12 Examples of CSS Drop-Down Animations in 2023

Dropdown animations allow users to see a bevy of options in a menu without taking up valuable real estate. Usually, CSS dropdown animations will either be prompted by hovering over a button or having clickable buttons that then drop down.

We’ve compiled a list of dropdown menu animations with various options for both. Please look through and see which of these options works for you. You can interact with each animation to see how the code works in action.

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Best CSS Dropdown Animations

1. Responsive Menu with Dropdown Transitions

See the Pen Responsive menu with drop down transitions by Brandon (@BrandonBradley) on CodePen.

This animation works by clicking on the three lines menu icon on the right to show all of the different options. To get the full effect, you will need to visit the link directly, otherwise, the preview here should suffice as a visual. 

What We Like: This code is great because it has many different animations to bring about your menu. You can have a fade, swing, curl, or twist animation, giving you full control over how you want to show your menu.

2. CSS Animated Dropdown Menu

See the Pen CSS Animated Dropdown Menu by Tim Beckett (@timbeckett) on CodePen.

This code keeps things simple, just hover over the menu, and all the options dropdown from there.

What We Like: This code is extremely simple, so it should be great for beginners or people with little coding experience who still want to be able to customize their dropdown menu.

3. Molten Menu

See the Pen Molten menu by Zealand (@bowties) on CodePen.

This code uses images to help further the interactiveness of the dropdown menu. If you hover over the gear, you'll get the settings options, and the phone gives you phone options.

What We Like: The graphic elements make this code pop in comparison to the others on our list. You can replace these elements with your own custom images, or just stick with what's there.

4. Recursive Hover Nav

See the Pen Recursive Hover Nav ( Only CSS ) by sean_codes (@sean_codes) on CodePen.

This code gives you two buttons to work with, one that brings about a dropdown menu, and the other just serving as a regular button.

What We Like: You get some flexibility with this code, as you have multiple dropdowns, and a button that can serve whatever purpose you need it for.

5. Dropdown Menus

See the Pen Dropdown Menus by Kevin (@kkrueger) on CodePen.

This compact dropdown animation has four columns with plenty of options for you to add as part of the menu.

What We Like: This code is clean and simple, while serving the basic function of having a dropdown animation. 

6. Pure CSS Dropdown

See the Pen Pure CSS DropDown Menu by Andor Nagy (@andornagy) on CodePen.

This animation gives you two buttons that serve as a dropdown with the rest working as functional buttons. The '+' sign is a helpful way of showing which buttons drop down.

What We Like: This animation is perfect for you if you need multiple different options to dropdown in a clean and compact design.

7. Simple Pure CSS Dropdown Menu

See the Pen Simple Pure CSS Dropdown Menu by Connor Brassington (@connorbrassington) on CodePen.

The Simple Pure CSS drop-down menu lives up to its name. It is clean and simple and has everything you need in a dropdown animation.

What We Like: Because the animation is so simple as you can see, it is really easy to edit and customize for your purposes.

8. Dropdown Button:: Pure CSS

See the Pen Dropdown Button :: Pure CSS by Andy Tran (@andytran) on CodePen.

This code features a clickable dropdown menu with a cool and modern-looking design. The only drawback is that it is a clickable dropdown menu vs. a hoverable menu like the rest on our list. This could be confusing to prospective users of your website.

What We Like: The design of this animation sets it apart from the others on our list. It immediately draws attention to the dropdown menu. 

9. A Simple Dropdown Menu

See the Pen A simple Dropdown Menu by Mike Rojas (@mikerojas87) on CodePen.

A simple dropdown menu delivers exactly what it promises with an easily customizable menu and backdrop along with multiple dropdown options.

What We Like: Much like our earlier simple dropdown menu example, this is great for beginners who still want to be able to customize their dropdown menus without having to worry about interfering with the code from working. 

10. CSS Dropdown Menu

See the Pen CSS Dropdown Menu by Amr SubZero (@AmrSubZero) on CodePen.

This dropdown menu provides a slightly more elegant approach to the simple dropdown menus we've seen thus far. You get a nice-looking menu here that's also approachable for beginners.

What We Like: This is a great option for those who still want something that's customizable without compromising the overall design of the menu.

11. Pure CSS Dropdown Navigation

See the Pen Pure CSS dropdown navigation by Sander (@skeurentjes) on CodePen.

Here's another great pure CSS dropdown menu that has a beautiful design that's simple and easy to navigate.

What We Like: This beautiful but approachable design is a great pick for any website with a dropdown animation.

12. Swanky Pure CSS Dropdown Menu

See the Pen Swanky Pure CSS Drop Down Menu V2.0 by Jamie Coulter (@jcoulterdesign) on CodePen.

This animation has a beautiful gradient design with options for social media handles and five clickable dropdown buttons. Do note that after you click on a button to reveal a dropdown menu, you are unable to click again to close the newly opened menu

What We Like: This is one of the more aesthetically pleasing designs on our list, making it very clear that the buttons are clickable.

Getting Started With CSS Dropdown Animations

Now that you have twelve great examples to start working with, it's time to start incorporating this simple but effective piece of code to help make your website design cleaner and more interactive.