Parent menu items in Divi mobile menus are not clickable by default — you have to enable the link yourself

When you build a menu in Divi and view it on a phone, parent items (the ones with dropdown children) usually cannot be clicked to go anywhere. Tapping them only opens or closes the submenu. This is intentional — Divi assumes parent items exist only to organize their children. But if you want a parent item to link to its own page while still keeping the dropdown, you need to change one setting in the Divi Menu Module.

The fix takes less than a minute and works whether you are using Divi's built-in navigation or a custom menu you created in WordPress. The setting lives in the module itself, not in your menu structure, so you do not have to rebuild anything.

Key Takeaways

  • Parent menu items in Divi mobile menus are not clickable by default because Divi disables the link to prevent accidental navigation when users tap to open the submenu.
  • You enable parent links by opening the Divi Menu Module, going to the Advanced tab, and toggling "Make Parent Links Clickable" to Yes.
  • This setting applies to mobile menus only — desktop menus already allow parent links to work in most cases.
  • The parent item must have an actual URL assigned to it in your WordPress menu for the link to function after you enable the setting.
  • If the parent item has no URL, enabling the setting will have no effect — you must add the link in WordPress first.

Where to find the setting in Divi

Open the page where your menu lives in the Divi Builder. Click on the Menu Module (the one that contains your navigation). In the module settings panel on the right, click the Advanced tab at the top.

Scroll down until you see the option labeled "Make Parent Links Clickable". It will be set to No by default. Click the toggle to change it to Yes. Save your changes and check your mobile menu — parent items should now be tappable links.

If you do not see this option, you may be using an older version of Divi. Update the theme to the latest version through WordPress > Appearance > Themes, then check for updates.

What happens when you enable parent links

Once you turn on "Make Parent Links Clickable", tapping a parent item on mobile will navigate to that item's URL instead of just opening the submenu. The submenu will still be there — users can still tap the arrow or chevron icon next to the parent name to expand it and see the children.

This means a parent item now has two tap targets: the text itself (which goes to the parent's page) and the arrow (which opens the submenu). On a phone screen this can feel cramped, so test it on an actual device to make sure the spacing feels right for your users.

Making sure your parent items have URLs

For parent links to work, each parent item must have a URL assigned to it in WordPress. Go to Appearance > Menus and click on the parent item to expand it. Look for a field labeled "URL" or "Link". If it is empty, add the page or post URL you want that parent to link to.

If a parent item has no URL, enabling the setting will not break anything — the item just will not be clickable, even though the setting is on. The submenu will still open normally. So if you have some parent items that should link and others that should not, you can leave the setting on and straightforward leave URLs blank for the ones you do not want to link.

Testing on real mobile devices

Always test your menu on an actual phone or tablet, not just the browser's mobile preview. The touch targets and spacing can feel different in real use. Open your site on a phone, navigate to the page with the menu, and tap each parent item to confirm the link works and the submenu still opens when you tap the arrow.

If the parent link is not working after you enable the setting and add the URL, clear your browser cache and refresh the page. Sometimes cached CSS or JavaScript can prevent the change from taking effect when ready.

When parent links cause usability problems

On very small screens, having both a clickable parent and a separate tap target for the submenu arrow can be confusing. Users may tap the parent name expecting to open the submenu and end up navigating away instead. If you notice this happening, consider whether you actually need the parent to link — in many cases, parent items work better as submenu organizers only.

Another option is to restructure your menu so that parent items do not have their own pages. Instead, make the first child item the "main" page for that section, and use the parent only as a label. This avoids the confusion of having two different actions on one item.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does enabling parent links affect the desktop menu?

No. The "Make Parent Links Clickable" setting applies only to mobile menus. Desktop menus in Divi already allow parent links to work by default, so changing this setting will not change how your menu looks or behaves on larger screens.

What if I want some parent items to link and others not to?

Turn on "Make Parent Links Clickable" globally, then leave the URL field empty for parent items you do not want to link. Items without URLs will not be clickable even though the setting is enabled. Items with URLs will be clickable.

Can I make the submenu arrow bigger so it is easier to tap?

Yes, but you will need to use custom CSS. In the Divi Menu Module settings, go to the Design tab and look for spacing or sizing options for the submenu toggle. If those do not give you enough control, you can add custom CSS in your theme's Additional CSS section or in a custom CSS module.

The parent link is not working even though I enabled the setting and added a URL

Clear your browser cache and do a hard refresh (Ctrl+Shift+R on Windows, Cmd+Shift+R on Mac). If it still does not work, check that the URL in the menu item is complete and correct — it should start with http:// or https://. Test on a different device or browser to rule out a local cache issue.

Will enabling parent links slow down my site?

No. This is a straightforward CSS and JavaScript change that has no impact on page load time or performance. It only affects how the menu behaves when users interact with it.