=== Giuliomax Menu Builder ===
Contributors: giuliomax
Donate link: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/giuliosw
Tags: menu, navigation, mega menu, footer builder, hamburger menu, woocommerce cart
Requires at least: 5.8
Tested up to: 7.0
Requires PHP: 7.4
Stable tag: 3.9.5
License: GPLv2 or later
License URI: https://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-2.0.html

The menu + footer plugin that gives you everything — mega menus, Footer Builder, WooCommerce cart, 50 themes, CTA buttons. 100% free. No Pro version. No catch.

== Description ==

📖 **[Full Documentation →](https://giulio001.github.io/)**

**What if the best menu plugin didn't cost anything?**

You've seen the pattern: install a menu plugin, get excited, then hit the paywall. The mega menu? Pro. The cart icon? Pro. The nice themes? Pro. Giuliomax Menu Builder breaks that pattern. **Every single feature is free.** Not a teaser version — the whole thing.

Build a navigation bar that looks like it was custom-designed for your brand, in minutes. Pick one of **50 designer themes** and go live in one click, or fine-tune every pixel with the visual editor. Drop the **MenuX block** into your header in the Site Editor, or paste `[menux]` anywhere. Desktop, tablet, phone — it just looks right.

Need a footer too? The built-in **Footer Builder** produces those polished, multi-column footers you normally only see on custom-coded sites — built visually in under a minute with a guided wizard.

= 💎 Why "free" actually means free here =

No watermarks. No ads in your dashboard. No "Upgrade" buttons taunting you next to locked features. No newsletter blackmail. Everything below works the moment you click Activate:

**Navigation**

* ✅ Mega menus (4 columns, 20 industry templates)
* ✅ Multi-level dropdowns
* ✅ Visual drag-and-drop builder
* ✅ Import from WordPress menus
* ✅ Sticky header with shrink-on-scroll
* ✅ Built-in menu & page search

**Conversion**

* ✅ CTA button items
* ✅ Announcement bar with live countdown
* ✅ Badges ("New", "Hot") & notification dots
* ✅ Live WooCommerce cart with mini-cart
* ✅ Smart visibility (role, device, page, schedule, campaign)

**Design**

* ✅ 50 one-click themes in 10 style categories
* ✅ 70+ Google Fonts with live preview
* ✅ Visual gradient picker
* ✅ Hover & entrance animations
* ✅ Logo placement with pill/circle shapes
* ✅ Dark mode (Light / Dark / Auto)
* ✅ Scroll progress bar
* ✅ Scroll spy (auto-highlight current section)

**Mobile**

* ✅ 4 opening styles (dropdown, fullscreen, left/right drawer)
* ✅ 3 hamburger icon styles
* ✅ Mobile-specific text colors
* ✅ Overlay with blur effect
* ✅ Accordion submenus

**Footer**

* ✅ Visual Footer Builder with guided 4-step wizard
* ✅ 7 section types: About, Links, Contact, Newsletter, Social icons, Opening hours, Custom HTML
* ✅ 11 curated footer themes (Midnight, Carbon Gold, Deep Ocean, Bordeaux, Sapphire, Aurora, Editorial, and more)
* ✅ Live style preview as you edit — colors, typography, social icons, spacing
* ✅ Bottom bar: copyright with `{year}` placeholder, legal links, social mirror
* ✅ Scroll-to-top floating button
* ✅ Per-column "hide on mobile" toggle
* ✅ Footer Gutenberg block + `[menux_footer]` shortcode

**Platform**

* ✅ Gutenberg block for FSE themes
* ✅ Shortcode for any builder (Elementor, Divi, WPBakery)
* ✅ WPML / Polylang / TranslatePress support
* ✅ WCAG 2.2 AA accessibility
* ✅ One-file export/import
* ✅ Real-time 3-device preview

That's **40+ features other plugins split between Free and Pro** — here they're just... features.

= 💰 One plugin instead of five =

Other plugins split these features across separate paid products — a mega menu add-on, a cart widget, an announcement bar, a sticky header, a styling pack. Each one costs money, loads its own scripts, fights the others' CSS and needs its own update cycle.

MenuX replaces all of them with a single consistent plugin. **$0.** If it saves you time or money, a small donation keeps development going — that's the whole business model.

= 👤 Who is it for? =

* **Shop owners** — live cart in the menu, countdown sales bar, "Offers" badge on the promo category. Your navigation becomes a salesperson
* **Restaurants & local business** — show "🍕 Lunch Menu" only between 12:00 and 15:00 with time-based visibility. Yes, really
* **Agencies & freelancers** — style a menu once, export the config file, import it on every client site. Minutes instead of hours, on every project
* **Bloggers & creators** — 50 themes mean your nav matches your brand without hiring a designer; the scroll progress bar keeps readers engaged
* **Marketers** — CTA buttons, campaign-targeted menu items (UTM visibility), countdown urgency — A/B test your navigation like a landing page
* **Membership & community sites** — different menus for logged-in members, per-role items, login/logout aware navigation out of the box

= 🚀 Launch in 60 seconds =

* **50 one-click themes** — from sleek dark navs to playful gradients, filter by mood (Dark, Minimal, Vibrant, Glass, Corporate, Retro and more), preview live, apply with one click. Your menu goes from default-theme-boring to *"wait, what plugin is that?"* instantly
* **Import your existing menu** — already built a menu in Appearance → Menus? One click pulls it into the builder, sub-items included. Nothing to rebuild
* **A bee shows you around** — first time? Our 🐝 onboarding guide walks you through setup so you're never staring at an empty screen

= 🎯 Built to convert, not just navigate =

Your menu is prime real estate — the one element on every single page. Make it work for you:

* **CTA Button items** — turn "Book Now", "Get a Quote" or "Start Free Trial" into a real button with its own colors, hover effect and rounded corners. It sits right in your menu, impossible to miss
* **Announcement Bar with live countdown** — run flash sales with a ticking timer that creates real urgency. Dismissible, brandable, clickable
* **Badges & notification dots** — highlight "New" or "Hot" items so visitors' eyes go exactly where you want
* **Smart visibility** — show different items to logged-in customers, mobile visitors, specific pages, certain hours of the day, or traffic from a specific campaign. The right menu for the right person, automatically

= 🛒 Your shop's command center — free =

Other plugins charge for this. Here it's included:

* **Live cart icon** — cart, bag or basket, with a count badge that updates the *instant* something is added. No refresh
* **Running subtotal** — shoppers always know where they stand
* **Mini-cart dropdown** — peek at the cart on hover or click, straight to checkout in fewer clicks
* **Fully brandable** — icon style, position, colors, badge — all yours
* **Zero config debt** — no WooCommerce? The cart silently waits and activates itself the day you install it

= ⚡ Mega menus like the big brands — free =

The multi-column dropdowns you see on Apple-sized websites, built visually in your dashboard:

* **Up to 4 columns** of links, headings, dividers, images, shortcodes or blocks — yes, you can embed forms, latest-posts widgets or product grids via shortcode
* **Icons + descriptions per link** — visitors know where they're going before they click
* **20 industry templates** — SaaS, E-Commerce, Agency, Restaurant, Travel, Healthcare, Real Estate, Law Firm, Finance, Fashion, Hotel, Nonprofit, Events, Automotive, Gaming and more, loaded in one click
* **Every mega menu unique** — per-menu backgrounds (solids or gradients), spacing, colors and corner rounding from a dedicated 🎨 Appearance tab
* **Forgiving hover** — the panel waits for the mouse instead of vanishing mid-journey
* **Mobile-smart** — choose how it folds on phones: a stacked accordion list, a compact 2-column grid (perfect for category menus), or hidden entirely

= 🦶 Professional site footer — without the page builder =

The Footer Builder lets you create those polished, multi-column footers that normally require a custom theme or a premium page builder. Build it visually and drop it anywhere with one block or shortcode:

* **4-step guided wizard** — layout → theme → content → bottom bar; a complete, populated footer in under 60 seconds with zero configuration required
* **7 section types** — About/text, Link list, Contact info (address, phone, email with tel:/mailto: links auto-generated), Social icons, Opening hours, Newsletter signup, and Custom HTML. Mix and match freely
* **Newsletter signup section** — configure the form action URL (Mailchimp, ConvertKit, Brevo or any list manager), placeholder text, button label and an optional GDPR consent checkbox; no server-side code, no API keys
* **11 curated themes** — Midnight (deep navy), Carbon Gold (black + gold luxury), Graphite (warm near-black), Deep Ocean (teal), Evergreen (dark green), Bordeaux (wine + gold, fine-dining), Sapphire (royal-blue gradient), Aurora (indigo-violet gradient), Porcelain (clean light), Sandstone (warm light) and Editorial (monochrome, black bottom bar); each hand-tuned for contrast and harmony, apply in one click, every color remains editable afterwards
* **Live admin preview** — the right panel renders the footer in real time as you change sections, colors and typography; what you see in the admin is exactly what visitors see on the front end
* **Style control** — accent top bar, vertical/horizontal padding, column gap, max width, link hover effects (slide right / animated underline / color only), heading typography, social icon styles (circle badge / rounded square / plain icons), bottom bar colors and divider line
* **Scroll-to-top button** — an accent-colored floating arrow that appears after 300 px of scroll; toggle from the settings; animated with CSS transitions
* **Per-column mobile control** — mark any column as "hide on mobile" to show a clean 1-column layout on phones without removing content from desktop
* **Place it anywhere** — `MenuX — Footer` Gutenberg block for FSE/block themes, or the `[menux_footer]` shortcode for Elementor, Divi, classic themes and widget areas

= 📱 Mobile menus people actually enjoy =

* **4 opening styles** — classic dropdown, immersive fullscreen, or a drawer sliding from either side
* **3 hamburger icon styles** — Classic, Modern, Minimal — in your brand colors, on a guaranteed-transparent button (we fight your theme's CSS so you don't have to)
* **Mobile-specific text colors** — normal, hover and active states, independent from desktop
* **Overlay magic** — tint it, fade it, even blur the page behind your menu
* **Accordion submenus** — optional one-at-a-time expansion keeps long menus tidy

= ✨ Design without compromise =

* **Visual drag-and-drop builder** — every item expands into clean labelled sections. You will never touch code
* **70+ Google Fonts** — searchable picker with live preview; size, weight, spacing, transforms
* **Gradient picker** — paint with rich gradients using a visual compass — no hex codes, no CSS
* **Hover animations** — Lift, Scale, Glow, Underline and more; plus entrance animations with stagger
* **Sticky header** — stays visible on scroll, mirrors your menu automatically or gets its own shrink-on-scroll look
* **Your logo, your way** — drop it in the bar, position it, round it into a circle or pill
* **Dark mode** — Light, Dark, or Auto-follow the visitor's system
* **Built-in search** — a magnifying glass that searches your menu *and* the text on the page
* **Real-time preview** — desktop, tablet and mobile views while you edit, before anyone else sees it

= ♿ Accessibility is one switch away =

Flip the master toggle and get full WCAG 2.2 AA: keyboard navigation, visible focus rings, skip links, ARIA labels, comfortable touch targets, reduced-motion respect and high-contrast mode. Inclusive by default, not as an afterthought.

= ⚡ Light by design. Private by default =

* **Server-side rendering** — your menu is plain HTML and CSS generated on the server. No React bundle, no framework tax, no layout shift
* **Zero external requests** — Font Awesome is bundled locally; nothing loads from a CDN. Google Fonts connect only if *you* explicitly pick one
* **GDPR-friendly out of the box** — no tracking, no analytics calls, no cookies, no data sent anywhere. Nothing to add to your privacy policy
* **Cache-plugin native** — static output that WP Rocket, LiteSpeed and W3TC can cache aggressively

= 🌍 Works with your stack =

* **Site Editor / FSE themes** — drag the MenuX block into any header. Done
* **Page builders** — Elementor, Divi, WPBakery: paste `[menux]` in a shortcode element
* **WPML · Polylang · TranslatePress** — a label per language on every item, detected automatically
* **Caching plugins** — server-side HTML, friends with WP Rocket, LiteSpeed and W3TC
* **Theme switches** — your menu lives in the plugin, not the theme. Change themes, keep everything
* **Move between sites** — export the entire setup to a file, import it elsewhere in seconds

= 🔌 Get started =

1. Open **Giuliomax Menu Builder** in your admin sidebar
2. Add items in the drag-and-drop builder — or import your existing WP menu in one click
3. Apply one of the 50 themes, or style it yourself
4. Drop the **MenuX block** in your header (or paste `[menux]` anywhere)
5. Optional: enable the Mega Menu, WooCommerce cart, Announcement Bar or Footer Builder from the sidebar

That's it. No license keys, no account, no credit card field hiding in step 5.

Still deciding? Install it, click one theme, and look at your site. That's 90 seconds. If it's not for you, deactivate — your theme's old menu is exactly where you left it, and deleting the plugin removes every trace from your database. There is literally nothing to lose.

= ☕ Keep it free =

This plugin is free and always will be. If it saves you time or money, a small donation keeps development going:

👉 https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/giuliosw

Every contribution genuinely matters. Thank you.

== Installation ==

= From the WordPress Plugin Directory (recommended) =

1. In your WordPress admin go to **Plugins → Add New**
2. Search for **Giuliomax Menu Builder**
3. Click **Install Now**, then **Activate**

= Manual installation =

1. Download the zip from the plugin page or from GitHub
2. Go to **Plugins → Add New → Upload Plugin** and upload the zip, or extract it to `/wp-content/plugins/`
3. Activate the plugin from **Plugins → Installed Plugins**

= First setup =

1. Go to **MenuX** in the admin sidebar
2. Open **Menu Structure** and add your navigation items
3. **FSE / block themes** — open the Site Editor, click **+** in any header template part, search for **MenuX** and drop the block in; pick the menu location from the block sidebar. Done — no code needed.
4. **Classic themes / page builders** — copy the shortcode `[menux]` and paste it into any page, post, widget or template area; use `[menux location="footer"]` to show a location-specific menu.
5. Use the **Style**, **Themes** and other panels to customise colors, typography, mobile behavior and more.

= Requirements =

* WordPress 5.8 or higher
* PHP 7.4 or higher

== Frequently Asked Questions ==

= How do I display the menu? =

The easiest way: open any page or your site header in the editor, click the **+** inserter and search for **MenuX** — drop the block in and you're done, no code required. Prefer a shortcode? Just type `[menux]` into any page, post or widget. To show different menus in different spots (header, footer, sidebar…), pick the location from the block sidebar or pass it to the shortcode as `[menux location="footer"]`.

= Is it really free? Are there ads, watermarks or upsells? =

Yes, genuinely free. Every feature described here — mega menus, the WooCommerce cart, 50 themes, the Announcement Bar with countdown, accessibility, Google Fonts, the Gutenberg block — is included with no paywall, no "upgrade now" banners inside the builder, no ads and no watermark on your menu. If the plugin saves you time, a small voluntary donation is welcome, but nothing is locked behind it.

= I already built my menu in Appearance → Menus. Do I have to start over? =

No! Open the builder, click the **📋 Import WP** tab, pick your existing menu from the dropdown and hit **↓ Import**. All items — pages, custom links and one level of sub-items — land in the MenuX builder ready to style. It takes about ten seconds.

= Does it replace my theme's menu? How do I hide the old one? =

MenuX renders its own menu wherever you place the block or shortcode — it doesn't delete your theme's menu. To hide the old one: in FSE themes, remove the Navigation block from the header template part in the Site Editor; in classic themes, either use the **WP Menu Integration** panel (which intercepts `wp_nav_menu()` and replaces the theme menu output directly) or unassign the menu from the theme location in Appearance → Menus.

= How many menus can I create? =

One configuration drives up to four menu locations: **Primary, Footer, Sidebar and Mobile**. Assign each item to a location in the builder, then place each menu with `[menux location="footer"]` or by picking the location in the block sidebar. Items default to Primary.

= Can I have different menus for different pages? =

Yes — per-item **page conditions** let you show an item only on specific page IDs, and you can combine that with device, role, login-state, schedule and campaign (UTM) conditions. For structurally different menus in different areas, use the four locations (Primary / Footer / Sidebar / Mobile).

= How do I create dropdown submenus? =

Open any item in the builder and find the **📂 Submenu** section. Click **+ Add submenu**, then **+ Add sub-item** — each sub-item can be a WordPress page or a custom link, with its own label per language, icon and tab target. On desktop the submenu opens on hover; on mobile it expands inline when tapped. No code needed.

= How do I turn a menu item into a button ("Book Now", "Get Started")? =

Open the item in the builder and enable the **🎯 CTA Button** toggle. Four controls appear: background color, text color, hover color and border-radius (0 for square corners, 50 for a pill shape). The item renders as a real button in the menu bar — with a hover effect — and the styling survives theme changes and export/import.

= Can I schedule menu items to appear and disappear automatically? =

Yes. Every item has a **⚙️ Schedule & Conditions** section with a From/To date-time range — perfect for limited-time promo links. You can also restrict an item to a daily time window (e.g. show "Lunch Menu" only 12:00–15:00), and the window can even cross midnight for night-time businesses.

= Can I show items only to logged-in users or specific roles? =

Yes. Each item has a visibility dropdown: everyone, logged-in only, logged-out only, or any specific WordPress role (Administrator, Editor, Subscriber, custom roles…). Great for member areas, client portals and "My Account" links that only appear after login.

= How do I add a logo? =

Go to **MenuX → Logo** in the admin sidebar, upload or pick an image, then set its position inside the bar (left, center or right), width, height, margins and border-radius (handy for circular or pill-shaped logos). The logo appears immediately in the live preview.

= How do I make the menu stick to the top when scrolling? =

Open **MenuX → Style → Sticky** and enable the sticky header. By default it mirrors your main menu's look ("Match main menu"); turn that off to give the sticky bar its own background, shadow, padding and alignment. You can also enable a shrink-on-scroll effect and an auto-hide behavior.

= How do I add a search bar? =

Enable it from the Search panel in the admin. A magnifying-glass icon is added to the menu; clicking it opens a modal with two tabs — search your menu items, or search the text on the current page with keyboard prev/next navigation.

= Does it work in Full Site Editing (FSE) themes like Twenty Twenty-Five? =

Yes — and it couldn't be simpler. From **Appearance → Editor**, open the header template part, click the **+** inserter, search for **MenuX**, and drop the **MenuX — Menu** block where you want the navigation. Use the block sidebar to pick the menu location. Font Awesome icons, your configured Google Font, and the mega-menu / hamburger JavaScript all load correctly right inside the editor preview, so you see the real thing as you build.

= Does it work with page builders? =

Yes. In the WordPress block editor use the native **MenuX** block. In Elementor, Divi, WPBakery and other builders just add a Shortcode element with `[menux]` — both produce the same menu.

= Does it work with caching plugins? =

Yes. The menu HTML is generated server-side and compatible with WP Rocket, LiteSpeed Cache, W3 Total Cache and similar plugins.

= How do I add Font Awesome icons? =

In the menu builder, each item has an icon field. Type the FA class name, e.g. `fa-solid fa-house`, or use the **🎨 Pick** button to browse and search icons visually. Font Awesome 6 Free is loaded automatically.

= Is it compatible with WPML / Polylang / TranslatePress? =

Yes. This plugin automatically detects installed multilingual plugins and lets you set a label per language for each menu item.

= Where is the mobile breakpoint? =

Go to **MenuX → Style → Mobile** and set your preferred pixel breakpoint, or choose Auto to detect based on available space. Default is 768px.

= Can the mobile menu text have different colors than desktop? =

Yes. In **Style → Hamburger → 🔤 Mobile link text** you'll find three dedicated color pickers — Normal, Hover and Active — that apply only inside the mobile menu. Leave them empty to inherit your desktop menu colors.

= The hamburger button has a dark or grey background on my theme — why? =

That was your theme's own `<button>` styling bleeding through. Since version 3.5.0 the plugin forcefully resets the hamburger background to transparent on every theme — and if you set a custom background color, that wins too. Just update to the latest version; no configuration needed.

= How do I use the preset themes? =

In the admin sidebar click **✨ Themes**. Use the category chips (Dark, Minimal, Vibrant, Creative, Corporate, Nature, Elegant, Retro, Glass, Playful) to filter the 50 preset themes, then click any card to apply it instantly and preview it live.

= How does the Mega Menu work? =

Go to **⚡ Mega Menu** in the sidebar, enable the toggle next to a first-level nav item, then click **⚡ Edit Columns ▶**. Add up to 4 columns, fill them with headings, links (with icon and description), dividers, images or shortcodes. Click **🎨 Appearance** to give this specific mega menu its own background, colors and spacing. Hit **✨ Presets** to load one of 20 ready-made templates.

= How do I add an Announcement Bar? =

Go to **MenuX → Announcement** in the admin sidebar, check **Enable Announcement Bar**, enter your message, optionally add a link and configure the colors. Choose **Above** or **Below** to control where the bar appears relative to the navigation. To add a countdown, enable the Countdown Timer toggle, pick a target date/time and optionally set an expired message.

= Can I have a different background for each mega menu? =

Yes, since version 3.0. Click **⚡ Edit Columns ▶** on any enabled item, then switch to the **🎨 Appearance** tab. Changes apply only to that item's panel and override the global defaults.

= Does the WooCommerce cart work with all themes? =

Yes. The cart icon is part of the menu output, so it works with any theme whether you place the menu via the MenuX block or the `[menux]` shortcode. The mini-cart uses WooCommerce's native fragments system for live updates.

= Does the WP Menu Integration work with all themes? =

It works with classic PHP themes that call `wp_nav_menu()` directly (e.g. GeneratePress, OceanWP, Neve, Kadence). Themes that use a custom header builder (e.g. Astra Header Builder) bypass `wp_nav_menu()` internally, so the integration cannot intercept them — in that case just drop the MenuX block (or the `[menux]` shortcode) into your header instead.

= Will I lose my menu if I switch themes? =

No. Your menu items and styles are stored by the plugin, not by the theme. When you change theme the menu stays intact — you only need to place the block (or `[menux]` shortcode) again in the new theme's header.

= Can I move my menu to another website? =

Yes. Use **Import / Export**: export your full configuration (items, styles, mega menus, cart, announcement and all settings) to a JSON file, then import it on another site to recreate the menu exactly. It's also a convenient backup.

= Is the menu accessible? =

Yes. A single master toggle enables a full WCAG 2.2 AA layer: keyboard navigation, a visible focus ring, a skip link, ARIA labels, adequate touch-target sizes, reduced-motion support and a high-contrast mode.

= Will it slow down my site? =

No. The menu HTML and its CSS are generated server-side, Font Awesome is bundled locally (no external request), and Google Fonts load only if you actually choose one. There's no heavy framework, so the footprint stays light and caching-plugin friendly.

= Is it GDPR compliant? =

The plugin makes zero external requests by default: no tracking, no analytics, no cookies, no CDN calls — Font Awesome is bundled locally. The only optional external connection is Google Fonts, and only if you explicitly choose one in the Typography settings (in that case Google receives the visitor's IP as part of the standard font request — see the External Services section). With no Google Font selected, there is nothing to add to your privacy policy.

= Can I reset everything and start fresh? =

Yes. Go to **MenuX → Tools → Reset Everything** and confirm. This permanently deletes all menu items, styles and integration settings.

= What happens to my data if I uninstall the plugin? =

Deactivating keeps everything — you can toggle the plugin off and on without losing your setup. **Deleting** the plugin from the Plugins screen removes all its options and cached data from your database completely. If you might come back later, export your configuration to a file first — importing it restores everything exactly.

= Can I use custom CSS? =

You can target the `.menux-container` wrapper and its child elements from your theme's stylesheet or from any "Additional CSS" field in the WordPress Customizer.

= How do I add a footer to my site? =

Go to **MenuX → Footer** in the admin sidebar. The **Setup Wizard** opens automatically on first visit — it walks you through four steps (layout, theme, content, bottom bar) and generates a complete footer in under a minute. After saving, add the **MenuX — Footer** Gutenberg block to your footer template part in the Site Editor, or paste `[menux_footer]` anywhere in a classic theme or page builder. The footer only renders when it is enabled.

= What section types does the Footer Builder support? =

Seven section types are available: **About / Text** (company description with line-break support), **Link list** (navigation links with optional new-tab targets), **Contact info** (address, phone and email — `tel:` and `mailto:` links are generated automatically), **Social icons** (14 networks: Facebook, Instagram, X, LinkedIn, YouTube, TikTok, Pinterest, GitHub, WhatsApp, Telegram, Discord, Spotify, Threads, Email), **Opening hours** (free-text lines), **Newsletter signup** (email form connecting to any external list manager), and **Custom HTML** (anything you want, sanitised through WordPress's `wp_kses_post`).

= How do I connect the newsletter section to Mailchimp / ConvertKit / Brevo? =

In the Footer Builder, add a **Newsletter** section and paste your list manager's form submission URL into the **Form action URL** field. For Mailchimp this is the URL from your embedded form code (the `action="…"` attribute). The plugin renders a standard HTML `<form method="post">` with an `email` input named `EMAIL`. No API key, no server-side code — the browser POSTs directly to your list manager. The form is skipped if the action URL is left blank.

= How do I choose a footer theme? =

The Footer Builder page shows a **Footer Themes** grid with 8 curated palettes. Click any card to apply it instantly — all color inputs update and the live preview reflects the change. You can fine-tune every individual color after applying a theme. The selected theme is remembered across saves.

= Can I show different columns on desktop and mobile? =

Yes. Each footer section card has a **"Hide this column on mobile"** toggle. Checked columns are hidden on screens 600 px wide and below; all columns remain visible on desktop. The live admin preview shows hidden columns with a faint amber outline so you can still see and edit them.

= How do I add a scroll-to-top button? =

In **MenuX → Footer → Style → Bottom Bar**, check **"Show scroll-to-top button"** and save. A floating ↑ button (in your accent color) will appear on the page after the visitor scrolls 300 px down, and smooth-scrolls back to the top on click. It has no effect inside the Gutenberg editor preview.

= Can I duplicate a footer section? =

Yes. Every section card in the builder has a **⧉** (duplicate) button in its header row. Clicking it inserts an exact copy of that section immediately below, including all its content (links, social networks, text, etc.), which you can then edit independently.

== Screenshots ==

1. Main admin panel with visual menu builder
2. Preset themes panel with live preview
3. Style panel — Colors tab
4. Style panel — Layout and spacing options
5. Mega Menu editor — column builder with live preview
6. Mega Menu editor — per-item Appearance tab
7. Mega Menu preset templates picker
8. WooCommerce cart settings panel
9. Frontend — desktop view with mega menu open
10. Frontend — WooCommerce cart icon with mini-cart dropdown

== External Services ==

This plugin may connect to the following external service:

**Google Fonts** (optional)

If a Google Font name is entered in the Style panel (Typography tab), the plugin loads that font's stylesheet from Google's servers at `https://fonts.googleapis.com`. This request is made only when a Google Font is explicitly configured by the site administrator. The font name and the visitor's IP address are sent to Google as part of the standard HTTP request.

* Terms of service: https://developers.google.com/terms
* Privacy policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy

Font Awesome icons are bundled locally within the plugin and do **not** load from any external server.

== Changelog ==

= 3.9.0 =
* New: **Footer Builder** — build a professional multi-column footer visually, with 7 section types (About, Links, Contact, Social, Hours, Newsletter, HTML), 11 themes, live preview, and a 4-step setup wizard. Drop it anywhere with a block or `[menux_footer]`
* New: Scroll-to-top button, duplicate footer section, hide column on mobile
* Improvement: Submenu dropdown now fully styleable (radius, padding, font size, adaptive hover color)

= 3.8.2 =
* New: Live phone mockup in the Mobile settings tab — see changes in real time as you adjust mobile options

= 3.8.1 =
* Fix: Several mobile mega menu display issues (dark flash on open, invisible text on dark overlays, back-button animation)

= 3.8.0 =
* New: Mobile mega menu now uses **push navigation** — tapping opens a full-screen panel with a ← back button, like a native app
* Fix: Dropdown indicator on mobile now shows › (push) instead of ▾ (expand)

= 3.7.0 =
* Fix: Mega menu colors no longer leak onto mobile — mobile now shows a clean, readable accordion regardless of desktop appearance
* Improvement: CSS cache is now invalidated immediately on plugin update

= 3.6.1 =
* New: Per-mega-menu max width control
* Fix: Appearance tab in mega editor no longer hides the toolbar
* Improvement: Delete button now clearly red; drag handle shows a hint label

= 3.6.0 =
* New: **Scroll Spy** — automatically highlights the active nav link as the visitor scrolls
* New: 20 mega menu industry presets (SaaS, Restaurant, Fashion, Gaming and more)
* New: WCAG contrast ratio badge on active link color picker
* Fix: Role-based visibility, device conditions, CSS cache expiry, and import completeness

= 3.5.0 =
* New: **CTA Button** style per item — background, text color, hover color, border radius
* New: **Import from WordPress Menus** — pull in your existing WP menu in one click
* Fix: Hamburger button now always transparent on all themes; close button focus and mobile mega panel close

= 3.4.0 =
* New: **50 preset themes** in 10 style categories (Dark, Minimal, Vibrant, Glass, Retro…) with instant filter chips

= 3.3.1 =
* New: **Countdown Timer** in Announcement Bar
* Fix: Mobile submenus no longer stay open after closing; sticky spacer height after late font load

= 3.3.0 =
* New: **Announcement Bar** — full-width promotional banner above or below the menu, dismissible, with custom colors and link

= 3.2.1 =
* New: Mobile **accordion mode** — close other submenus when one opens

= 3.2.0 =
* New: **Dropdown indicator** customization — triangle, chevron, dot or none; custom color, size and animation

= 3.1.2 =
* Security: Search results and admin language labels now properly escaped (XSS fix)
* Fix: Overlay and Escape key no longer fire multiple times with multiple menus on the same page

= 3.1.1 =
* Fix: Scroll Progress Bar and sticky shrink settings now save correctly; mega menu shortcode columns (forms, embeds) no longer stripped; several other save and preview fixes

= 3.1.0 =
* Fix: Elementor overflow clipping, entrance animation z-index on animated themes, cart/search icon right padding, mega panel border-radius

= 3.0.0 =
* New: Each mega menu has its own **independent Appearance tab** — background, colors, padding, fonts, all per panel
* New: Redesigned Mega Menu panel with ON/OFF status badges and direct sidebar access to Themes

= 2.12.0 =
* New: Duplicate column in mega editor; column text alignment (L/C/R); divider color and style; animation speed control

= 2.11.0 =
* New: Dedicated mega menu text colors (heading, link, hover, description), independent from the main nav colors

= 2.10.0 =
* New: **WooCommerce cart** — live item count, running subtotal, mini-cart dropdown; no page reload; graceful fallback when WooCommerce is inactive

= 2.9.0 =
* New: **Native Gutenberg block** for FSE / Site Editor themes — drop it into any header template part

= 2.8.0 =
* New: Sticky "Match main menu" mirror toggle; container border-radius; logo in live preview

= 2.7.0 =
* New: **Help & Documentation modal** — full contextual help accessible from every admin section

= 2.6.2 =
* New: Visual gradient picker for the menu container background

= 2.6.0 =
* New: Accordion menu builder with collapsible per-item sections and cleaner drag-and-drop

= 2.5.0 =
* New: 70+ Google Fonts picker with live preview; onboarding 🐝 tutorial; free in-page search

= 2.4.0 =
* New: Full **Accessibility panel** — WCAG 2.2 AA with a single master toggle

= 2.3.0 =
* New: **Mega Menu** — up to 4 columns, 5 item types, gradient backgrounds, 12 templates, mobile support

= 2.2.0 =
* New: 20 preset themes, submenu styling, WP Menu Integration, Reset button

= 2.1.1 =
* Initial release

== Upgrade Notice ==

= 3.5.0 =
Adds CTA button styling per menu item and one-click import from WordPress native menus. Fixes mobile hamburger/close button theme interference, sticky mobile padding, mega menu event-listener accumulation, and close-button focus management. Recommended for all users.

= 3.4.0 =
Adds 30 new themes (50 total) with a chip-based category filter in the Themes panel — pick from Dark, Minimal, Vibrant, Creative, Corporate, Nature, Elegant, Retro, Glass and Playful styles. Recommended for all users.

= 3.3.2 =
Fixes a PHP fatal error caused by an unescaped apostrophe in the help modal, corrects the Announcement Bar width and flush alignment with the menu, and adds the missing help documentation for the Announcement panel. Recommended for all users.

= 3.3.1 =
Adds a countdown timer to the Announcement Bar; fixes stale mobile open-state after hamburger close, accordion sibling-collapse depth, and sticky spacer drift after late-loading Google Fonts. Recommended for all users.

= 3.3.0 =
New feature: Announcement Bar. Display a dismissible full-width promotional banner above or below your menu with custom colors, a link and configurable dismiss duration. Go to MenuX → Announcement to enable it.

= 3.2.1 =
New mobile accordion mode: enable "Close other submenus when one opens" in the Mobile panel for cleaner one-at-a-time navigation on small screens.

= 3.2.0 =
New feature: fully customizable dropdown indicator (triangle, chevron, dot or none) with color, size and open/close animation controls.

= 3.1.3 =
Sticky spacer height is now re-measured after Google Fonts load; duplicate HTML IDs when using multiple [menux] shortcodes on one page are fixed. Recommended for all users.

= 3.1.2 =
Security and reliability fixes: overlay/Escape handlers no longer duplicate when multiple menus are on the same page; search result rendering is now XSS-safe for page text and menu labels containing HTML characters. Recommended for all users.

= 3.1.1 =
Important fixes: Scroll Progress Bar and sticky shrink/transition settings now save correctly; mega menu shortcode columns (forms, embeds) render intact; mega panel overflow, staggered entrance, sticky spacer height and the per-item Appearance editor are all fixed. Recommended for all users.

= 3.1.0 =
Stability and compatibility release. Fixes mega menu z-index on all animated themes, Elementor overflow clipping, right-edge padding for cart/search icons, and bottom-only border-radius on mega panels. Recommended for all users.

= 3.0.0 =
Major release. Each mega menu now has its own independent Appearance tab — background, padding, colors and more — so you can style every mega menu differently. The admin panel is redesigned for clarity, the Themes section is directly accessible from the sidebar, and the WooCommerce cart integration continues to be completely free. Recommended for all users.

= 2.10.0 =
Adds WooCommerce integration: a cart icon with live item count, optional total and a mini-cart dropdown that updates without a page reload. Enable it under MenuX → WooCommerce. Fully optional and silent when WooCommerce is not installed.

= 2.9.0 =
Adds a native Gutenberg block (giuliomax/menu) for Full Site Editing themes. Drop it into any FSE template header or template part directly from the Site Editor.

= 2.8.0 =
Sticky menu now mirrors the main menu by default, logo visible in admin live preview, entrance animation preview fixed, and several layout improvements.

= 2.6.0 =
Major admin UI overhaul: collapsible accordion builder, streamlined Add pane, polished sortable rows.

= 2.5.0 =
New Google Font picker with live preview, onboarding tutorial, free search bar. Recommended for all users.

= 2.3.0 =
Major update: full Mega Menu system added for free. Supports up to 4 columns, 5 item types, gradient backgrounds, mobile handling and more.

= 2.2.0 =
Major update: 20 preset themes, submenu controls, WP integration, reset button and multiple bug fixes. Recommended for all users.

= 2.1.1 =
First public release.
