Branched Menu
A tree menu drawn from a trunk line: each section branches off when opened, and a lit path traces from the trunk to the item you picked.
- Category: React Navigation Components
- Licence: Charcoal UI Pro
- Built with: React 19, Tailwind CSS 4, Motion
- Dependencies: motion, clsx, tailwind-merge
Examples
Branched Menu
API reference
| Prop | Type | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
branches | { label: string; items: string[] }[] | — | |
value / defaultValue | string | first item | |
onValueChange | (v: string) => void | — |
About Branched Menu
Branched Menu draws navigation like a tree: sections branch off a trunk when opened, and a lit path traces from the trunk to the item you picked, so you always see where you are in the structure.
Branched Menu is a navigation component for React 19, styled with Tailwind CSS 4 and animated with Motion. It drops into Next.js, Vite, Remix or Astro through the shadcn CLI as a single file you own.
When to use Branched Menu
- Docs and help centre sidebars.
- Settings with nested sections.
- Course outlines.
- Product category navigation.
How it works
Branches are SVG lines that draw in as sections open. Sections expose aria-expanded and the chosen item carries aria-current, and the lit path follows the selection on a spring.
Links and buttons keep their roles, arrow keys move where a group is expected, the current item is marked with aria-current, and focus is always visible. With prefers-reduced-motion on, it holds still or settles instantly instead of animating.
Customizing Branched Menu
Every prop is documented in the API reference above with its type and default. The ones you will reach for first are listed here.
Style it with className like any other element. It only uses your theme's tokens, so it follows light and dark mode without extra work.
- branches.
- value / defaultValue (string, default first item).
Goes well with Branched Menu
These navigation pieces share its tokens and motion language, so they sit together on one page without clashing.
- Dock: A macOS-style React dock whose icons swell with pointer distance and show labels
- Expandable Tabs: Compact React icon tabs where the active tab expands to reveal its label
- Floating Nav: A floating React pill nav that hides on scroll down and returns on scroll up
- Context Menu: A React right-click context menu that opens at the pointer and stays on screen
- Bottom Nav: An animated React mobile tab bar with a sliding pill, hopping icons and badges
Install Branched Menu
npx shadcn@latest add @charcoal/branched-menuBranched Menu is part of Charcoal UI Pro. One seat unlocks all 393 Pro components, 112 landing-page sections and 100 full templates, for every personal and client project, with updates included. Add the @charcoal registry once with your access token, then the command above copies branched-menu.tsx into components/ui and installs clsx, tailwind-merge.
You own the file you install: no runtime package, no lock-in, nothing to keep in sync. Change it however your product needs.
See Charcoal UI Pro pricing · Pro setup
Frequently asked questions
- How do I install Branched Menu?
- Branched Menu is part of Charcoal UI Pro. Add the @charcoal registry to components.json with your access token, then run npx shadcn@latest add @charcoal/branched-menu. It copies branched-menu.tsx into components/ui and installs motion, clsx, tailwind-merge.
- Is Branched Menu free for commercial use?
- Branched Menu needs a Charcoal UI Pro seat, monthly or a one-time lifetime price. A seat covers unlimited personal and commercial projects, including client work, and every future Pro component.
- Does Branched Menu work with Next.js?
- Yes. It is a client component for React 19 styled with Tailwind CSS 4, so it works in the Next.js App Router and Pages Router, Vite, Remix and Astro.
- Can an AI coding agent install Branched Menu?
- Yes. Connect the Charcoal UI MCP server (https://charcoalui.com/mcp) to Claude Code, Cursor or any MCP client; get_component returns Branched Menu's props and get_install_command returns the exact command.