22 CSS Dropdown Menu Designs 16 / 22

Context Menu Right-Click Dropdown

A custom right-click context menu that appears at the exact cursor position on contextmenu event, with smooth CSS entrance animation and click-outside dismissal.

CSS + JS MIT licensed
Live Demo Open in tab
Open in playground

The code

<div class="dd-16">
  <link href="https://fonts.googleapis.com/css2?family=Inter:wght@400;500;600&display=swap" rel="stylesheet">
  <div class="dd-16__zone" id="dd-16-zone">
    <div class="dd-16__hint">
      <span class="dd-16__hint-icon">&#128432;</span>
      <p>Right-click anywhere in this area</p>
    </div>
    <div class="dd-16__file" id="dd-16-file">
      <span>&#128196;</span>
      <span>document.pdf</span>
    </div>
  </div>
  <ul class="dd-16__menu" id="dd-16-menu" role="menu">
    <li class="dd-16__item"><span class="dd-16__icon">&#128196;</span> Open</li>
    <li class="dd-16__item"><span class="dd-16__icon">&#128065;</span> Preview</li>
    <li class="dd-16__sep"></li>
    <li class="dd-16__item"><span class="dd-16__icon">&#128461;</span> Copy</li>
    <li class="dd-16__item"><span class="dd-16__icon">&#9999;</span> Rename</li>
    <li class="dd-16__item"><span class="dd-16__icon">&#128279;</span> Copy Link</li>
    <li class="dd-16__sep"></li>
    <li class="dd-16__item dd-16__item--danger"><span class="dd-16__icon">&#128465;</span> Delete</li>
  </ul>
</div>
.dd-16, .dd-16 *, .dd-16 *::before, .dd-16 *::after {
  margin: 0; padding: 0; box-sizing: border-box;
}
.dd-16 ::selection { background: #0ea5e9; color: #fff; }

.dd-16 {
  --surface: #fff;
  --border: #e5e7eb;
  --text: #111827;
  --muted: #6b7280;
  --danger: #ef4444;
  --accent: #0ea5e9;
  --hover: #f0f9ff;
  font-family: 'Inter', sans-serif;
  min-height: 360px;
  position: relative;
  background: linear-gradient(135deg, #f8fafc 0%, #e0f2fe 100%);
  user-select: none;
}

.dd-16__zone {
  width: 100%;
  height: 360px;
  display: flex;
  flex-direction: column;
  align-items: center;
  justify-content: center;
  gap: 24px;
  cursor: context-menu;
  border: 2px dashed #bae6fd;
  border-radius: 16px;
}

.dd-16__hint {
  display: flex;
  flex-direction: column;
  align-items: center;
  gap: 8px;
  color: var(--muted);
  font-size: 13.5px;
  font-weight: 500;
}
.dd-16__hint-icon { font-size: 28px; }

.dd-16__file {
  display: flex;
  align-items: center;
  gap: 8px;
  background: var(--surface);
  border: 1px solid var(--border);
  border-radius: 8px;
  padding: 10px 18px;
  font-size: 13.5px;
  font-weight: 500;
  color: var(--text);
  cursor: pointer;
  box-shadow: 0 2px 8px rgba(0,0,0,.06);
  transition: box-shadow 0.15s;
}
.dd-16__file:hover { box-shadow: 0 4px 16px rgba(0,0,0,.1); }

/* context menu */
.dd-16__menu {
  position: fixed;
  min-width: 190px;
  background: var(--surface);
  border: 1px solid var(--border);
  border-radius: 12px;
  box-shadow: 0 8px 30px rgba(0,0,0,.16), 0 2px 8px rgba(0,0,0,.08);
  padding: 6px;
  list-style: none;
  z-index: 9999;
  opacity: 0;
  transform: scale(0.92);
  transform-origin: top left;
  pointer-events: none;
  transition: opacity 0.18s ease, transform 0.22s cubic-bezier(0.16,1,0.3,1);
}
.dd-16__menu.is-open {
  opacity: 1;
  transform: scale(1);
  pointer-events: auto;
}

.dd-16__item {
  display: flex;
  align-items: center;
  gap: 10px;
  padding: 8px 12px;
  border-radius: 7px;
  font-size: 13.5px;
  font-weight: 500;
  color: var(--text);
  cursor: pointer;
  transition: background 0.12s, color 0.12s;
}
.dd-16__item:hover { background: var(--hover); color: var(--accent); }
.dd-16__item--danger { color: var(--danger); }
.dd-16__item--danger:hover { background: #fef2f2; color: var(--danger); }

.dd-16__icon { font-size: 14px; width: 18px; text-align: center; }

.dd-16__sep {
  height: 1px;
  background: var(--border);
  margin: 4px 0;
}

@media (prefers-reduced-motion: reduce) {
  .dd-16__menu { transition: none; }
}
(function() {
  const zone = document.getElementById('dd-16-zone');
  const menu = document.getElementById('dd-16-menu');
  if (!zone || !menu) return;

  function openMenu(x, y) {
    menu.classList.add('is-open');
    // position with viewport clamping
    const mw = menu.offsetWidth || 200;
    const mh = menu.offsetHeight || 240;
    const cx = Math.min(x, window.innerWidth - mw - 8);
    const cy = Math.min(y, window.innerHeight - mh - 8);
    menu.style.left = cx + 'px';
    menu.style.top  = cy + 'px';
  }

  function closeMenu() {
    menu.classList.remove('is-open');
  }

  zone.addEventListener('contextmenu', function(e) {
    e.preventDefault();
    closeMenu();
    // small delay so scale origin resets
    requestAnimationFrame(() => openMenu(e.clientX, e.clientY));
  });

  document.addEventListener('click', function(e) {
    if (!menu.contains(e.target)) closeMenu();
  });

  document.addEventListener('keydown', function(e) {
    if (e.key === 'Escape') closeMenu();
  });

  // item click closes menu
  menu.querySelectorAll('.dd-16__item').forEach(function(item) {
    item.addEventListener('click', closeMenu);
  });
})();

How this works

JavaScript listens for the contextmenu event on the demo zone, calls event.preventDefault() to suppress the browser's native menu, then positions the custom menu using menu.style.left = event.clientX + 'px'; menu.style.top = event.clientY + 'px'. A viewport-clamp check ensures the menu doesn't overflow right or bottom edges by comparing clientX + menuWidth against window.innerWidth.

The menu itself is a position: fixed element (so it escapes all parent positioning contexts) with opacity: 0; transform: scale(0.92); pointer-events: none by default. Adding the is-open class transitions it to opacity: 1; scale: 1; pointer-events: auto. A global click listener removes is-open on any click outside the menu, and pressing Escape also dismisses it.

Customize

  • Add submenu support by nesting a .dd-16__sub panel inside a menu item with pointer-events: none default, revealed on item hover.
  • Animate individual items with staggered delays by assigning transition-delay via nth-child selectors on each li.
  • Make menu items context-aware by passing the right-clicked element to a function that enables/disables specific options based on the target's data attributes.
  • Add a keyboard shortcut hint column to each item: ⌘C, ⌘V etc., right-aligned in the same row using justify-content: space-between.

Watch out for

  • Use position: fixed on the context menu — position: absolute is relative to the nearest positioned ancestor and will be wrong inside scrolled containers.
  • Always clamp the menu position to the viewport: Math.min(clientX, window.innerWidth - menuWidth - 8) prevents the menu from bleeding off-screen.
  • If a touchstart or pointerdown event fires before the click-outside listener runs, the menu may reopen immediately after closing — add a 10ms debounce guard.

Browser support

ChromeSafariFirefoxEdge
49+ 11+ 44+ 49+

contextmenu event and position fixed are universally supported; no polyfills needed.

More from 22 CSS Dropdown Menu Designs

Keyboard Accessible DropdownStagger Blur Entrance DropdownCommand Palette Search DropdownAutocomplete Suggestion DropdownTab Panel DropdownCustom Animated Select DropdownSlide-Down Fade DropdownClip-Path Curtain Reveal Dropdown3D Perspective Flip DropdownElastic Bounce DropdownGlassmorphism Float Panel DropdownStagger Children Reveal Dropdown
View the full collection →

Search CodeFronts

Loading…

↑↓ navigate ↵ select esc close Open full search page →