22 CSS Dropdown Menu Designs 09 / 22

Details Summary Native Dropdown

A fully CSS-only dropdown built on the native HTML details/summary element, styled with custom markers and animated with the [open] attribute selector.

Pure CSS MIT licensed
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The code

<div class="dd-09">
  <link href="https://fonts.googleapis.com/css2?family=Lora:ital,wght@0,400;0,600;1,400&family=Source+Sans+3:wght@400;500;600&display=swap" rel="stylesheet">
  <div class="dd-09__layout">
    <nav class="dd-09__nav">
      <details class="dd-09__details">
        <summary class="dd-09__summary">
          <span class="dd-09__label">Discover</span>
          <span class="dd-09__arrow"></span>
        </summary>
        <div class="dd-09__panel">
          <a href="#" class="dd-09__link">Destinations</a>
          <a href="#" class="dd-09__link">Experiences</a>
          <a href="#" class="dd-09__link">Collections</a>
          <a href="#" class="dd-09__link">Guides</a>
        </div>
      </details>

      <details class="dd-09__details">
        <summary class="dd-09__summary">
          <span class="dd-09__label">Plan</span>
          <span class="dd-09__arrow"></span>
        </summary>
        <div class="dd-09__panel">
          <a href="#" class="dd-09__link">Trip Builder</a>
          <a href="#" class="dd-09__link">Booking</a>
          <a href="#" class="dd-09__link">Itineraries</a>
        </div>
      </details>

      <details class="dd-09__details">
        <summary class="dd-09__summary">
          <span class="dd-09__label">Journal</span>
          <span class="dd-09__arrow"></span>
        </summary>
        <div class="dd-09__panel">
          <a href="#" class="dd-09__link">Stories</a>
          <a href="#" class="dd-09__link">Photography</a>
          <a href="#" class="dd-09__link">Reviews</a>
        </div>
      </details>
    </nav>
    <p class="dd-09__hint">Click any nav item to toggle</p>
  </div>
</div>
.dd-09, .dd-09 *, .dd-09 *::before, .dd-09 *::after {
  margin: 0; padding: 0; box-sizing: border-box;
}
.dd-09 ::selection { background: #92400e; color: #fffbeb; }

.dd-09 {
  --brand: #b45309;
  --surface: #fffbeb;
  --panel: #fff;
  --text: #1c1917;
  --muted: #78716c;
  --border: #e7e5e4;
  --hover: #fef3c7;
  font-family: 'Source Sans 3', sans-serif;
  min-height: 380px;
  display: flex;
  align-items: center;
  justify-content: center;
  background: linear-gradient(160deg, #fffbeb 0%, #fef3c7 100%);
  padding: 40px 20px;
}

.dd-09__layout {
  display: flex;
  flex-direction: column;
  align-items: center;
  gap: 16px;
  width: 100%;
  max-width: 640px;
}

.dd-09__nav {
  display: flex;
  gap: 12px;
  background: var(--panel);
  border: 1px solid var(--border);
  border-radius: 12px;
  padding: 10px;
  box-shadow: 0 4px 16px rgba(0,0,0,.06);
  width: 100%;
  justify-content: center;
}

.dd-09__details {
  position: relative;
  flex: 1;
  max-width: 180px;
}

/* hide default marker */
.dd-09__details > summary { list-style: none; }
.dd-09__details > summary::-webkit-details-marker { display: none; }
.dd-09__details > summary::marker { display: none; }

.dd-09__summary {
  display: flex;
  align-items: center;
  justify-content: space-between;
  padding: 10px 14px;
  border-radius: 8px;
  cursor: pointer;
  user-select: none;
  color: var(--text);
  font-size: 14px;
  font-weight: 600;
  transition: background 0.15s, color 0.15s;
  gap: 8px;
}
.dd-09__summary:hover { background: var(--hover); color: var(--brand); }
.dd-09__details[open] .dd-09__summary {
  background: var(--hover);
  color: var(--brand);
}

.dd-09__label { font-family: 'Lora', serif; font-size: 15px; }

.dd-09__arrow {
  width: 16px;
  height: 16px;
  position: relative;
  flex-shrink: 0;
  overflow: hidden;
}
.dd-09__arrow::before, .dd-09__arrow::after {
  content: '';
  position: absolute;
  top: 50%;
  width: 7px;
  height: 1.5px;
  background: currentColor;
  transition: transform 0.22s ease;
}
.dd-09__arrow::before { left: 3px;  transform: translateY(-50%) rotate(45deg);  transform-origin: center; }
.dd-09__arrow::after  { right: 3px; transform: translateY(-50%) rotate(-45deg); transform-origin: center; }
.dd-09__details[open] .dd-09__arrow::before { transform: translateY(-50%) rotate(-45deg); }
.dd-09__details[open] .dd-09__arrow::after  { transform: translateY(-50%) rotate(45deg); }

.dd-09__panel {
  position: absolute;
  top: calc(100% + 8px);
  left: 0;
  width: 100%;
  min-width: 160px;
  background: var(--panel);
  border: 1px solid var(--border);
  border-radius: 10px;
  box-shadow: 0 8px 24px rgba(0,0,0,.10);
  padding: 6px;
  display: flex;
  flex-direction: column;
  gap: 2px;
  overflow: hidden;
  max-height: 0;
  opacity: 0;
  transition: max-height 0.34s ease, opacity 0.22s ease;
  z-index: 10;
}
.dd-09__details[open] .dd-09__panel {
  max-height: 400px;
  opacity: 1;
}

.dd-09__link {
  display: block;
  padding: 9px 12px;
  border-radius: 7px;
  text-decoration: none;
  color: var(--text);
  font-size: 13.5px;
  font-weight: 500;
  font-family: 'Lora', serif;
  transition: background 0.15s, color 0.15s;
}
.dd-09__link:hover { background: var(--hover); color: var(--brand); }

.dd-09__hint {
  font-size: 12px;
  color: var(--muted);
  font-style: italic;
}

@media (prefers-reduced-motion: reduce) {
  .dd-09__panel, .dd-09__arrow::before, .dd-09__arrow::after,
  .dd-09__summary { transition: none; }
}

How this works

The HTML <details> element natively toggles between open and closed states when its <summary> child is clicked, adding or removing the open boolean attribute on the element. CSS targets this with the details[open] .dd-09__panel selector to show the content. The default browser disclosure triangle is hidden with summary::marker { display: none } and replaced with a custom CSS arrow pseudo-element.

Because details doesn't support height transitions natively, the panel uses a max-height 0 → 400px transition conditioned on [open]. The summary element gets cursor: pointer and full custom styling since it behaves like a button — it's fully keyboard accessible and supports Enter/Space activation with no JavaScript required.

Customize

  • Animate the custom arrow by targeting details[open] summary::after with transform: rotate(180deg).
  • Style different open states with details[open] > summary — change background color, font weight, or add a left border accent when active.
  • Nest multiple <details> inside a panel to create accordion-style multi-level content with zero JS.
  • Remove the max-height trick and use @starting-style (Chrome 117+) for a native entry animation: @starting-style { opacity: 0; } inside the open selector.

Watch out for

  • Animating height or max-height on a details element is tricky — the open/close is instantaneous at the HTML level, so CSS transitions only work on the open direction, not the close.
  • summary::marker removal has inconsistent cross-browser support — also add summary::-webkit-details-marker { display: none } for older WebKit.
  • Unlike a custom dropdown, <details> does not close when clicking outside — users must click the summary again or press Escape (if focus management is handled elsewhere).

Browser support

ChromeSafariFirefoxEdge
12+ 6+ 49+ 12+

The details/summary element is universally supported; marker hiding needs -webkit- prefix for older Safari.

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