Syncfusion React Context Menu

Implementing Syncfusion React Context Menu

Complete API Reference & Feature Guide

When to Use This Skill

ALWAYS use this skill when users need to:

• Install and configure Syncfusion React ContextMenu component
• Create and manage menu items (text, icons, separators, nested menus, URLs)
• Programmatically control menus using 15+ methods
• Handle all 7 events with their respective event arguments
• Customize appearance with CSS classes, themes, templates, animations
• Bind data from local sources or dynamic data structures
• Implement accessibility (keyboard navigation, ARIA, RTL, WCAG 2.2)
• Manage dynamic menus (add, remove, show, hide, enable/disable)
• Create context-specific actions (files, editors, workflows)

Getting Started

📄 Read: references/getting-started.md

• Package installation (@syncfusion/ej2-react-navigations)
• Development environment setup (Vite, Create React App)
• CSS stylesheet imports and theme configuration
• Basic ContextMenu implementation
• Running and testing the application

Component Properties Reference

The ContextMenuComponent accepts 18+ configuration properties to control behavior, appearance, and interaction:

Essential Properties

target (Required)

Type: string

CSS selector for the element that triggers the context menu (right-click or touch-hold).

<ContextMenuComponent target="#myElement" items={menuItems} />

Example: Trigger on specific element

function App() {
  return (
    <div>
      <div id="target">Right-click here</div>
      <ContextMenuComponent target="#target" items={menuItems} />
    </div>
  );
}

items (Required)

Type: MenuItemModel[]

Array of menu items to display. Each item can have text, icons, nested items, separators, etc.

const menuItems: MenuItemModel[] = [
  { text: 'Cut' },
  { text: 'Copy' },
  { text: 'Paste' },
  { separator: true },
  {
    text: 'More',
    items: [
      { text: 'Properties' },
      { text: 'Delete' }
    ]
  }
];

<ContextMenuComponent target="#target" items={menuItems} />

Display & Animation Properties

animationSettings

Type: MenuAnimationSettingsModel

Configure menu opening/closing animation effects.

Properties:

• effect: Animation type (None, SlideDown, ZoomIn, FadeIn)
• duration: Animation time in milliseconds (default: 400)
• easing: CSS easing function (default: ease)

const animationSettings = {
  effect: 'FadeIn',
  duration: 300,
  easing: 'ease-out'
};

<ContextMenuComponent
  target="#target"
  items={menuItems}
  animationSettings={animationSettings}
/>

Available Effects:

cssClass

Type: string

Add custom CSS classes to the ContextMenu wrapper for custom styling.

<ContextMenuComponent
  target="#target"
  items={menuItems}
  cssClass="custom-menu dark-theme"
/>

enableScrolling

Type: boolean (default: false)

Enable scrolling when menu height exceeds available space.

<ContextMenuComponent
  target="#target"
  items={largeMenuList}
  enableScrolling={true}
/>

Interaction Properties

filter

Type: string

CSS selector for specific elements inside the target that should trigger the context menu. Use to limit context menu to certain child elements.

// Context menu only appears on table rows, not the entire table
<ContextMenuComponent
  target="#table"
  filter="tr"
  items={menuItems}
/>

hoverDelay

Type: number (default: 400)

Milliseconds to wait before displaying submenu on hover.

<ContextMenuComponent
  target="#target"
  items={menuItems}
  hoverDelay={500}  // 500ms before submenu appears
/>

showItemOnClick

Type: boolean (default: false)

Force submenus to open only on click (not on hover). When true, arrow key navigation is required to open submenus.

<ContextMenuComponent
  target="#target"
  items={menuItems}
  showItemOnClick={true}  // Submenus open on click only
/>

Data & Content Properties

itemTemplate

Type: string | Function

Custom HTML template for menu items. Use template string with property placeholders (${propertyName}).

const template = `
  <div class="menu-item">
    <span class="${iconCss}"></span>
    <span>${text}</span>
    <span class="shortcut">${shortcut}</span>
  </div>
`;

<ContextMenuComponent
  target="#target"
  items={menuItems}
  itemTemplate={template}
/>

locale

Type: string (default: 'en-US')

Set localization language for component. Overrides global culture setting.

<ContextMenuComponent
  target="#target"
  items={menuItems}
  locale="es-ES"  // Spanish localization
/>

Security & State Properties

enableHtmlSanitizer

Type: boolean (default: true)

Enable HTML sanitization to prevent XSS attacks. Sanitizes untrusted HTML in menu items.

<ContextMenuComponent
  target="#target"
  items={menuItems}
  enableHtmlSanitizer={true}  // Sanitize HTML content
/>

enablePersistence

Type: boolean (default: false)

Persist component state (expanded/collapsed state) across page reloads using browser storage.

<ContextMenuComponent
  target="#target"
  items={menuItems}
  enablePersistence={true}
/>

enableRtl

Type: boolean (default: false)

Enable right-to-left (RTL) layout for Arabic, Hebrew, and other RTL languages.

<ContextMenuComponent
  target="#target"
  items={menuItems}
  enableRtl={true}
/>

Menu Item Model Properties

Each menu item is configured using MenuItemModel interface with the following properties:

Text & Display

text

Type: string

Display text for the menu item.

{ text: 'Cut' }
{ text: 'Copy' }

id

Type: string

Unique identifier for the menu item. Use for identifying items in event handlers or programmatic operations.

{ id: 'cut-item', text: 'Cut' }
{ id: 'copy-item', text: 'Copy' }

iconCss

Type: string

CSS class for icon display. Supports Syncfusion icons or custom icon classes.

{ text: 'Cut', iconCss: 'e-icons e-cut' }
{ text: 'Copy', iconCss: 'e-icons e-copy' }
{ text: 'Delete', iconCss: 'e-icons e-delete' }

Item Structure

items

Type: MenuItemModel[]

Nested submenu items. Creates hierarchical menu structure.

{
  text: 'File',
  items: [
    { text: 'New' },
    { text: 'Open' },
    { text: 'Save' }
  ]
}

separator

Type: boolean (default: false)

Render as a visual separator line instead of a clickable item.

const menuItems: MenuItemModel[] = [
  { text: 'Cut' },
  { text: 'Copy' },
  { separator: true },  // Visual divider
  { text: 'Delete' }
];

Navigation

url

Type: string

Navigation URL. Creates an anchor link that navigates when clicked.

{ text: 'Visit Site', url: 'https://example.com' }
{ text: 'Documentation', url: '/docs' }

Custom Attributes

htmlAttributes

Type: Record<string, string>

Add custom HTML attributes to menu item element.

{
  text: 'Download',
  htmlAttributes: {
    'data-action': 'download',
    'aria-label': 'Download file',
    'title': 'Download the file'
  }
}

Menu Methods – Programmatic Control

The ContextMenu exposes 15+ methods for runtime control and manipulation:

Menu State Control

open(top: number, left: number, target?: HTMLElement): void

Programmatically open the context menu at specified coordinates.

Parameters:

• top: Vertical position (Y-coordinate in pixels)
• left: Horizontal position (X-coordinate in pixels)
• target: Optional HTML element for z-index calculation

function App() {
  const menuRef = React.useRef<ContextMenuComponent>(null);

  const openMenuAtClick = (event: React.MouseEvent) => {
    menuRef.current?.open(event.clientY, event.clientX);
  };

  return (
    <div>
      <button Menu</button>
      <ContextMenuComponent ref={menuRef} target="#target" items={menuItems} />
    </div>
  );
}

close(): void

Programmatically close the context menu.

function App() {
  const menuRef = React.useRef<ContextMenuComponent>(null);

  const closeMenu = () => {
    menuRef.current?.close();
  };

  const handleItemSelect = (args: MenuEventArgs) => {
    console.log('Selected:', args.item?.text);
    closeMenu();  // Close menu after selection
  };

  return (
    <ContextMenuComponent
      ref={menuRef}
      target="#target"
      items={menuItems}
      select={handleItemSelect}
    />
  );
}

Item Visibility Control

showItems(items: string[], isUniqueId?: boolean): void

Show menu items that were previously hidden.

Parameters:

• items: Array of item text or IDs to show
• isUniqueId: If true, treat items as unique IDs; if false, treat as text (default: false)

function App() {
  const menuRef = React.useRef<ContextMenuComponent>(null);

  const showDeleteOption = () => {
    menuRef.current?.showItems(['Delete', 'Rename']);
  };

  return (
    <div>
      <button Options</button>
      <ContextMenuComponent ref={menuRef} target="#target" items={menuItems} />
    </div>
  );
}

hideItems(items: string[], isUniqueId?: boolean): void

Hide specific menu items from display while keeping them in the menu structure.

Parameters:

• items: Array of item text or IDs to hide
• isUniqueId: If true, treat items as unique IDs

function App() {
  const menuRef = React.useRef<ContextMenuComponent>(null);

  React.useEffect(() => {
    // Hide delete option for read-only mode
    if (isReadOnly) {
      menuRef.current?.hideItems(['Delete', 'Modify']);
    }
  }, [isReadOnly]);

  return (
    <ContextMenuComponent ref={menuRef} target="#target" items={menuItems} />
  );
}

Item State Management

enableItems(items: string[], enable: boolean, isUniqueId?: boolean): void

Enable or disable menu items to control interactivity.

Parameters:

• items: Array of item text or IDs to modify
• enable: true to enable, false to disable
• isUniqueId: If true, treat items as unique IDs

function App() {
  const menuRef = React.useRef<ContextMenuComponent>(null);

  const disablePasteIfNoClipboard = async () => {
    const canPaste = await navigator.permissions.query({ name: 'clipboard-read' });
    if (canPaste.state === 'denied') {
      menuRef.current?.enableItems(['Paste'], false);
    }
  };

  React.useEffect(() => {
    disablePasteIfNoClipboard();
  }, []);

  return (
    <ContextMenuComponent
      ref={menuRef}
      target="#target"
      items={menuItems}
      beforeOpen={disablePasteIfNoClipboard}
    />
  );
}

Item Manipulation

insertAfter(items: MenuItemModel[], text: string, isUniqueId?: boolean): void

Insert new menu items after a specified target item.

Parameters:

• items: Array of new MenuItemModel items to insert
• text: Text or ID of target item to insert after
• isUniqueId: If true, treat text as unique ID

function App() {
  const menuRef = React.useRef<ContextMenuComponent>(null);

  const addSortByOption = () => {
    const newItems: MenuItemModel[] = [
      { text: 'Sort By Name' },
      { text: 'Sort By Date' }
    ];
    menuRef.current?.insertAfter(newItems, 'View');
  };

  return (
    <div>
      <button Sort Options</button>
      <ContextMenuComponent ref={menuRef} target="#target" items={menuItems} />
    </div>
  );
}

insertBefore(items: MenuItemModel[], text: string, isUniqueId?: boolean): void

Insert new menu items before a specified target item.

function App() {
  const menuRef = React.useRef<ContextMenuComponent>(null);

  const addPremiumOptions = () => {
    const premiumItems: MenuItemModel[] = [
      { text: 'Premium Feature 1' },
      { text: 'Premium Feature 2', iconCss: 'e-icons e-star' }
    ];
    // Insert before 'Delete' option
    menuRef.current?.insertBefore(premiumItems, 'Delete');
  };

  React.useEffect(() => {
    if (user.isPremium) {
      addPremiumOptions();
    }
  }, [user.isPremium]);

  return (
    <ContextMenuComponent ref={menuRef} target="#target" items={menuItems} />
  );
}

removeItems(items: string[], isUniqueId?: boolean): void

Remove menu items from the menu.

Parameters:

• items: Array of item text or IDs to remove
• isUniqueId: If true, treat items as unique IDs

function App() {
  const menuRef = React.useRef<ContextMenuComponent>(null);

  const removeRestrictedActions = () => {
    menuRef.current?.removeItems(['Delete', 'Export', 'Archive']);
  };

  React.useEffect(() => {
    if (userRole === 'viewer') {
      removeRestrictedActions();
    }
  }, [userRole]);

  return (
    <ContextMenuComponent
      ref={menuRef}
      target="#target"
      items={menuItems}
      created={removeRestrictedActions}
    />
  );
}

Item Queries

getItemIndex(item: MenuItem | string, isUniqueId?: boolean): number[]

Get the index/indices of a menu item. Returns array because item can exist at multiple levels (for nested items).

Parameters:

• item: MenuItem object or text/ID string to find
• isUniqueId: If true, treat item as unique ID

Returns: number[] - Array of index numbers representing item position

function App() {
  const menuRef = React.useRef<ContextMenuComponent>(null);

  const findItemPosition = () => {
    const indices = menuRef.current?.getItemIndex('Copy');
    console.log('Copy is at index:', indices);  // Output: [1] or [0, 1] for nested
    
    const nestedIndices = menuRef.current?.getItemIndex('Open', false);
    console.log('Open is at indices:', nestedIndices);  // Output: [0, 1] for nested
  };

  return (
    <div>
      <button Item</button>
      <ContextMenuComponent ref={menuRef} target="#target" items={menuItems} />
    </div>
  );
}

setItem(item: MenuItem, id?: string, isUniqueId?: boolean): void

Update an existing menu item's properties.

Parameters:

• item: MenuItem object with updated properties
• id: Text or ID of item to update
• isUniqueId: If true, treat id as unique ID

function App() {
  const menuRef = React.useRef<ContextMenuComponent>(null);

  const updateDeleteItemStyle = () => {
    const updatedItem: MenuItemModel = {
      text: 'Delete',
      iconCss: 'e-icons e-delete',
      htmlAttributes: {
        'class': 'dangerous-action'
      }
    };
    menuRef.current?.setItem(updatedItem, 'Delete');
  };

  return (
    <div>
      <button Delete Item</button>
      <ContextMenuComponent ref={menuRef} target="#target" items={menuItems} />
    </div>
  );
}

Component Lifecycle

destroy(): void

Destroy the ContextMenu component and free resources.

function App() {
  const menuRef = React.useRef<ContextMenuComponent>(null);

  React.useEffect(() => {
    return () => {
      // Cleanup on component unmount
      menuRef.current?.destroy();
    };
  }, []);

  return (
    <ContextMenuComponent ref={menuRef} target="#target" items={menuItems} />
  );
}

Events & Event Arguments

The ContextMenu component provides 7 events for monitoring and controlling user interactions:

Menu Lifecycle Events

beforeOpen

Type: EmitType<BeforeOpenCloseMenuEventArgs>

Fires before the menu opens. Use to prevent opening, modify items, or prepare data.

Event Arguments:

interface BeforeOpenCloseMenuEventArgs {
  element: HTMLElement;           // Menu element
  event: Event;                    // Browser event object
  items: MenuItemModel[];          // Current menu items
  cancel: boolean;                 // Set to true to prevent action
  parentItem?: MenuItemModel;      // Parent item if submenu
}

Example: Prevent opening in certain conditions

function App() {
  const handleBeforeOpen = (args: BeforeOpenCloseMenuEventArgs) => {
    // Prevent opening on read-only elements
    const target = args.event?.target as HTMLElement;
    if (target?.classList.contains('read-only')) {
      args.cancel = true;  // Prevent menu from opening
      return;
    }

    // Modify items before opening
    const selectedText = window.getSelection()?.toString();
    if (!selectedText) {
      // Disable text-related operations if no text selected
      args.items = args.items?.map(item => ({
        ...item,
        disabled: ['Copy', 'Cut'].includes(item.text as string)
      }));
    }
  };

  return (
    <ContextMenuComponent
      target="#target"
      items={menuItems}
      beforeOpen={handleBeforeOpen}
    />
  );
}

onOpen

Type: EmitType<OpenCloseMenuEventArgs>

Fires after the menu opens. Use to initialize UI or perform post-open actions.

Event Arguments:

interface OpenCloseMenuEventArgs {
  element: HTMLElement;           // Menu element
  event: Event;                    // Browser event that triggered opening
  items: MenuItemModel[];          // Current menu items
}

Example: Initialize after opening

function App() {
  const handleOnOpen = (args: OpenCloseMenuEventArgs) => {
    console.log('Menu opened at:', new Date());
    console.log('Number of items:', args.items?.length);
    
    // Set focus to first menu item for accessibility
    setTimeout(() => {
      const firstItem = args.element?.querySelector('.e-menu-item');
      (firstItem as HTMLElement)?.focus();
    }, 0);
  };

  return (
    <ContextMenuComponent
      target="#target"
      items={menuItems}
     
    />
  );
}

beforeClose

Type: EmitType<BeforeOpenCloseMenuEventArgs>

Fires before the menu closes. Use to prevent closing or save state.

Example: Prevent closing on unsaved changes

function App() {
  const [hasUnsavedChanges, setHasUnsavedChanges] = React.useState(false);

  const handleBeforeClose = (args: BeforeOpenCloseMenuEventArgs) => {
    if (hasUnsavedChanges) {
      const confirmed = window.confirm('Unsaved changes. Close anyway?');
      if (!confirmed) {
        args.cancel = true;  // Prevent menu from closing
      }
    }
  };

  return (
    <ContextMenuComponent
      target="#target"
      items={menuItems}
      beforeClose={handleBeforeClose}
    />
  );
}

onClose

Type: EmitType<OpenCloseMenuEventArgs>

Fires after the menu closes. Use for cleanup or state management.

Example: Clean up after menu closes

function App() {
  const handleOnClose = (args: OpenCloseMenuEventArgs) => {
    console.log('Menu closed');
    
    // Clear temporary selections or states
    document.querySelectorAll('.temp-highlight').forEach(el => {
      el.classList.remove('temp-highlight');
    });
  };

  return (
    <ContextMenuComponent
      target="#target"
      items={menuItems}
     
    />
  );
}

Item Interaction Events

select

Type: EmitType<MenuEventArgs>

Fires when a menu item is clicked/selected. Use to execute actions based on selection.

Event Arguments:

interface MenuEventArgs {
  element: HTMLElement;           // Menu item element
  event: Event;                    // Click/keyboard event
  item?: MenuItemModel;            // Selected menu item
  items?: MenuItemModel[];         // All menu items
}

Example: Execute actions on item selection

function App() {
  const handleSelect = (args: MenuEventArgs) => {
    const itemText = args.item?.text;

    switch (itemText) {
      case 'Cut':
        document.execCommand('cut');
        console.log('Cut executed');
        break;
      case 'Copy':
        document.execCommand('copy');
        console.log('Copy executed');
        break;
      case 'Paste':
        document.execCommand('paste');
        console.log('Paste executed');
        break;
      case 'Delete':
        if (confirm('Confirm delete?')) {
          console.log('Delete executed');
        }
        break;
    }
  };

  return (
    <ContextMenuComponent
      target="#target"
      items={menuItems}
      select={handleSelect}
    />
  );
}

beforeItemRender

Type: EmitType<MenuEventArgs>

Fires before each menu item renders. Use to customize item appearance or add custom logic.

Example: Conditionally disable items

function App() {
  const handleBeforeItemRender = (args: MenuEventArgs) => {
    const itemText = args.item?.text;

    // Disable delete if user doesn't have permission
    if (itemText === 'Delete' && !userPermissions.canDelete) {
      args.element?.classList.add('e-disabled');
    }

    // Highlight recent items
    if (itemText?.startsWith('Recent:')) {
      args.element?.classList.add('recent-item-highlight');
    }

    // Add keyboard shortcut indicator
    const shortcuts: Record<string, string> = {
      'Cut': 'Ctrl+X',
      'Copy': 'Ctrl+C',
      'Paste': 'Ctrl+V'
    };

    if (shortcuts[itemText as string]) {
      const shortcutEl = document.createElement('span');
      shortcutEl.className = 'shortcut-hint';
      shortcutEl.textContent = shortcuts[itemText as string];
      args.element?.appendChild(shortcutEl);
    }
  };

  return (
    <ContextMenuComponent
      target="#target"
      items={menuItems}
      beforeItemRender={handleBeforeItemRender}
    />
  );
}

Component Lifecycle

created

Type: EmitType<Event>

Fires after the component is fully created and rendered. Use for initialization.

Example: Initialize after creation

function App() {
  const menuRef = React.useRef<ContextMenuComponent>(null);

  const handleCreated = () => {
    console.log('ContextMenu created and ready');
    
    // Perform initial setup
    menuRef.current?.enableItems(['Advanced Options'], userRole === 'admin');
    
    // Add custom data to items
    const items = menuRef.current?.items;
    if (items) {
      items.forEach((item, index) => {
        item.id = `item-${index}`;
      });
    }
  };

  return (
    <ContextMenuComponent
      ref={menuRef}
      target="#target"
      items={menuItems}
      created={handleCreated}
    />
  );
}

Menu Items and Data Binding

📄 Read: references/menu-items-and-data-binding.md

• Creating menu items with MenuItemModel
• Using the items property
• Data binding with local data sources
• Dynamic menu item generation from arrays
• Nested submenu configuration

Templates and Customization

📄 Read: references/templates-and-customization.md

• Custom item templates (itemTemplate)
• Rendering rich content in menu items
• beforeItemRender event for item customization
• Adding icons and metadata to items
• Conditional rendering

Styling and Appearance

📄 Read: references/styling-and-appearance.md

• CSS class customization
• Theme Studio integration
• Custom CSS overrides for menu elements
• Icon styling and positioning
• Visual states (hover, selected, disabled)

Accessibility and Keyboard Navigation

📄 Read: references/accessibility-and-keyboard-navigation.md

• WCAG 2.2 and Section 508 compliance
• Screen reader support and ARIA attributes
• Keyboard shortcuts (Esc, Enter, arrow keys)
• Right-to-left (RTL) support
• Focus management

Advanced Features

📄 Read: references/advanced-features.md

• Scrollable context menus
• Animation settings and effects
• Menu open types and positioning
• Overflow handling and dynamic layouts
• Configuration for complex scenarios

Use Cases and Patterns

📄 Read: references/use-cases-and-patterns.md

• Common context menu patterns
• Adding/removing/enabling/disabling items dynamically
• Rendering separators between items
• Multi-level nesting examples
• Real-world integration scenarios

Quick Reference

Essential Code Template

import { ContextMenuComponent, MenuItemModel } from '@syncfusion/ej2-react-navigations';
import * as React from 'react';

function App() {
  const menuRef = React.useRef<ContextMenuComponent>(null);

  const menuItems: MenuItemModel[] = [
    { text: 'Cut', iconCss: 'e-icons e-cut', id: 'cut' },
    { text: 'Copy', iconCss: 'e-icons e-copy', id: 'copy' },
    { text: 'Paste', iconCss: 'e-icons e-paste', id: 'paste' },
    { separator: true },
    {
      text: 'More',
      items: [
        { text: 'Delete' },
        { text: 'Properties' }
      ]
    }
  ];

  const handleSelect = (args: any) => {
    console.log('Selected:', args.item?.text);
  };

  const handleBeforeOpen = (args: any) => {
    // Customize menu before opening
  };

  return (
    <div>
      <div id="target">Right-click me</div>
      <ContextMenuComponent
        ref={menuRef}
        target="#target"
        items={menuItems}
        select={handleSelect}
        beforeOpen={handleBeforeOpen}
        animationSettings={{ effect: 'FadeIn', duration: 300 }}
        enableScrolling={true}
      />
    </div>
  );
}

export default App;

Common Methods Reference

// Open menu at coordinates
menuRef.current?.open(100, 150);

// Close menu
menuRef.current?.close();

// Enable/disable items
menuRef.current?.enableItems(['Delete', 'Archive'], false);

// Show/hide items
menuRef.current?.showItems(['Delete']);
menuRef.current?.hideItems(['Export']);

// Add items
menuRef.current?.insertAfter(
  [{ text: 'New Option' }],
  'Existing Item'
);

// Remove items
menuRef.current?.removeItems(['Outdated Item']);

// Get item index
const indices = menuRef.current?.getItemIndex('Copy');

Next Steps: Choose reference based on your need. Start with getting-started.md, or explore specific features in other references.