Context Menu

Right-click context menu with nested sub-menus, keyboard navigation, icons, dividers, and disabled items.

css vanilla-js

Targets: JS HTML

Code

*,
*::before,
*::after {
  box-sizing: border-box;
  margin: 0;
  padding: 0;
}

:root {
  --bg: #050910;
  --card: #0d1117;
  --card-raised: #111827;
  --border: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.08);
  --text: #f2f6ff;
  --muted: #475569;
  --accent: #38bdf8;
  --danger: #f87171;
  --radius: 10px;
}

body {
  background: var(--bg);
  color: var(--text);
  font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, sans-serif;
  min-height: 100vh;
  display: flex;
  align-items: center;
  justify-content: center;
  padding: 2rem;
  user-select: none;
}

/* ── Demo area ── */
.page {
  width: 100%;
  max-width: 700px;
}

.demo-area {
  width: 100%;
  height: 380px;
  border: 1.5px dashed rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.12);
  border-radius: 16px;
  display: flex;
  align-items: center;
  justify-content: center;
  cursor: context-menu;
  outline: none;
  transition: border-color 0.2s, background 0.2s;
}

.demo-area:hover,
.demo-area:focus-visible {
  border-color: rgba(56, 189, 248, 0.3);
  background: rgba(56, 189, 248, 0.02);
}

.demo-area__inner {
  text-align: center;
  pointer-events: none;
}

.demo-area__icon {
  font-size: 2.5rem;
  display: block;
  margin-bottom: 1rem;
  opacity: 0.5;
}

.demo-area__label {
  font-size: 1rem;
  color: var(--muted);
  font-weight: 500;
}

.demo-area__sub {
  font-size: 0.8rem;
  color: rgba(71, 85, 105, 0.6);
  margin-top: 0.3rem;
}

/* ── Context menu ── */
.context-menu {
  position: fixed;
  background: var(--card-raised);
  border: 1px solid var(--border);
  border-radius: var(--radius);
  padding: 0.3rem;
  min-width: 190px;
  box-shadow: 0 12px 40px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.5), 0 2px 8px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.3);
  z-index: 9999;
  animation: menu-in 0.12s ease;
}

@keyframes menu-in {
  from {
    opacity: 0;
    transform: scale(0.96) translateY(-4px);
  }
  to {
    opacity: 1;
    transform: scale(1) translateY(0);
  }
}

/* ── Menu items ── */
.menu-item {
  display: flex;
  align-items: center;
  gap: 0.6rem;
  width: 100%;
  padding: 0.5rem 0.65rem;
  border-radius: 6px;
  background: none;
  border: none;
  color: var(--text);
  font-size: 0.855rem;
  cursor: pointer;
  text-align: left;
  position: relative;
  transition: background 0.15s;
}

.menu-item:hover,
.menu-item:focus-visible,
.menu-item.focused {
  background: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.05);
  outline: none;
}

.menu-item__icon {
  font-size: 0.95rem;
  width: 18px;
  text-align: center;
  opacity: 0.75;
  flex-shrink: 0;
}

.menu-item__label {
  flex: 1;
}

.menu-item__shortcut {
  font-size: 0.75rem;
  color: var(--muted);
  margin-left: auto;
  flex-shrink: 0;
}

.menu-item__chevron {
  font-size: 1.1rem;
  color: var(--muted);
  margin-left: auto;
}

/* ── Disabled ── */
.menu-item--disabled {
  opacity: 0.38;
  cursor: not-allowed;
  pointer-events: none;
}

/* ── Danger ── */
.menu-item--danger {
  color: var(--danger);
}

.menu-item--danger .menu-item__shortcut {
  color: rgba(248, 113, 113, 0.5);
}

/* ── Sub-menu ── */
.menu-item--sub {
  cursor: default;
}

.submenu {
  position: absolute;
  left: calc(100% + 4px);
  top: -0.3rem;
  background: var(--card-raised);
  border: 1px solid var(--border);
  border-radius: var(--radius);
  padding: 0.3rem;
  min-width: 160px;
  box-shadow: 0 12px 40px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.5);
  display: none;
  z-index: 10000;
  animation: menu-in 0.12s ease;
}

.menu-item--sub:hover .submenu,
.menu-item--sub.sub-open .submenu {
  display: block;
}

/* ── Divider ── */
.menu-divider {
  height: 1px;
  background: var(--border);
  margin: 0.3rem 0;
}

(function () {
  "use strict";

  const area = document.getElementById("demo-area");
  const menu = document.getElementById("context-menu");
  let isOpen = false;
  let focusIdx = -1;

  // ── Show ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

  function show(x, y) {
    menu.style.display = "block";
    isOpen = true;
    focusIdx = -1;

    // Clamp to viewport
    const vw = window.innerWidth;
    const vh = window.innerHeight;
    menu.style.left = "0";
    menu.style.top = "0";
    const mw = menu.offsetWidth;
    const mh = menu.offsetHeight;
    menu.style.left = Math.min(x, vw - mw - 8) + "px";
    menu.style.top = Math.min(y, vh - mh - 8) + "px";

    // Update aria-expanded on sub-menu triggers
    getItems().forEach(function (el) {
      if (el.classList.contains("menu-item--sub")) {
        el.setAttribute("aria-expanded", "false");
      }
    });
  }

  function hide() {
    menu.style.display = "none";
    isOpen = false;
    focusIdx = -1;
    clearSubMenus();
  }

  function clearSubMenus() {
    menu.querySelectorAll(".menu-item--sub").forEach(function (el) {
      el.classList.remove("sub-open");
      el.setAttribute("aria-expanded", "false");
    });
  }

  // ── Events ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

  area.addEventListener("contextmenu", function (e) {
    e.preventDefault();
    show(e.clientX, e.clientY);
  });

  // Long-press for mobile
  let longPressTimer = null;
  area.addEventListener(
    "touchstart",
    function (e) {
      const t = e.touches[0];
      longPressTimer = setTimeout(function () {
        show(t.clientX, t.clientY);
      }, 500);
    },
    { passive: true }
  );
  area.addEventListener(
    "touchend",
    function () {
      clearTimeout(longPressTimer);
    },
    { passive: true }
  );
  area.addEventListener(
    "touchmove",
    function () {
      clearTimeout(longPressTimer);
    },
    { passive: true }
  );

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

  document.addEventListener("keydown", function (e) {
    if (!isOpen) return;
    switch (e.key) {
      case "Escape":
        e.preventDefault();
        hide();
        break;
      case "ArrowDown":
        e.preventDefault();
        moveFocus(1);
        break;
      case "ArrowUp":
        e.preventDefault();
        moveFocus(-1);
        break;
      case "ArrowRight": {
        e.preventDefault();
        const focused = getFocusedItem();
        if (focused && focused.classList.contains("menu-item--sub")) {
          focused.classList.add("sub-open");
          focused.setAttribute("aria-expanded", "true");
          const sub = focused.querySelector(".submenu");
          if (sub) {
            const first = sub.querySelector(".menu-item");
            if (first) first.focus();
          }
        }
        break;
      }
      case "ArrowLeft":
        e.preventDefault();
        clearSubMenus();
        break;
      case "Enter":
      case " ": {
        e.preventDefault();
        const focused = getFocusedItem();
        if (focused) focused.click();
        break;
      }
    }
  });

  // ── Item actions ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

  menu.querySelectorAll(".menu-item[data-action]").forEach(function (btn) {
    btn.addEventListener("click", function () {
      const action = btn.dataset.action;
      const labels = {
        cut: "Cut",
        copy: "Copy",
        "copy-link": "Link copied!",
        email: "Opening email client…",
        twitter: "Opening Twitter…",
        delete: "Deleted!",
      };
      console.log("Action:", action);
      const label = labels[action] || action;
      showFeedback(label);
      hide();
    });
  });

  // Sub-menu open/close on hover
  menu.querySelectorAll(".menu-item--sub").forEach(function (el) {
    el.addEventListener("mouseenter", function () {
      clearSubMenus();
      el.classList.add("sub-open");
      el.setAttribute("aria-expanded", "true");
    });
  });

  // ── Keyboard focus helpers ───────────────────────────────────────────────────

  function getItems() {
    return Array.from(menu.querySelectorAll(".menu-item:not(.menu-item--disabled)"));
  }

  function getFocusedItem() {
    return menu.querySelector(".menu-item:focus, .menu-item.focused");
  }

  function moveFocus(dir) {
    const items = getItems();
    if (!items.length) return;
    focusIdx = (focusIdx + dir + items.length) % items.length;
    items[focusIdx].focus();
  }

  // ── Feedback toast ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

  function showFeedback(msg) {
    const el = document.createElement("div");
    Object.assign(el.style, {
      position: "fixed",
      bottom: "1.5rem",
      left: "50%",
      transform: "translateX(-50%)",
      background: "#0d1117",
      border: "1px solid rgba(255,255,255,0.08)",
      color: "#f2f6ff",
      padding: "0.5rem 1.25rem",
      borderRadius: "999px",
      fontSize: "0.85rem",
      zIndex: "99999",
      animation: "menu-in 0.15s ease",
      boxShadow: "0 4px 20px rgba(0,0,0,0.4)",
    });
    el.textContent = msg;
    document.body.appendChild(el);
    setTimeout(function () {
      el.remove();
    }, 2000);
  }
})();

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
  <meta charset="UTF-8" />
  <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0" />
  <title>Context Menu</title>
  <link rel="stylesheet" href="style.css" />
</head>
<body>

  <div class="page">
    <div class="demo-area" id="demo-area" tabindex="0" aria-label="Right-click demo area">
      <div class="demo-area__inner">
        <span class="demo-area__icon">🖱</span>
        <p class="demo-area__label">Right-click anywhere in this area</p>
        <p class="demo-area__sub">Or long-press on mobile</p>
      </div>
    </div>
  </div>

  <!-- Context Menu -->
  <nav class="context-menu" id="context-menu" role="menu" aria-label="Context actions" style="display:none">

    <!-- Cut -->
    <button class="menu-item" role="menuitem" data-action="cut">
      <span class="menu-item__icon">✂</span>
      <span class="menu-item__label">Cut</span>
      <span class="menu-item__shortcut">⌘X</span>
    </button>

    <!-- Copy -->
    <button class="menu-item" role="menuitem" data-action="copy">
      <span class="menu-item__icon">⎘</span>
      <span class="menu-item__label">Copy</span>
      <span class="menu-item__shortcut">⌘C</span>
    </button>

    <!-- Paste (disabled) -->
    <button class="menu-item menu-item--disabled" role="menuitem" aria-disabled="true" data-action="paste">
      <span class="menu-item__icon">⎗</span>
      <span class="menu-item__label">Paste</span>
      <span class="menu-item__shortcut">⌘V</span>
    </button>

    <div class="menu-divider" role="separator"></div>

    <!-- Share → sub-menu -->
    <div class="menu-item menu-item--sub" role="menuitem" aria-haspopup="true" aria-expanded="false" tabindex="0">
      <span class="menu-item__icon">↗</span>
      <span class="menu-item__label">Share</span>
      <span class="menu-item__chevron">›</span>

      <nav class="submenu" role="menu" aria-label="Share options">
        <button class="menu-item" role="menuitem" data-action="copy-link">
          <span class="menu-item__icon">🔗</span>
          <span class="menu-item__label">Copy link</span>
        </button>
        <button class="menu-item" role="menuitem" data-action="email">
          <span class="menu-item__icon">✉</span>
          <span class="menu-item__label">Email</span>
        </button>
        <button class="menu-item" role="menuitem" data-action="twitter">
          <span class="menu-item__icon">𝕏</span>
          <span class="menu-item__label">Twitter / X</span>
        </button>
      </nav>
    </div>

    <div class="menu-divider" role="separator"></div>

    <!-- Delete (destructive) -->
    <button class="menu-item menu-item--danger" role="menuitem" data-action="delete">
      <span class="menu-item__icon">🗑</span>
      <span class="menu-item__label">Delete</span>
      <span class="menu-item__shortcut">⌫</span>
    </button>

  </nav>

  <script src="script.js"></script>
</body>
</html>

A right-click context menu with nested sub-menus, icon support, dividers, destructive items, and full keyboard navigation. No dependencies.

Features

Opens at cursor position, clamped to viewport bounds
Nested sub-menu opens on hover or right-arrow key, closes on left-arrow
Disabled items are non-interactive
Destructive (Delete) item styled in red
Closes on outside click, left-click elsewhere, or Escape

How it works

contextmenu event is intercepted on the demo area; preventDefault() suppresses the browser menu
The menu is positioned with position: fixed at event.clientX / clientY, then clamped so it never overflows the viewport
Sub-menus use position: absolute relative to their parent item, opening to the right
Keyboard: ArrowDown/ArrowUp move focus between items; ArrowRight opens a sub-menu; ArrowLeft closes it; Enter activates the focused item

Accessibility

Menu uses role="menu", items use role="menuitem"
Disabled items carry aria-disabled="true"
Sub-menu trigger items have aria-haspopup="true" and aria-expanded