A client wanted a main item in the mobile menu that opens its own page and expands the sub-items at the same time. On desktop, no problem. On mobile, the theme didn't offer that combination. That isn't a bug, it's a deliberate decision by the theme developer. We explained this openly and restructured the navigation so it works well with the default behavior. Actually changing the behavior would have been custom development.
The case
There's no mouse hover on a phone. A tap can either open a page or expand a submenu. Doing both at once is technically possible, but it isn't the default in most themes. If you expect it, the behavior feels like a bug, even though the theme is doing exactly what it was built to do.
Setting or behavior?
- Setting: anything you can adjust in the theme editor. Menu items, order, display.
- Behavior: how the theme fundamentally responds. What a tap triggers, how submenus open.
We change settings as part of the project. Changing behavior means digging into the theme's code. That takes time, and it makes later theme updates more work.
How we solved it
- An “All …” item as the first entry in the submenu. Anyone who wants the overview page gets there with one tap.
- Clear main items that instantly show what sits underneath.
- Important pages as separate main items too, if they're needed often.
For shoppers on mobile, the result is actually clearer than a dual function where you never quite know what the next tap will do.
What to take away
- Not every unexpected behavior is a bug. Sometimes it's the limit of the theme.
- Mobile navigation has its own rules. What works on desktop doesn't always translate one to one.
- Structure is often a better lever than code. An “All …” link solves a lot of requests without any development.
- Ask about limits like these early. If you know them before the project, you can plan the navigation to fit.
Want to know what your theme can do and where it hits its limits? We'll tell you before the project, not during testing.