Menus

Menus display a list of choices on a temporary surface.

Interactive Demo

View interactive demo inline.

Usage

When opened, menus position themselves to an anchor. Thus, either anchor or anchorElement must be supplied to md-menu before opening. Additionally, a shared parent of position:relative should be present around the menu and it's anchor, because the default menu is positioned relative to the anchor element.

Menus also render menu items such as md-menu-item and handle keyboard navigation between md-menu-items as well as typeahead functionality. Additionally, md-menu interacts with md-menu-items to help you determine how a menu was closed. Listen for and inspect the close-menu custom event's details to determine what action and items closed the menu.

Set with idref

Set with element ref

<!-- Note the position: relative style -->
<span style="position: relative">
  <md-filled-button id="usage-anchor">Set with idref</md-filled-button>
  <md-menu id="usage-menu" anchor="usage-anchor">
    <md-menu-item>
      <div slot="headline">Apple</div>
    </md-menu-item>
    <md-menu-item>
      <div slot="headline">Banana</div>
    </md-menu-item>
    <md-menu-item>
      <div slot="headline">Cucumber</div>
    </md-menu-item>
  </md-menu>
</span>

<script type="module">
  // This example uses anchor as an ID reference
  const anchorEl = document.body.querySelector('#usage-anchor');
  const menuEl = document.body.querySelector('#usage-menu');

  anchorEl.addEventListener('click', () => { menuEl.open = !menuEl.open; });
</script>

<span style="position: relative">
  <md-filled-button id="usage-anchor-2">Set with element ref</md-filled-button>
  <md-menu id="usage-menu-2">
    <md-menu-item>
      <div slot="headline">Apple</div>
    </md-menu-item>
    <md-menu-item>
      <div slot="headline">Banana</div>
    </md-menu-item>
    <md-menu-item>
      <div slot="headline">Cucumber</div>
    </md-menu-item>
  </md-menu>
</span>

<script type="module">
  // This example uses MdMenu.prototype.anchorElement to set the anchor as an
  // HTMLElement reference.
  const anchorEl = document.body.querySelector('#usage-anchor-2');
  const menuEl = document.body.querySelector('#usage-menu-2');
  menuEl.anchorElement = anchorEl;

  anchorEl.addEventListener('click', () => { menuEl.open = !menuEl.open; });
</script>

Submenus

Link to “Submenus”

You can compose <md-menu>s inside of an <md-sub-menu>'s menu slot, but first the has-overflow attribute must be set on the root <md-menu> to disable overflow scrolling and display the nested submenus.

Menu with Submenus

<!-- Note the position: relative style -->
<span style="position: relative">
  <md-filled-button id="usage-submenu-anchor">
    Menu with Submenus
  </md-filled-button>
  <!-- Note the has-overflow attribute -->
  <md-menu has-overflow id="usage-submenu" anchor="usage-submenu-anchor">
    <md-sub-menu>
      <md-menu-item slot="item">
      <div slot="headline">Fruits with A</div>
        <!-- Arrow icons are helpful affordances -->
        <md-icon slot="end">arrow_right</md-icon>
      </md-menu-item>
      <!-- Submenu must be slotted into sub-menu's menu slot -->
      <md-menu slot="menu">
        <md-menu-item>
          <div slot="headline">Apricot</div>
        </md-menu-item>
        <md-menu-item>
          <div slot="headline">Avocado</div>
        </md-menu-item>

        <!-- Nest as many as you want and control menu anchoring -->
        <md-sub-menu
            menu-corner="start-end"
            anchor-corner="start-start">
          <md-menu-item slot="item">
            <div slot="headline">Apples</div>
            <!-- Arrow icons are helpful affordances -->
            <md-icon slot="start">
              arrow_left
            </md-icon>
          </md-menu-item>
          <md-menu slot="menu">
            <md-menu-item>
              <div slot="headline">Fuji</div>
            </md-menu-item>
            <md-menu-item>
              <div slot="headline" style="white-space: nowrap;">Granny Smith</div>
            </md-menu-item>
            <md-menu-item>
              <div slot="headline" style="white-space: nowrap;">Red Delicious</div>
            </md-menu-item>
          </md-menu>

        </md-sub-menu>
      </md-menu>
    </md-sub-menu>

    <md-menu-item>
      <div slot="headline">Banana</div>
    </md-menu-item>
    <md-menu-item>
      <div slot="headline">Cucumber</div>
    </md-menu-item>
  </md-menu>
</span>

<script type="module">
  const anchorEl = document.body.querySelector('#usage-submenu-anchor');
  const menuEl = document.body.querySelector('#usage-submenu');

  anchorEl.addEventListener('click', () => { menuEl.open = !menuEl.open; });
</script>

Link to “Popover-positioned menus”

Internally menu uses position: absolute by default. Though there are cases when the anchor and the node cannot share a common ancestor that is position: relative, or sometimes, menu will render below another item due to limitations with position: absolute.

Popover-positioned menus use the native Popover API to render above all other content. This may fix most issues where the default menu positioning (positioning="absolute") is not positioning as expected by rendering into the top layer.

warning
Popover API support was added in Chrome 114 and Safari 17. At the time of writing, Firefox does not support the Popover API (see latest browser compatibility).
For browsers that do not support the Popover API, md-menu will fall back to using fixed-positioned menus.

Open popover menu

<!-- Note the lack of position: relative parent. -->
<div style="margin: 16px;">
  <md-filled-button id="usage-popover-anchor">Open popover menu</md-filled-button>
</div>

<!-- popover menus do not require a common ancestor with the anchor. -->
<md-menu positioning="popover" id="usage-popover" anchor="usage-popover-anchor">
  <md-menu-item>
    <div slot="headline">Apple</div>
  </md-menu-item>
  <md-menu-item>
    <div slot="headline">Banana</div>
  </md-menu-item>
  <md-menu-item>
    <div slot="headline">Cucumber</div>
  </md-menu-item>
</md-menu>

<script type="module">
  const anchorEl = document.body.querySelector('#usage-popover-anchor');
  const menuEl = document.body.querySelector('#usage-popover');

  anchorEl.addEventListener('click', () => { menuEl.open = !menuEl.open; });
</script>

Fixed-positioned menus

Link to “Fixed-positioned menus”

This is the fallback implementation of popover-positioned menus and uses position: fixed rather than the default position: absolute which calculates its position relative to the window rather than the element.

bookmark
Fixed menu positions are positioned relative to the window and not the document. This means that the menu will not scroll with the anchor as the page is scrolled.

Open fixed menu

<!-- Note the lack of position: relative parent. -->
<div style="margin: 16px;">
  <md-filled-button id="usage-fixed-anchor">Open fixed menu</md-filled-button>
</div>

<!-- Fixed menus do not require a common ancestor with the anchor. -->
<md-menu positioning="fixed" id="usage-fixed" anchor="usage-fixed-anchor">
  <md-menu-item>
    <div slot="headline">Apple</div>
  </md-menu-item>
  <md-menu-item>
    <div slot="headline">Banana</div>
  </md-menu-item>
  <md-menu-item>
    <div slot="headline">Cucumber</div>
  </md-menu-item>
</md-menu>

<script type="module">
  const anchorEl = document.body.querySelector('#usage-fixed-anchor');
  const menuEl = document.body.querySelector('#usage-fixed');

  anchorEl.addEventListener('click', () => { menuEl.open = !menuEl.open; });
</script>

Document-positioned menus

Link to “Document-positioned menus”

When set to positioning="document", md-menu will position itself relative to the document as opposed to the element or the window from "absolute" and "fixed" values respectively.

Document level positioning is useful for the following cases:

There are no ancestor elements that produce a relative positioning context.
- position: relative
- position: absolute
- position: fixed
- transform: translate(x, y)
- etc.
The menu is hoisted to the top of the DOM
- The last child of <body>
- Top layer
The same md-menu is being reused and the contents and anchors are being dynamically changed

Open document menu

<!-- Note the lack of position: relative parent. -->
<div style="margin: 16px;">
  <md-filled-button id="usage-document-anchor">Open document menu</md-filled-button>
</div>

<!-- document menus do not require a common ancestor with the anchor. -->
<md-menu positioning="document" id="usage-document" anchor="usage-document-anchor">
  <md-menu-item>
    <div slot="headline">Apple</div>
  </md-menu-item>
  <md-menu-item>
    <div slot="headline">Banana</div>
  </md-menu-item>
  <md-menu-item>
    <div slot="headline">Cucumber</div>
  </md-menu-item>
</md-menu>

<script type="module">
  const anchorEl = document.body.querySelector('#usage-document-anchor');
  const menuEl = document.body.querySelector('#usage-document');

  anchorEl.addEventListener('click', () => { menuEl.open = !menuEl.open; });
</script>

Accessibility

Link to “Accessibility”

By default Menu is set up to function as a role="menu" with children as role="menuitem". A common use case for this is the menu button example, where you would need to add keyboard interactions to the button to open the menu (see W3C example).

Menu can also be adapted for other use cases.

The role of the md-list inside the menu can be set with the type attribute. The role of each individual md-menu-item can also be set with the type attribute. Anything else slotted into the menu that is not a list item in most cases should be set to role="none", and md-divider should have role="separator" and tabindex="-1".

<!--
  A simplified example of an autocomplete component – missing javascript logic for interaction.
-->
<md-filled-text-field
    id="textfield"
    type="combobox"
    aria-controls="menu"
    aria-autocomplete="list"
    aria-expanded="true"
    aria-activedescendant="1"
    value="Ala">
</md-filled-text-field>
<md-menu
    id="menu"
    anchor="textfield"
    role="listbox"
    aria-label="states"
    open>
  <md-menu-item type="option" id="0">
    <div slot="headline">Alabama</div>
  </md-menu-item>
  <md-divider role="separator" tabindex="-1"></md-divider>
  <md-menu-item type="option" id="1" selected aria-selected="true">
    <div slot="headline">Alabama</div>
  </md-menu-item>
</md-menu>

Theming

Link to “Theming”

Menus support Material theming and can be customized in terms of color. Additionally, md-menu composes md-list, and each menu item extends md-list-item (see theming documentation), so most the tokens for those components can also be used for Menu.

Link to “Menu Tokens”

Token	Default value
`--md-menu-container-color`	`--md-sys-color-surface-container`
`--md-menu-container-shape`	`4px`
`--md-menu-item-container-color`	`--md-sys-color-surface-container`
`--md-menu-item-selected-container-color`	`--md-sys-color-secondary-container`

Example

Link to “Example”

<style>
  :root {
    background-color: #f4fbfa;
    --md-menu-container-color: #f4fbfa;
    --md-menu-container-shape: 0px;
    --md-sys-color-on-surface: #161d1d;
    --md-sys-typescale-body-large-font: system-ui;
  }
  md-menu-item {
    border-radius: 28px;
  }
  md-menu-item::part(focus-ring) {
    border-radius: 28px;
  }
  /* Styles for button and not relevant to menu */
  md-filled-button {
    --md-sys-color-primary: #006a6a;
    --md-sys-color-on-primary: #ffffff;
  }
</style>

<span style="position: relative">
  <md-filled-button id="theming-anchor">Themed menu</md-filled-button>
  <md-menu id="theming-menu" anchor="theming-anchor">
    <md-menu-item>
      <div slot="headline">Apple</div>
    </md-menu-item>
    <md-menu-item>
      <div slot="headline">Banana</div>
    </md-menu-item>
    <md-menu-item>
      <div slot="headline">Cucumber</div>
    </md-menu-item>
  </md-menu>
</span>

<script type="module">
  const anchorEl = document.body.querySelector("#theming-anchor");
  const menuEl = document.body.querySelector("#theming-menu");

  anchorEl.addEventListener("click", () => {
    menuEl.show();
  });
</script>

API

Link to “API”

MdMenu `<md-menu>`

Link to “MdMenu <md-menu>”

Properties

Link to “Properties”

Property	Attribute	Type	Default	Description
`anchor`	`anchor`	`string`	`''`	The ID of the element in the same root node in which the menu should align to. Overrides setting `anchorElement = elementReference`. NOTE: anchor or anchorElement must either be an HTMLElement or resolve to an HTMLElement in order for menu to open.
`positioning`	`positioning`	`string`	`'absolute'`	Whether the positioning algorithim should calculate relative to the parent of the anchor element (absolute) or relative to the window (fixed). Examples for `position = 'fixed'`: - If there is no `position:relative` in the given parent tree and the surface is `position:absolute` - If the surface is `position:fixed` - If the surface is in the "top layer" - The anchor and the surface do not share a common `position:relative` ancestor When using positioning = fixed, in most cases, the menu should position itself above most other `position:absolute` or `position:fixed` elements when placed inside of them. e.g. using a menu inside of an `md-dialog`. NOTE: Fixed menus will not scroll with the page and will be fixed to the window instead.
`quick`	`quick`	`boolean`	`false`	Skips the opening and closing animations.
`hasOverflow`	`has-overflow`	`boolean`	`false`	Displays overflow content like a submenu. NOTE: This may cause adverse effects if you set `md-menu {max-height:...}` and have items overflowing items in the "y" direction.
`open`	`open`	`boolean`	`false`	Opens the menu and makes it visible. Alternative to the `.show()` and `.close()` methods
`xOffset`	`x-offset`	`number`	`0`	Offsets the menu's inline alignment from the anchor by the given number in pixels. This value is direction aware and will follow the LTR / RTL direction. e.g. LTR: positive -> right, negative -> left RTL: positive -> left, negative -> right
`yOffset`	`y-offset`	`number`	`0`	Offsets the menu's block alignment from the anchor by the given number in pixels. e.g. positive -> down, negative -> up
`typeaheadDelay`	`typeahead-delay`	`number`	`200`	The max time between the keystrokes of the typeahead menu behavior before it clears the typeahead buffer.
`anchorCorner`	`anchor-corner`	`string`	`Corner.END_START`	The corner of the anchor which to align the menu in the standard logical property style of-e.g. `'end-start'`. NOTE: This value may not be respected by the menu positioning algorithm if the menu would render outisde the viewport.
`menuCorner`	`menu-corner`	`string`	`Corner.START_START`	The corner of the menu which to align the anchor in the standard logical property style of-e.g. `'start-start'`. NOTE: This value may not be respected by the menu positioning algorithm if the menu would render outisde the viewport.
`stayOpenOnOutsideClick`	`stay-open-on-outside-click`	`boolean`	`false`	Keeps the user clicks outside the menu. NOTE: clicking outside may still cause focusout to close the menu so see `stayOpenOnFocusout`.
`stayOpenOnFocusout`	`stay-open-on-focusout`	`boolean`	`false`	Keeps the menu open when focus leaves the menu's composed subtree. NOTE: Focusout behavior will stop propagation of the focusout event. Set this property to true to opt-out of menu's focuout handling altogether.
`skipRestoreFocus`	`skip-restore-focus`	`boolean`	`false`	After closing, does not restore focus to the last focused element before the menu was opened.
`defaultFocus`	`default-focus`	`string`	`FocusState.FIRST_ITEM`	The element that should be focused by default once opened. NOTE: When setting default focus to 'LIST_ROOT', remember to change `tabindex` to `0` and change md-menu's display to something other than `display: contents` when necessary.
`isSubmenu`		`boolean`	`false`	Whether or not the current menu is a submenu and should not handle specific navigation keys.
`typeaheadController`		`TypeaheadController`	`function { ... }`	Handles typeahead navigation through the menu.
`anchorElement`		`HTMLElement & Partial<SurfacePositionTarget>`	`undefined`
`items`		`MenuItem[]`	`undefined`

Methods

Link to “Methods”

Method	Parameters	Returns	Description
`close`	None	`void`
`show`	None	`void`
`activateNextItem`	None	`MenuItem`	Activates the next item in the menu. If at the end of the menu, the first item will be activated.
`activatePreviousItem`	None	`MenuItem`	Activates the previous item in the menu. If at the start of the menu, the last item will be activated.

Events

Link to “Events”

Event	Description
`opening`	Fired before the opening animation begins
`opened`	Fired once the menu is open, after any animations
`closing`	Fired before the closing animation begins
`closed`	Fired once the menu is closed, after any animations

MdMenuItem `<md-menu-item>`

Link to “MdMenuItem <md-menu-item>”

Properties

Link to “Properties”

Property	Attribute	Type	Default	Description
`disabled`	`disabled`	`boolean`	`false`	Disables the item and makes it non-selectable and non-interactive.
`type`	`type`	`string`	`'menuitem'`	Sets the behavior and role of the menu item, defaults to "menuitem".
`href`	`href`	`string`	`''`	Sets the underlying `HTMLAnchorElement`'s `href` resource attribute.
`target`	`target`	`string`	`''`	Sets the underlying `HTMLAnchorElement`'s `target` attribute when `href` is set.
`keepOpen`	`keep-open`	`boolean`	`false`	Keeps the menu open if clicked or keyboard selected.
`selected`	`selected`	`boolean`	`false`	Sets the item in the selected visual state when a submenu is opened.
`typeaheadText`		`string`	`undefined`

Events

Link to “Events”

Event	Description
`close-menu`

MdSubMenu `<md-sub-menu>`

Link to “MdSubMenu <md-sub-menu>”

Properties

Link to “Properties”

Property	Attribute	Type	Default	Description
`anchorCorner`	`anchor-corner`	`string`	`Corner.START_END`	The anchorCorner to set on the submenu.
`menuCorner`	`menu-corner`	`string`	`Corner.START_START`	The menuCorner to set on the submenu.
`hoverOpenDelay`	`hover-open-delay`	`number`	`400`	The delay between mouseenter and submenu opening.
`hoverCloseDelay`	`hover-close-delay`	`number`	`400`	The delay between ponterleave and the submenu closing.
`isSubMenu`	`md-sub-menu`	`boolean`	`true`	READONLY: self-identifies as a menu item and sets its identifying attribute
`item`		`MenuItem`	`undefined`
`menu`		`Menu`	`undefined`

Methods

Link to “Methods”

Method	Parameters	Returns	Description
`show`	None	`Promise<void>`	Shows the submenu.
`close`	None	`Promise<void>`	Closes the submenu.

Events

Link to “Events”

Event	Description
`deactivate-items`	Requests the parent menu to deselect other items when a submenu opens
`request-activation`	Requests the parent make the slotted item focusable and focuses the item.
`deactivate-typeahead`	Requests the parent menu to deactivate the typeahead functionality when a submenu opens
`activate-typeahead`	Requests the parent menu to activate the typeahead functionality when a submenu closes