When building navigation menus in WordPress, one common issue many users face is that parent menu items become unclickable when they have submenu/dropdown items. While this setup improves user experience in some themes, it’s not ideal when the parent item is an important page, such as Services, Shop, or Blog.
In this guide, you’ll learn how to make a WordPress parent menu clickable while keeping the submenu fully functional. We’ll explore easy solutions using WordPress settings, custom links, CSS, and PHP, depending on your theme.
Why Parent Menu Items Become Unclickable in WordPress
When a WordPress menu item has child items (submenus), many themes automatically disable the parent link to improve accessibility, making it act only as a dropdown trigger.
However, this becomes a problem when:
🚫 The parent page contains useful content
🚫 You want to improve SEO with proper internal linking
🚫 You want to reduce extra menu items
So let’s fix it and make your WordPress parent menu clickable again — without breaking your design or dropdown behavior.
Method 1: Enable Clickable Parent Menu via WordPress Menu Settings (Easiest)
- Go to Appearance → Menus
- Click on the parent menu item (e.g., Services)
- Ensure it’s a normal page or custom link — not a placeholder (#)
- Replace
#with the real page URL - Save the menu
👉 If you previously used # as the URL, WordPress treats it as a dropdown-only item. Replace it with a valid link to make the parent menu clickable.
Method 2: Use Custom CSS (Works on Most Themes)
If your theme is still disabling the parent item link, add this CSS:
.menu-item-has-children > a {
pointer-events: auto;
cursor: pointer;
}
How to add this CSS:
- Go to Appearance → Customize → Additional CSS
- Paste the code above
- Save and publish
This forces WordPress to allow clicking on parent menu links — while keeping the dropdown working.
Method 3: Make Parent Menu Clickable Using PHP (Works with Astra, GeneratePress, Kadence, etc.)
If your theme completely disables parent menu links (common in mega menu themes), use this PHP snippet:
function enable_parent_menu_click($atts, $item, $args) {
if (in_array('menu-item-has-children', $item->classes)) {
$atts['href'] = !empty($item->url) ? $item->url : '#';
}
return $atts;
}
add_filter('nav_menu_link_attributes', 'enable_parent_menu_click', 10, 3);
📌 Add this to your child theme’s functions.php or via Code Snippets plugin.
Method 4: Make Parent Menu Clickable in Elementor, Divi, or Menu Plugins
If you’re using page builders or header builder plugins like Elementor, Divi, WP Mega Menu, or Max Mega Menu, make sure to:
✔ Enable Allow parent link click in menu settings
✔ Check “Activate link” or “Keep parent link clickable”
✔ Avoid using empty links like # or javascript:void(0)
Does Making Parent Menu Clickable Help SEO?
Yes, it improves SEO because:
✅ It provides better internal linking
✅ It sends Google crawlers to important content pages
✅ It improves user experience and click-through rates
✅ Reduces bounce rates from navigation frustration
Final Thoughts
Making your WordPress parent menu clickable is essential for both user experience and SEO.
Depending on your theme, you can fix it using:
| Method | Difficulty | Compatibility |
|---|---|---|
| WordPress Menu Settings | ⭐ Easy | All themes |
| Custom CSS | ⭐⭐ Moderate | Most themes |
| PHP Snippet | ⭐⭐⭐ Advanced | Astra, GeneratePress, Kadence |
| Page Builder Options | ⭐ Easy | Elementor, Divi |
Now your visitors (and Google!) can reach your important parent pages — without losing dropdown functionality.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
1. Why is my WordPress parent menu item not clickable?
Because many themes disable it when it has submenus to improve dropdown behavior.
2. How do I make parent menu clickable in Astra or GeneratePress theme?
Use the PHP snippet provided above or enable parent link options in theme settings.
3. Can I keep dropdown and still make the parent item clickable?
Yes, using CSS or PHP, you can keep both working together.
4. Does clickable parent menu help SEO?
Absolutely — it improves internal links, user navigation, and page crawlability.
5. Does Elementor support clickable parent menu items?
Yes — simply add a real link instead of using # in custom menu settings.
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