a reference to the element. Default: undefined |
children | Snippet | The children content to render. Default: undefined |
child | Snippet | Use render delegation to render your own element. See Child Snippet docs for more information. Default: undefined |
Data Attribute | Value | Description |
---|---|---|
data-menu-radio-group | '' | Present on the radio group element. |
A menu item that can be controlled and toggled like a radio button. It must be a child of a RadioGroup
.
Property | Type | Description |
---|---|---|
value required | string | The value of the radio item. When checked, the parent Default: undefined |
disabled | boolean | Whether or not the radio menu item is disabled. Disabled items cannot be interacted with and are skipped when navigating with the keyboard. Default: false |
textValue | string | The text value of the checkbox menu item. This is used for typeahead. Default: undefined |
onSelect | function | A callback that is fired when the menu item is selected. Default: undefined |
ref $bindable | HTMLDivElement | The underlying DOM element being rendered. You can bind to this to get a reference to the element. Default: undefined |
children | Snippet | The children content to render. Default: undefined |
child | Snippet | Use render delegation to render your own element. See Child Snippet docs for more information. Default: undefined |
Data Attribute | Value | Description |
---|---|---|
data-orientation | 'vertical' | |
data-highlighted | '' | Present when the menu item is highlighted. |
data-disabled | '' | Present when the menu item is disabled. |
data-state | enum | The radio menu item's checked state. |
data-value | '' | The value of the radio item. |
data-menu-radio-item | '' | Present on the radio item element. |
A horizontal line to visually separate menu items.
Property | Type | Description |
---|---|---|
ref $bindable | HTMLDivElement | The underlying DOM element being rendered. You can bind to this to get a reference to the element. Default: undefined |
children | Snippet | The children content to render. Default: undefined |
child | Snippet | Use render delegation to render your own element. See Child Snippet docs for more information. Default: undefined |
Data Attribute | Value | Description |
---|---|---|
data-orientation | 'vertical' | The orientation of the separator. |
data-menu-separator | '' | Present on the separator element. |
An optional arrow which points to the dropdown menu's anchor/trigger point.
Property | Type | Description |
---|---|---|
width | number | The width of the arrow in pixels. Default: 8 |
height | number | The height of the arrow in pixels. Default: 8 |
ref $bindable | HTMLDivElement | The underlying DOM element being rendered. You can bind to this to get a reference to the element. Default: undefined |
children | Snippet | The children content to render. Default: undefined |
child | Snippet | Use render delegation to render your own element. See Child Snippet docs for more information. Default: undefined |
Data Attribute | Value | Description |
---|---|---|
data-state | enum | The open state of the menu or submenu the element controls or belongs to. |
data-menu-arrow | '' | Present on the arrow element. |
A group of menu items. It should be passed an aria-label
or have a child Menu.GroupHeading
component to provide a label for a group of menu items.
Property | Type | Description |
---|---|---|
ref $bindable | HTMLDivElement | The underlying DOM element being rendered. You can bind to this to get a reference to the element. Default: undefined |
children | Snippet | The children content to render. Default: undefined |
child | Snippet | Use render delegation to render your own element. See Child Snippet docs for more information. Default: undefined |
Data Attribute | Value | Description |
---|---|---|
data-menu-group | '' | Present on the group element. |
A heading for a group which will be skipped when navigating with the keyboard. It is used to provide a description for a group of menu items and must be a child of either a DropdownMenu.Group
or DropdownMenu.RadioGroup
component.
Property | Type | Description |
---|---|---|
ref $bindable | HTMLDivElement | The underlying DOM element being rendered. You can bind to this to get a reference to the element. Default: undefined |
children | Snippet | The children content to render. Default: undefined |
child | Snippet | Use render delegation to render your own element. See Child Snippet docs for more information. Default: undefined |
Data Attribute | Value | Description |
---|---|---|
data-menu-group-heading | '' | Present on the group heading element. |
A submenu belonging to the parent dropdown menu. Responsible for managing the state of the submenu.
Property | Type | Description |
---|---|---|
open $bindable | boolean | The open state of the submenu. Default: false |
onOpenChange | function | A callback that is fired when the submenu's open state changes. Default: undefined |
controlledOpen | boolean | Whether or not the open state is controlled or not. If Default: false |
children | Snippet | The children content to render. Default: undefined |
A menu item which when pressed or hovered, opens the submenu it is a child of.
Property | Type | Description |
---|---|---|
disabled | boolean | Whether or not the submenu trigger is disabled. Default: false |
textValue | string | The text value of the checkbox menu item. This is used for typeahead. Default: undefined |
onSelect | function | A callback that is fired when the menu item is selected. Default: undefined |
ref $bindable | HTMLDivElement | The underlying DOM element being rendered. You can bind to this to get a reference to the element. Default: undefined |
children | Snippet | The children content to render. Default: undefined |
child | Snippet | Use render delegation to render your own element. See Child Snippet docs for more information. Default: undefined |
Data Attribute | Value | Description |
---|---|---|
data-orientation | 'vertical' | |
data-highlighted | '' | Present when the menu item is highlighted. |
data-disabled | '' | Present when the menu item is disabled. |
data-state | enum | The open state of the menu or submenu the element controls or belongs to. |
data-menu-sub-trigger | '' | Present on the submenu trigger element. |
The submenu content displayed when the parent submenu is open.
Property | Type | Description |
---|---|---|
side | enum | The preferred side of the anchor to render the floating element against when open. Will be reversed when collisions occur. Default: bottom |
sideOffset | number | The distance in pixels from the anchor to the floating element. Default: 0 |
align | enum | The preferred alignment of the anchor to render the floating element against when open. This may change when collisions occur. Default: start |
alignOffset | number | The distance in pixels from the anchor to the floating element. Default: 0 |
arrowPadding | number | The amount in pixels of virtual padding around the viewport edges to check for overflow which will cause a collision. Default: 0 |
avoidCollisions | boolean | When Default: true |
collisionBoundary | union | A boundary element or array of elements to check for collisions against. Default: undefined |
collisionPadding | union | The amount in pixels of virtual padding around the viewport edges to check for overflow which will cause a collision. Default: 0 |
sticky | enum | The sticky behavior on the align axis. Default: partial |
hideWhenDetached | boolean | When Default: true |
updatePositionStrategy | enum | The strategy to use when updating the position of the content. When Default: optimized |
strategy | enum | The positioning strategy to use for the floating element. When Default: fixed |
preventScroll | boolean | When Default: true |
customAnchor | union | Use an element other than the trigger to anchor the content to. If provided, the content will be anchored to the provided element instead of the trigger. Default: null |
onEscapeKeydown | function | Callback fired when an escape keydown event occurs in the floating content. You can call Default: undefined |
escapeKeydownBehavior | enum | The behavior to use when an escape keydown event occurs in the floating content. Default: close |
onInteractOutside | function | Callback fired when an outside interaction event completes, which is either a Default: undefined |
onFocusOutside | function | Callback fired when focus leaves the dismissible layer. You can call Default: undefined |
interactOutsideBehavior | enum | The behavior to use when an interaction occurs outside of the floating content. Default: close |
onOpenAutoFocus | function | Event handler called when auto-focusing the content as it is opened. Can be prevented. Default: undefined |
onCloseAutoFocus | function | Event handler called when auto-focusing the content as it is closed. Can be prevented. Default: undefined |
trapFocus | boolean | Whether or not to trap the focus within the content when open. Default: true |
forceMount | boolean | Whether or not to forcefully mount the content. This is useful if you want to use Svelte transitions or another animation library for the content. Default: false |
preventOverflowTextSelection | boolean | When Default: true |
dir | enum | The reading direction of the app. Default: ltr |
loop | boolean | Whether or not to loop through the menu items in when navigating with the keyboard. Default: false |
ref $bindable | HTMLDivElement | The underlying DOM element being rendered. You can bind to this to get a reference to the element. Default: undefined |
children | Snippet | The children content to render. Default: undefined |
child | Snippet | Use render delegation to render your own element. See Child Snippet docs for more information. Default: undefined |
Data Attribute | Value | Description |
---|---|---|
data-state | enum | The open state of the menu or submenu the element controls or belongs to. |
data-menu-sub-content | '' | Present on the submenu content element. |
The submenu content displayed when the parent submenu menu is open. (Static/No Floating UI)
Property | Type | Description |
---|---|---|
onEscapeKeydown | function | Callback fired when an escape keydown event occurs in the floating content. You can call Default: undefined |
escapeKeydownBehavior | enum | The behavior to use when an escape keydown event occurs in the floating content. Default: close |
onInteractOutside | function | Callback fired when an outside interaction event completes, which is either a Default: undefined |
onFocusOutside | function | Callback fired when focus leaves the dismissible layer. You can call Default: undefined |
interactOutsideBehavior | enum | The behavior to use when an interaction occurs outside of the floating content. Default: close |
onOpenAutoFocus | function | Event handler called when auto-focusing the content as it is opened. Can be prevented. Default: undefined |
onCloseAutoFocus | function | Event handler called when auto-focusing the content as it is closed. Can be prevented. Default: undefined |
trapFocus | boolean | Whether or not to trap the focus within the content when open. Default: true |
forceMount | boolean | Whether or not to forcefully mount the content. This is useful if you want to use Svelte transitions or another animation library for the content. Default: false |
preventOverflowTextSelection | boolean | When Default: true |
dir | enum | The reading direction of the app. Default: ltr |
loop | boolean | Whether or not to loop through the menu items when reaching the end of the list when using the keyboard. Default: true |
ref $bindable | HTMLDivElement | The underlying DOM element being rendered. You can bind to this to get a reference to the element. Default: undefined |
children | Snippet | The children content to render. Default: undefined |
child | Snippet | Use render delegation to render your own element. See Child Snippet docs for more information. Default: undefined |
Data Attribute | Value | Description |
---|---|---|
data-state | enum | The open state of the menu or submenu the element controls or belongs to. |
data-menu-sub-content | '' | Present on the submenu content element. |