Navigation menu as Dropdown Widget
by Jeroen Peters · Admin & Utilities
Also makes 3 other plugins · 5K+ installs across the portfolio →
WordPress plugin which provides a widget with a clickable dropdown of a WordPress navigation menu. It supports one level of parent-child menu's.
Try it live opens a temporary test site in your browser, which can take about 20 seconds to load. Plugins that rely on outside services or a full server may not work completely there.
Health
A 89/100
no flags
Active installs
2K+
≈2.8K estimated
Momentum
-3%
downloads vs prior 30d
Biggest opportunity: Swap “menu” and “select” for “dropdown menu” and “mobile navigation”. “menu” isn't earning its slot: you're not in the first 24 results for its own search. “dropdown menu” sits at #4 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. “select” isn't earning its slot: it only gets you to #23. “mobile navigation” sits at #9 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. All five slots are taken, so one has to go.
89 health vs 56 average across 5,897 Admin & Utilities plugins
Install conversion
How it's measured →4.1%
of downloads still active
At least 2K of 49.1K lifetime downloads are still running, above its category: the median Admin & Utilities plugin keeps 0.6%, across 4,190 plugins.
Downloads count every update, not just first installs, so older and more frequently released plugins read lower. Compare against other Admin & Utilities plugins, not across the directory. wp.org reports active installs as the bottom of a band, so the real rate is this or higher.
This plugin shipped 2 releases in the last 12 months, and every existing install that updated counted as another download. wp.org publishes no split between first installs and updates, so we show the raw rate rather than guess at one.
Details
Directory ranking optimization
How it's scored →How well this listing is tuned to rank in WordPress.org search, on the factors an owner controls. Not popularity, optimization.
Excellent listing optimization
Most to gain: Rating quality
Updated 77 days ago
Tested up to WordPress 7.1.4, the current branch or newer
5.0★ over 10 reviews, smoothed to 4.25★ and held back under 25 reviews
5 of 5 tags set · short description in place
To rank higher: Too few reviews to rank on quality — nudge happy users to leave one.
Get the full rank-higher report →Search visibility
How it's tracked →Directory searches this plugin turns up in, and which way each one is moving. WordPress.org publishes no history of search positions, so this starts the day we first tracked a keyword and never backfills.
40
Momentum
Losing ground
-0.4
Velocity
places per keyword, 28d
24%
Breadth
of keywords climbing, 28d
-0.1
Acceleration
recent half vs earlier
wp.org is where the directory puts the plugin for that search. On merit is where it would sit if results were ranked on rating, support and updates, without the install boost. The last column is how far the wp.org position moved, from our first reading in the last 90 days to the latest.
| Keyword | wp.org | On merit | wp.org move, 90 days |
|---|---|---|---|
| quicknav your tag | #2 | #1 | 0 |
| navigation your tag | #3 | #6 | 0 |
| navigation menu | #3 | #8 | 0 |
| dropdown your tag | #3 | #6 | 0 |
| dropdown menu | #4 | #10 | 0 |
| parent page dropdown | #3 | #6 | 0 |
| site navigation | #5 | #9 | 0 |
| user dropdown menu | #5 | #9 | up 1 |
| clickable menu | #5 | #10 | down 1 |
| mobile navigation | #9 | #16 | down 2 |
| navigation page | #6 | #14 | — |
| parent child | #14 | #18 | 0 |
| easy navigation | #7 | #15 | up 1 |
| custom navigation | #7 | #15 | 0 |
| about me widget | #12 | #17 | down 2 |
| on page navigation | #8 | #18 | down 1 |
| page navigation | #8 | #18 | 0 |
| select your tag | #23 | #21 | up 1 |
| custom navigation menu | #8 | #16 | 0 |
| menu widget | #14 | #23 | 0 |
| menu your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
50 searches this plugin appeared in over the last 90 days, 20 listed. 21 left out as unrelated or noise (years, numbers, stray words). 1 of its tags isn't in the top 24 for their own search.
What to do about it
- Swap “menu” and “select” for “dropdown menu” and “mobile navigation”. “menu” isn't earning its slot: you're not in the first 24 results for its own search. “dropdown menu” sits at #4 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. “select” isn't earning its slot: it only gets you to #23. “mobile navigation” sits at #9 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. All five slots are taken, so one has to go.
Daily downloads
Since 5 Oct 2022 · 1,489 days · wp.org + Plugin Pulse archive
30-day downloads
Rolling 30-day volume · peak 3.5K · peaks are release surges
Directory rank vs rivals
wp.org popularity rank over time · higher is better · when a rival's line climbs above yours, they've overtaken you
Health trend
Composite health score, snapshotted daily
Update activity
How busy the existing users are, measured as downloads in the last 30 days for every 1,000 active sites. A spike means a new release everyone's pulling; a long, slow decline means an aging user base that updates less.
Release cadence
Occasionally updatedHow often this plugin actually ships. A steady rhythm is the maintenance signal a single "last updated" date can't show.
2
releases in the last 12 months
3mo ago
latest release · v1.6.0 · 16 Aug 2026
8
tagged releases on record
Recent releases
What its installed base runs
via wordpress.orgShare of active installs on each version of this plugin. Green is the current release; a big slice on older versions is a user base that has stopped updating.
Estimated active installs
The public count shows “2K+”. Our estimate pins where the real number sits.
Crossed into this band 7 months ago and the previous band took 3.5 years to cross, so the real count is still just under 3K.
Install history since 17 Aug 2021
Recent reviews
All reviews on wp.org ↗- ★★★★★ aedilius1.1y ago
My father always said, “An old man is no express train,” and now I am that old man. I admit, I was hoping to get an answer, but it was so quick, it was amazing. Thank you. With your change, everyone can now read the menu on our site, which is actually the most important thing.Thanks again for the lightning-fast support.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ hayleythehailstorm2.3y ago
I am using this plugin for one of my clients, as they wanted a dropdown menu that takes customers to their respective Terrazzo Association sites their state falls under. This was literally “plug and play” — and worked right out of the gate without any further customization. When I noticed some funky behavior on Safari on iOS, Jeroen was super quick to respond and investigate my query. I would highly recommend this plugin to anyone needing a navigation dropdown widget, and I will definitely be using it again on future client sites! 10/10!
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ patcrt3.1y ago
I was looking for a plugin which provides a dropdown of a menu and this worked exactly as I’d hoped without having to bring in any more pages or posts than necessary, and works perfectly amongst long form content, especially on mobile, to keep users engaged. Thanks Jeroen for a great solution!
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ copiaguelibrary4.5y ago
plugin works great and the developer is very responsive.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Salman Khawaja4.5y ago
I had a problem identifying a league ID. Jeroen solved this super fast with a great update. The best drop down widget!
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ wzshop5.0y ago
Perfect, just what I needed.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ chillmen5.9y ago
Well done, easy to use. Create a menu, add to the widget and done. Thank you to the developer for this plugin
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Chigolo5.9y ago
The plugin is simple and works out of the box. I had some suggestions for improvement that were quickly implemented by the manufacturer within 3 updates in a week. Top! I can only recommend the plugin, it is very easy to use and easy to modify.
Read on wp.org ↗
Latest updates
via wp.org changelogRecent releases and news for this plugin
- — Version 1.6.0 Enhancement: Code optimization to lessen chance showing errors/notices on some configurations Maintenance: WordPress 7.1 compatible 1.6.0
- — Version 1.5.3 Maintenance: cleaned up code Maintenance: WordPress 7.0 compatible 1.5.3
- — Version 1.5.2 Maintenance: remove textdomain calls Maintenance: WordPress 6.8 compatible 1.5.2
- — Version 1.5.1 Bugfix: Prevent php notice Maintenance: WordPress 6.6 compatible 1.5.1
- — Version 1.5.0 Rolled back: ‘fix’ for iOS, this eventually didn’t work Bugfix: When new window option was enabled, iOS devices didn’t open a new window (iOS security measure). On iOS, links are now always opened in the same window. Enh 1.5.0
- — Version 1.4.0 Bugfix: New window option didn’t work on iOS devices Maintenance: WordPress 6.5.4 compatible 1.4.0
Security history
via Wordfence IntelligenceThe 1 disclosed vulnerability is patched in the current version (1.6.0). Sites still on an older version should update.
- Patched Medium · 4.4 Navigation menu as Dropdown Widget <= 1.3.4 - Authenticated (Admin+) Stored Cross-Site Scripting ↗2024-04-16 CVE-2024-32126 Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation Affects <= 1.3.4 Patched in 1.3.5
Vulnerability records provided by Wordfence Intelligence. Copyright 2012-2026 Defiant Inc. License and terms.
CVE records: Copyright 1999-2026 The MITRE Corporation. CVE terms of use.
Languages
via translate.wordpress.orgTranslated into 7 languages, 2 at 90% or more
AI assistants
How it's measured →Whether ChatGPT and Claude name this plugin when asked the category question, and whether the readme gives them something to quote.
Not measured yet for this plugin’s topics. Its tracked searches are not among the measured topics. See the topics measured so far.
Readme readiness
3 of 8 pass · checked 28 Oct 2026Can an assistant quote this readme? Eight deterministic checks over the wp.org listing, no model involved.
- ! Says what it does Short description names no action; say what the plugin does for the site.
- ✓ Has a FAQ 10 questions in the FAQ.
- ✓ FAQ asks real questions 9 of 10 read like questions a user would type.
- ! Names who it is for Never says who the plugin is for or what they use it for.
- ! Names what it works with Names no plugin, service or platform it works with.
- ! Headings and lists 1 heading and 0 lists; assistants quote headed sections and bullet lists, not paragraphs.
- ! Enough to quote 490 characters of description; under 1,000 there is little to quote.
- ✓ Tags match the text 3 of 5 tags appear in the text; "quicknav", "select" do not.
Growth timeline
Install-tier crossings we have observed, and how long each tier took to outgrow
- 2026-04-15 3K+ → 2K+ down after 1289 days in tier
- 2022-10-04 2K+ → 3K+ up after 309 days in tier
- 2021-11-29 1K+ → 2K+ up
Competes with
The plugins that solve the same job, ranked by shared tags then reach, closest match first. The letter on the right is each plugin's health grade (A best, F worst).
-
Max Mega Menu 300K+ installs · 4.8★ · 2 shared tags A -
Menu Image, Icons made easy 100K+ installs · 4.5★ · 2 shared tags B -
Float menu – awesome floating side menu 30K+ installs · 4.3★ · 2 shared tags A - E Exclude Pages 20K+ installs · 4.7★ · 2 shared tags D
-
Flexy Breadcrumb 10K+ installs · 4.4★ · 2 shared tags A - M Menu Duplicator 10K+ installs · 4.3★ · 2 shared tags A
Embed this report card
Drop a live Pulse card for Navigation menu as Dropdown Widget into a readme, a review or a deck. It updates itself.
<iframe src="https://plugins.wpmayor.com/embed/navigation-menu-as-dropdown-widget" width="480" height="300" style="border:0" loading="lazy" title="Navigation menu as Dropdown Widget — Plugin Pulse"></iframe> Navigation menu as Dropdown Widget: 2K+ active installs, 5.0★ (10 reviews). Plugin Pulse (WP Mayor), as of 2026-11-01. https://plugins.wpmayor.com/plugin/navigation-menu-as-dropdown-widget
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