Menu Drop Down Issue

Store Design
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Topic summary

A user is experiencing issues implementing a dropdown or sidebar menu on their Shopify store using the Spotlight theme. Despite creating and recreating the menu in the admin panel, changes aren’t appearing on the live site.

Screenshots show:

  • Properly configured menu structure in Shopify admin
  • Menu not displaying dropdown functionality on the frontend

Suggested troubleshooting steps:

  • Verify the menu is assigned as “Main menu” in theme customizer settings (Header section)
  • Check theme customizer for navigation/dropdown settings
  • Clear browser cache and temporarily disable caching apps
  • Test with a default Shopify theme to isolate the issue

Potential causes identified:

  • Missing JavaScript for dropdown functionality
  • CSS hiding dropdown items
  • Menu not properly assigned in theme settings

One responder offered free assistance with code-level fixes if basic troubleshooting doesn’t resolve the issue. The discussion remains open, awaiting the original poster’s response about which solutions have been attempted.

Summarized with AI on October 27. AI used: claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929.
1

Hi, I am trying to add a drop down menu or a sidebar menu on my site but it just doesn’t seem to bug and work with me. I tried deleting it and making a whole new menu but still doesn’t update on my page. I waited time and time but yet no difference. For any reference, I am using the “Spotlight” theme as well. Please someone help me out here on how I can add a menu for my clients to navigate easier. 3 Screenshots are attached below:

Screenshot_7-6-2025_22475_admin.shopify.com.jpeg
Screenshot_7-6-2025_22475_admin.shopify.com.jpeg1896×826 49.1 KB

Screenshot_7-6-2025_224725_admin.shopify.com.jpeg
Screenshot_7-6-2025_224725_admin.shopify.com.jpeg1791×912 63.3 KB

Screenshot_7-6-2025_224738_suppliedbya.myshopify.com.jpeg
Screenshot_7-6-2025_224738_suppliedbya.myshopify.com.jpeg1872×283 17 KB

2

Hey @suppliedbya ,

Looking at your screenshots, I can see you’ve set up the menu structure correctly in your Shopify admin, but the dropdown functionality isn’t working on the frontend. This is actually a pretty common issue with some themes, and the good news is it’s usually fixable.

Here are a few things to try first:

  • Check your theme customizer for any navigation/menu settings that control dropdown behavior
  • Ensure your menu is assigned as the “Main menu” in theme settings (not just created as a menu)
  • Clear your browser cache and disable any caching apps temporarily to test
  • Try switching to a default Shopify theme briefly to see if the menus work there

If those quick fixes don’t solve it, the issue is likely in the theme’s code. This typically involves missing JavaScript for dropdown functionality or CSS that’s hiding the dropdown items.

We’d be happy to help fix this at no charge! Before we dive into code changes though, could you let me know:

  1. What exactly happens when you try to use the dropdown? (Nothing on hover/click, or something else?)
  2. Have you tried the quick fixes above?

If the simple solutions don’t work, I can walk you through some custom code or we can arrange to take a look directly. Just shoot me your thoughts on the above and we’ll get this sorted out for you.

Best regards,

Shubham | Untechnickle

P.S. - We love helping brands solve these kinds of challenges, so don’t hesitate to reach out with any other Shopify questions!

3

Hi @suppliedbya

Did you select main menu as your menu in store admin > Sales channels > Online store > Themes > Customize > Header?