About this plugin
Elmspur Cascade adds a cascading dropdown redirect block to the WordPress block editor. Visitors pick from one or more dependent dropdowns — for example Category → Topic → Page — and are redirected to the URL attached to their final choice. No form plugin or shortcode is required.
Each dropdown filters the next: choosing a value in one level determines the options available in the next. When the visitor reaches an item that has a URL, they are sent to it — either immediately, or after clicking a button you can label yourself.
Features
- Native block — works in posts, pages, the Site Editor, templates, template parts, and block widget areas. Compatible with FSE/block themes.
- Visual tree builder — point-and-click interface to add, edit, nest, and reorder dropdown items without touching JSON.
- Up to 5 levels of dependent dropdowns. Branches don’t have to reach the maximum; a 2-level branch redirects from level 2 and remaining dropdowns stay disabled.
- Redirect immediately on final selection, or show a button the visitor clicks to go.
- Open in a new tab option.
- Custom placeholder text for each level.
- Dropdown colors (light & dark mode) — choose Theme default, Light, Dark, or Auto (follows the visitor’s system light/dark setting), and set custom dropdown text and background colors in any mode — with separate light and dark pairs in Auto.
- Navigation block variant — a compact version that lives inside the core Navigation block, inline with your other menu links.
- Wide and full alignment support; inherits your theme’s button styles.
- No form builder required. No shortcodes. No build step.
Use cases
- Support sites: Product → Issue Type → Help article
- Multi-location businesses: Country → City → Location page
- Course sites: Subject → Course → Lesson
Companion add-on
org), adds saved/reusable dropdown trees: define a tree once, link it to as many blocks as you like, and edits propagate site-wide. It is optional — this plugin is fully functional on its own.
The JSON format
An array of items. Each item has a “label” and either “children” (an array of more items) or a “url”.
[
{
“label”: “Category A”,
“children”: [
{
“label”: “Subcategory A1”,
“children”: [
com/a/a1/one” },
com/a/a1/two” }
]
}
]
}
]
Settings (block sidebar)
- Menu data — the JSON hierarchy (also editable via the visual tree builder).
- Redirect immediately on final selection — skip the Go button.
- Open in a new tab.
- Button label.
- Placeholder text for each level.
- Dropdown colors — color mode (Theme default, Light, Dark, Auto).
- Custom dropdown colors — text and background, in any color mode (light and dark pairs in Auto).