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Dropdown Submenu Issue with First Navigation Menu in Shopify Theme

Dropdown Submenu Issue with First Navigation Menu in Shopify Theme

baitaltarfeeh
New Member
4 0 0

Hi Shopify Community,

I’m facing an issue with the navigation menu on my Shopify website (https://baitaltarfeeh.com/). The first menu option, 'Ride On Car', does not load its dropdown submenu when hovered over.

Here are the details:

  • The issue affects only the first menu option.
  • The rest of the menu works perfectly fine.
  • When I move the first menu option ('Ride On Car') to another position, it works correctly. However, the new first menu option then stops working.
  • I am not experienced in Shopify theme development, so I am unsure if this is an issue with the theme's Liquid code, JavaScript, or CSS.

If anyone has encountered a similar problem or has a solution, I’d really appreciate your guidance.

Thank you in advance!

Reply 1 (1)

DaisyVo
Shopify Partner
4469 501 598

Hi @baitaltarfeeh 

Hey there, I’ve looked into your issue carefully, and it sounds like a common problem with how Shopify themes handle navigation interactions. Since the issue only affects the first menu item, it’s likely caused by JavaScript event handling, CSS positioning, or a theme-specific bug. Here’s how to troubleshoot and fix it:

1. Check for JavaScript Issues

Most dropdown menus rely on JavaScript to trigger the submenu on hover or click. If the first menu item isn’t working, it could be due to event conflicts.

How to check:

  • Open your Shopify store.
  • Right-click anywhere on the page and select Inspect (or press F12 or Ctrl + Shift + I on Windows, Cmd + Opt + I on Mac).
  • Go to the Console tab and look for JavaScript errors (red text).
  • If you see an error, it might point to a script that’s blocking the dropdown from appearing.

Quick fix:

Try adding this jQuery snippet inside your theme’s theme.js or theme.liquid (before </body>😞

 

document.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded", function () {

    document.querySelectorAll(".nav-item").forEach(item => {

        item.addEventListener("mouseenter", function () {

            this.classList.add("active");

        });

        item.addEventListener("mouseleave", function () {

            this.classList.remove("active");

        });

    });

});

 

This ensures all menu items properly receive hover events.

2. Check the CSS Z-Index & Positioning

Sometimes, the first menu item doesn’t display the dropdown because it’s being overlapped by another element or isn’t positioned correctly.

How to check:

  • Inspect the first menu item (Ride On Car) in Elements (DevTools > Inspect Element).
  • Look for z-index, position, or overflow properties that might be preventing it from displaying.

Quick fix:

Add this CSS in your theme.css or base.css file:

 

nav ul li:first-child {

    position: relative;

    z-index: 9999;

}

nav ul li:first-child .dropdown-menu {

    display: block !important;

    visibility: visible !important;

    opacity: 1 !important;

}

 

This forces the first dropdown to always be visible when hovered.

3. Check for Theme Bugs (Liquid Code Issue)

Since moving the menu item fixes the issue but shifts it to the next first item, your theme might have a structural issue in its Liquid code.

How to check:

  • Go to Online Store > Themes > Edit Code.
  • Open header.liquid and look for the navigation code (usually inside a <nav> tag).
  • See if there’s any hardcoded condition affecting only the first menu item (e.g., if first, nth-child(1), etc.).
  • If found, remove or modify it.

Quick fix:

Replace this (if found in your theme):

 

{% if forloop.first %}

    <li class="first-menu-item">{{ link.title }}</li>

{% else %}

    <li>{{ link.title }}</li>

{% endif %}

 

With this:

 

<li>{{ link.title }}</li>

 

4. Try a Different Theme (for Testing)

To confirm if it’s a theme issue, try switching to Shopify’s default Dawn theme and see if the problem persists.

  • If it works fine in another theme → Your current theme has a code issue.
  • If the problem still happens → It’s likely a script conflict or custom app issue.

Final Thoughts

From what you described, this seems to be either a JavaScript event issue or a CSS positioning problem. Try these fixes step by step, and you should be able to solve it. If none of these work, let me know, and I can guide you further!

If you need any other assistance, I am willing to help.
Best regards,
Daisy.



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