Navigation Patterns

Navbar, sidebar, breadcrumb, tabs, and responsive navigation.

Overview

Navigation patterns help users move through your site.

Key Concepts

• Navbar — Top navigation bar
• Sidebar — Side navigation
• Breadcrumb — Page hierarchy
• Tabs — Content switching
• Responsive — Mobile navigation

Code Examples

/* Navbar */
.navbar {
  display: flex;
  align-items: center;
  justify-content: space-between;
  padding: 1rem 2rem;
  background: white;
  box-shadow: 0 2px 4px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1);
  position: sticky;
  top: 0;
  z-index: 100;
}

.navbar-logo {
  font-size: 1.5rem;
  font-weight: bold;
  color: var(--primary);
}

.navbar-nav {
  display: flex;
  gap: 2rem;
  list-style: none;
}

.nav-link {
  text-decoration: none;
  color: #333;
  font-weight: 500;
  position: relative;
}

.nav-link::after {
  content: '';
  position: absolute;
  bottom: -4px;
  left: 0;
  width: 0;
  height: 2px;
  background: var(--primary);
  transition: width 0.3s ease;
}

.nav-link:hover::after {
  width: 100%;
}

/* Sidebar */
.sidebar {
  width: 250px;
  background: #f8f9fa;
  padding: 2rem 0;
  height: 100vh;
  position: sticky;
  top: 0;
}

.sidebar-nav {
  list-style: none;
}

.sidebar-link {
  display: block;
  padding: 0.75rem 1.5rem;
  text-decoration: none;
  color: #333;
  border-left: 3px solid transparent;
}

.sidebar-link:hover {
  background: #e9ecef;
}

.sidebar-link.active {
  border-left-color: var(--primary);
  background: #e7f1ff;
  color: var(--primary);
}

/* Breadcrumb */
.breadcrumb {
  display: flex;
  gap: 0.5rem;
  list-style: none;
  padding: 0;
}

.breadcrumb-item + .breadcrumb-item::before {
  content: '›';
  margin-right: 0.5rem;
  color: #999;
}

.breadcrumb-link {
  text-decoration: none;
  color: var(--primary);
}

.breadcrumb-item.active {
  color: #666;
}

/* Tabs */
.tabs {
  display: flex;
  border-bottom: 2px solid #ddd;
  gap: 0;
}

.tab {
  padding: 1rem 1.5rem;
  background: none;
  border: none;
  cursor: pointer;
  position: relative;
  color: #666;
}

.tab::after {
  content: '';
  position: absolute;
  bottom: -2px;
  left: 0;
  width: 100%;
  height: 2px;
  background: var(--primary);
  transform: scaleX(0);
  transition: transform 0.3s ease;
}

.tab.active::after,
.tab:hover::after {
  transform: scaleX(1);
}

.tab.active {
  color: var(--primary);
  font-weight: 600;
}

/* Mobile menu */
.mobile-menu {
  display: none;
}

@media (max-width: 768px) {
  .navbar-nav {
    display: none;
  }
  
  .mobile-menu {
    display: block;
  }
}

Practice

Build a responsive navigation with sidebar and mobile menu.