Item matching ${JSON.stringify(itemFilter)} does not have a

Error message

Item matching ${JSON.stringify(itemFilter)} does not have a submenu

What it means

`clickItemImplementation` throws when the caller requested a nested click (subItemFilters provided) but the matched menu item has no submenu. `getSubmenu()` returned null, so descending into sub-items is impossible.

Source

Thrown at src/material/menu/testing/menu-harness.ts:230

  }
}

export async function clickItemImplementation(
  items: MatMenuItemHarness[],
  itemFilter: Omit<MenuItemHarnessFilters, 'ancestor'>,
  subItemFilters: Omit<MenuItemHarnessFilters, 'ancestor'>[],
): Promise<void> {
  if (!items.length) {
    throw Error(`Could not find item matching ${JSON.stringify(itemFilter)}`);
  }

  if (!subItemFilters.length) {
    return await items[0].click();
  }

  const menu = await items[0].getSubmenu();
  if (!menu) {
    throw Error(`Item matching ${JSON.stringify(itemFilter)} does not have a submenu`);
  }
  return menu.clickItem(...(subItemFilters as [Omit<MenuItemHarnessFilters, 'ancestor'>]));
}

View on GitHub (pinned to 0411926e7d)

Solutions

Remove the subItemFilters argument if the item is actually a leaf item
Verify the template attaches a nested menu (`<ng-template matMenuContent>` or nested `<mat-menu>`) to that item
Check the item text filter matches the item that truly has the submenu

Example fix

// before
await menuHarness.clickItem({text: 'Close'}, [{text: 'Now'}]);
// after
await menuHarness.clickItem({text: 'Close'});

Defensive patterns

Strategy: validation

Validate before calling

const item = (await menuHarness.getItems({text: 'File'}))[0];
if (!item || !(await item.getSubmenu())) {
  throw new Error('Item has no submenu; do not pass subItemFilters');
}

Try / catch

try {
  await menuHarness.clickItem({text: 'File'}, [{text: 'Open'}]);
} catch (e) {
  if (String(e?.message).includes('does not have a submenu')) {
    fail(`'File' is a leaf item or submenu is not attached`);
  }
  throw e;
}

Prevention

Only pass subItemFilters for items with nested menus
Keep template submenu structure in sync with tests
Hover parent items so lazy submenu content is attached before asserting

When it happens

Trigger: `await menuHarness.clickItem({text: 'File'}, [{text: 'Open'}])` where the 'File' item was rendered without a `mat-menu` child (no `matMenuContent`/nested menu attached).

Common situations: A submenu was removed or renamed in the template but the test still navigates into it; the item is a leaf action (e.g. 'Close') mistakenly treated as a parent; lazy submenu content not rendered because the parent was not hovered.

Related errors

AI-assisted analysis of angular/components@0411926e7d (2026-08-31). Data as JSON: /api/errors/fd5dac2a2037d5cd. Report an issue: GitHub.