Sidebar
A composable, themeable and customizable sidebar component.
Sidebars are one of the most complex components to build. They are central to any application and often contain a lot of moving parts.
I don't like building sidebars. So I built 30+ of them. All kinds of
configurations. Then I extracted the core components into sidebar.tsx
.
We now have a solid foundation to build on top of. Composable. Themeable. Customizable.
Installation
Run the following command to install sidebar.tsx
npx shadcn@latest add sidebar
Add the following colors to your CSS file
The command above should install the colors for you. It not, copy and paste the following in your CSS file.
We'll go over the colors later in the theming section.
@layer base {
:root {
--sidebar-background: 0 0% 98%;
--sidebar-foreground: 240 5.3% 26.1%;
--sidebar-primary: 240 5.9% 10%;
--sidebar-primary-foreground: 0 0% 98%;
--sidebar-accent: 240 4.8% 95.9%;
--sidebar-accent-foreground: 240 5.9% 10%;
--sidebar-border: 220 13% 91%;
--sidebar-ring: 217.2 91.2% 59.8%;
}
.dark {
--sidebar-background: 240 5.9% 10%;
--sidebar-foreground: 240 4.8% 95.9%;
--sidebar-primary: 224.3 76.3% 48%;
--sidebar-primary-foreground: 0 0% 100%;
--sidebar-accent: 240 3.7% 15.9%;
--sidebar-accent-foreground: 240 4.8% 95.9%;
--sidebar-border: 240 3.7% 15.9%;
--sidebar-ring: 217.2 91.2% 59.8%;
}
}
Structure
A Sidebar
component is composed of the following parts:
SidebarProvider
- Handles collapsible state.Sidebar
- The sidebar container.SidebarHeader
andSidebarFooter
- Sticky at the top and bottom of the sidebar.SidebarContent
- Scrollable content.SidebarGroup
- Section within theSidebarContent
.SidebarTrigger
- Trigger for theSidebar
.
Usage
import { SidebarProvider } from "@/components/ui/sidebar"
import { AppSidebar } from "@/components/app-sidebar"
export default function Layout({ children }: { children: React.ReactNode }) {
return (
<SidebarProvider>
<AppSidebar />
<main>
<SidebarTrigger />
{children}
</main>
</SidebarProvider>
)
}
import {
Sidebar,
SidebarContent,
SidebarFooter,
SidebarGroup,
SidebarHeader,
} from "@/components/ui/sidebar"
export function AppSidebar() {
return (
<Sidebar>
<SidebarHeader />
<SidebarContent>
<SidebarGroup />
<SidebarGroup />
</SidebarContent>
<SidebarFooter />
</Sidebar>
)
}
Your First Sidebar
Let's start with the most basic sidebar. A collapsible sidebar with a menu.
Add a SidebarProvider
and SidebarTrigger
at the root of your application.
import { SidebarProvider, SidebarTrigger } from "@/components/ui/sidebar"
import { AppSidebar } from "@/components/app-sidebar"
export default function Layout({ children }: { children: React.ReactNode }) {
return (
<SidebarProvider>
<AppSidebar />
<main>
<SidebarTrigger />
{children}
</main>
</SidebarProvider>
)
}
Create a new sidebar component at components/app-sidebar.tsx
.
import { Sidebar, SidebarContent } from "@/components/ui/sidebar"
export function AppSidebar() {
return (
<Sidebar>
<SidebarContent />
</Sidebar>
)
}
Now, let's add a SidebarMenu
to the sidebar.
We'll use the SidebarMenu
component in a SidebarGroup
.
import { Calendar, Home, Inbox, Search, Settings } from "lucide-react"
import {
Sidebar,
SidebarContent,
SidebarGroup,
SidebarGroupContent,
SidebarGroupLabel,
SidebarMenu,
SidebarMenuButton,
SidebarMenuItem,
} from "@/components/ui/sidebar"
// Menu items.
const items = [
{
title: "Home",
url: "#",
icon: Home,
},
{
title: "Inbox",
url: "#",
icon: Inbox,
},
{
title: "Calendar",
url: "#",
icon: Calendar,
},
{
title: "Search",
url: "#",
icon: Search,
},
{
title: "Settings",
url: "#",
icon: Settings,
},
]
export function AppSidebar() {
return (
<Sidebar>
<SidebarContent>
<SidebarGroup>
<SidebarGroupLabel>Application</SidebarGroupLabel>
<SidebarGroupContent>
<SidebarMenu>
{items.map((item) => (
<SidebarMenuItem key={item.title}>
<SidebarMenuButton asChild>
<a href={item.url}>
<item.icon />
<span>{item.title}</span>
</a>
</SidebarMenuButton>
</SidebarMenuItem>
))}
</SidebarMenu>
</SidebarGroupContent>
</SidebarGroup>
</SidebarContent>
</Sidebar>
)
}
You've created your first sidebar.
Components
The components in sidebar.tsx
are built to be composable i.e you build your sidebar by putting the provided components together. They also compose well with other shadcn/ui components such as DropdownMenu
, Collapsible
or Dialog
etc.
If you need to change the code in sidebar.tsx
, you are encouraged to do so. The code is yours. Use sidebar.tsx
as a starting point and build your own.
In the next sections, we'll go over each component and how to use them.
SidebarProvider
The SidebarProvider
component is used to provide the sidebar context to the Sidebar
component. You should always wrap your application in a SidebarProvider
component.
Props
Name | Type | Description |
---|---|---|
defaultOpen | boolean | Default open state of the sidebar. |
open | boolean | Open state of the sidebar (controlled). |
setOpen | (open: boolean) => void | Sets open state of the sidebar (controlled). |
Width
If you have a single sidebar in your application, you can use the SIDEBAR_WIDTH
and SIDEBAR_WIDTH_MOBILE
variables in sidebar.tsx
to set the width of the sidebar.
const SIDEBAR_WIDTH = "16rem"
const SIDEBAR_WIDTH_MOBILE = "18rem"
For multiple sidebars in your application, you can use the style
prop to set the width of the sidebar.
To set the width of the sidebar, you can use the --sidebar-width
and --sidebar-width-mobile
CSS variables in the style
prop.
<SidebarProvider
style={{
"--sidebar-width": "20rem",
"--sidebar-width-mobile": "20rem",
}}
>
<Sidebar />
</SidebarProvider>
This will handle the width of the sidebar but also the layout spacing.
Keyboard Shortcut
The SIDEBAR_KEYBOARD_SHORTCUT
variable is used to set the keyboard shortcut used to open and close the sidebar.
To trigger the sidebar, you use the cmd+b
keyboard shortcut on Mac and ctrl+b
on Windows.
You can change the keyboard shortcut by updating the SIDEBAR_KEYBOARD_SHORTCUT
variable.
const SIDEBAR_KEYBOARD_SHORTCUT = "b"
Sidebar
The main Sidebar
component used to render a collapsible sidebar.
import { Sidebar } from "@/components/ui/sidebar"
export function AppSidebar() {
return <Sidebar />
}
Props
Property | Type | Description |
---|---|---|
side | left or right | The side of the sidebar. |
variant | sidebar , floating , or inset | The variant of the sidebar. |
collapsible | offcanvas , icon , or none | Collapsible state of the sidebar. |
side
Use the side
prop to change the side of the sidebar.
Available options are left
and right
.
import { Sidebar } from "@/components/ui/sidebar"
export function AppSidebar() {
return <Sidebar side="left | right" />
}
variant
Use the variant
prop to change the variant of the sidebar.
Available options are sidebar
, floating
and inset
.
import { Sidebar } from "@/components/ui/sidebar"
export function AppSidebar() {
return <Sidebar variant="sidebar | floating | inset" />
}
Note: If you use the inset
variant, remember to wrap your main content
in a SidebarInset
component.
<SidebarProvider>
<Sidebar variant="inset" />
<SidebarInset>
<main>{children}</main>
</SidebarInset>
</SidebarProvider>
collapsible
Use the collapsible
prop to make the sidebar collapsible.
Available options are offcanvas
, icon
and none
.
import { Sidebar } from "@/components/ui/sidebar"
export function AppSidebar() {
return <Sidebar collapsible="offcanvas | icon | none" />
}
Prop | Description |
---|---|
offcanvas | A collapsible sidebar that slides in from the left or right. |
icon | A sidebar that collapses to icons. |
none | A non-collapsible sidebar. |
useSidebar
The useSidebar
hook is used to control the sidebar.
import { useSidebar } from "@/components/ui/sidebar"
export function AppSidebar() {
const {
state,
open,
setOpen,
openMobile,
setOpenMobile,
isMobile,
toggleSidebar,
} = useSidebar()
}
Property | Type | Description |
---|---|---|
state | expanded or collapsed | The current state of the sidebar. |
open | boolean | Whether the sidebar is open. |
setOpen | (open: boolean) => void | Sets the open state of the sidebar. |
openMobile | boolean | Whether the sidebar is open on mobile. |
setOpenMobile | (open: boolean) => void | Sets the open state of the sidebar on mobile. |
isMobile | boolean | Whether the sidebar is on mobile. |
toggleSidebar | () => void | Toggles the sidebar. Desktop and mobile. |
SidebarHeader
Use the SidebarHeader
component to add a sticky header to the sidebar.
The following example adds a <DropdownMenu>
to the SidebarHeader
.
<Sidebar>
<SidebarHeader>
<SidebarMenu>
<SidebarMenuItem>
<DropdownMenu>
<DropdownMenuTrigger asChild>
<SidebarMenuButton>
Select Workspace
<ChevronDown className="ml-auto" />
</SidebarMenuButton>
</DropdownMenuTrigger>
<DropdownMenuContent className="w-[--radix-popper-anchor-width]">
<DropdownMenuItem>
<span>Acme Inc</span>
</DropdownMenuItem>
<DropdownMenuItem>
<span>Acme Corp.</span>
</DropdownMenuItem>
</DropdownMenuContent>
</DropdownMenu>
</SidebarMenuItem>
</SidebarMenu>
</SidebarHeader>
</Sidebar>
SidebarFooter
Use the SidebarFooter
component to add a sticky footer to the sidebar.
The following example adds a <DropdownMenu>
to the SidebarFooter
.
export function AppSidebar() {
return (
<SidebarProvider>
<Sidebar>
<SidebarHeader />
<SidebarContent />
<SidebarFooter>
<SidebarMenu>
<SidebarMenuItem>
<DropdownMenu>
<DropdownMenuTrigger asChild>
<SidebarMenuButton>
<User2 /> Username
<ChevronUp className="ml-auto" />
</SidebarMenuButton>
</DropdownMenuTrigger>
<DropdownMenuContent
side="top"
className="w-[--radix-popper-anchor-width]"
>
<DropdownMenuItem>
<span>Account</span>
</DropdownMenuItem>
<DropdownMenuItem>
<span>Billing</span>
</DropdownMenuItem>
<DropdownMenuItem>
<span>Sign out</span>
</DropdownMenuItem>
</DropdownMenuContent>
</DropdownMenu>
</SidebarMenuItem>
</SidebarMenu>
</SidebarFooter>
</Sidebar>
</SidebarProvider>
)
}
SidebarContent
The SidebarContent
component is used to wrap the content of the sidebar. This is where you add your SidebarGroup
components. It is scrollable.
import { Sidebar, SidebarContent } from "@/components/ui/sidebar"
export function AppSidebar() {
return (
<Sidebar>
<SidebarContent>
<SidebarGroup />
<SidebarGroup />
</SidebarContent>
</Sidebar>
)
}
SidebarGroup
Use the SidebarGroup
component to create a section within the sidebar.
A SidebarGroup
has a SidebarGroupLabel
, a SidebarGroupContent
and an optional SidebarGroupAction
.
import { Sidebar, SidebarContent, SidebarGroup } from "@/components/ui/sidebar"
export function AppSidebar() {
return (
<Sidebar>
<SidebarContent>
<SidebarGroup>
<SidebarGroupLabel>Application</SidebarGroupLabel>
<SidebarGroupAction>
<Plus /> <span className="sr-only">Add Project</span>
</SidebarGroupAction>
<SidebarGroupContent></SidebarGroupContent>
</SidebarGroup>
</SidebarContent>
</Sidebar>
)
}
Collapsible SidebarGroup
To make a SidebarGroup
collapsible, wrap it in a Collapsible
.
export function AppSidebar() {
return (
<Collapsible defaultOpen className="group/collapsible">
<SidebarGroup>
<SidebarGroupLabel asChild>
<CollapsibleTrigger>
Help
<ChevronDown className="ml-auto transition-transform group-data-[state=open]/collapsible:rotate-180" />
</CollapsibleTrigger>
</SidebarGroupLabel>
<CollapsibleContent>
<SidebarGroupContent />
</CollapsibleContent>
</SidebarGroup>
</Collapsible>
)
}
Note: We wrap the CollapsibleTrigger
in a SidebarGroupLabel
to render
a button.
SidebarGroupAction
Use the SidebarGroupAction
component to add an action button to the SidebarGroup
.
export function AppSidebar() {
return (
<SidebarGroup>
<SidebarGroupLabel asChild>Projects</SidebarGroupLabel>
<SidebarGroupAction title="Add Project">
<Plus /> <span className="sr-only">Add Project</span>
</SidebarGroupAction>
<SidebarGroupContent />
</SidebarGroup>
)
}
SidebarMenu
The SidebarMenu
component is used for building a menu within a SidebarGroup
.
A SidebarMenu
component is composed of SidebarMenuItem
, SidebarMenuButton
, <SidebarMenuAction />
and <SidebarMenuSub />
components.
Here's an example of a SidebarMenu
component rendering a list of projects.
<Sidebar>
<SidebarContent>
<SidebarGroup>
<SidebarGroupLabel>Projects</SidebarGroupLabel>
<SidebarGroupContent>
<SidebarMenu>
{projects.map((project) => (
<SidebarMenuItem key={project.name}>
<SidebarMenuButton asChild>
<a href={project.url}>
<project.icon />
<span>{project.name}</span>
</a>
</SidebarMenuButton>
</SidebarMenuItem>
))}
</SidebarMenu>
</SidebarGroupContent>
</SidebarGroup>
</SidebarContent>
</Sidebar>
SidebarMenuButton
The SidebarMenuButton
component is used to render a menu button within a SidebarMenuItem
.
Link or Anchor
By default, the SidebarMenuButton
renders a button but you can use the asChild
prop to render a different component such as a Link
or an a
tag.
<SidebarMenuButton asChild>
<a href="#">Home</a>
</SidebarMenuButton>
Icon and Label
You can render an icon and a truncated label inside the button. Remember to wrap the label in a <span>
.
<SidebarMenuButton asChild>
<a href="#">
<Home />
<span>Home</span>
</a>
</SidebarMenuButton>
isActive
Use the isActive
prop to mark a menu item as active.
<SidebarMenuButton asChild isActive>
<a href="#">Home</a>
</SidebarMenuButton>
SidebarMenuAction
The SidebarMenuAction
component is used to render a menu action within a SidebarMenuItem
.
This button works independently of the SidebarMenuButton
i.e you can have the <SidebarMenuButton />
as a clickable link and the <SidebarMenuAction />
as a button.
<SidebarMenuItem>
<SidebarMenuButton asChild>
<a href="#">
<Home />
<span>Home</span>
</a>
</SidebarMenuButton>
<SidebarMenuAction>
<Plus /> <span className="sr-only">Add Project</span>
</SidebarMenuAction>
</SidebarMenuItem>
DropdownMenu
Here's an example of a SidebarMenuAction
component rendering a DropdownMenu
.
<SidebarMenuItem>
<SidebarMenuButton asChild>
<a href="#">
<Home />
<span>Home</span>
</a>
</SidebarMenuButton>
<DropdownMenu>
<DropdownMenuTrigger asChild>
<SidebarMenuAction>
<MoreHorizontal />
</SidebarMenuAction>
</DropdownMenuTrigger>
<DropdownMenuContent side="right" align="start">
<DropdownMenuItem>
<span>Edit Project</span>
</DropdownMenuItem>
<DropdownMenuItem>
<span>Delete Project</span>
</DropdownMenuItem>
</DropdownMenuContent>
</DropdownMenu>
</SidebarMenuItem>
SidebarMenuSub
The SidebarMenuSub
component is used to render a submenu within a SidebarMenu
.
Use <SidebarMenuSubItem />
and <SidebarMenuSubButton />
to render a submenu item.
<SidebarMenuItem>
<SidebarMenuButton />
<SidebarMenuSub>
<SidebarMenuSubItem>
<SidebarMenuSubButton />
</SidebarMenuSubItem>
<SidebarMenuSubItem>
<SidebarMenuSubButton />
</SidebarMenuSubItem>
</SidebarMenuSub>
</SidebarMenuItem>
Collapsible SidebarMenu
To make a SidebarMenu
component collapsible, wrap it and the SidebarMenuSub
components in a Collapsible
.
<SidebarMenu>
<Collapsible defaultOpen className="group/collapsible">
<SidebarMenuItem>
<CollapsibleTrigger asChild>
<SidebarMenuButton />
</CollapsibleTrigger>
<CollapsibleContent>
<SidebarMenuSub>
<SidebarMenuSubItem />
</SidebarMenuSub>
</CollapsibleContent>
</SidebarMenuItem>
</Collapsible>
</SidebarMenu>
SidebarMenuBadge
The SidebarMenuBadge
component is used to render a badge within a SidebarMenuItem
.
<SidebarMenuItem>
<SidebarMenuButton />
<SidebarMenuBadge>24</SidebarMenuBadge>
</SidebarMenuItem>
SidebarMenuSkeleton
The SidebarMenuSkeleton
component is used to render a skeleton for a SidebarMenu
. You can use this to show a loading state when using React Server Components, SWR or react-query.
function NavProjectsSkeleton() {
return (
<SidebarMenu>
{Array.from({ length: 5 }).map((_, index) => (
<SidebarMenuItem key={index}>
<SidebarMenuSkeleton />
</SidebarMenuItem>
))}
</SidebarMenu>
)
}
SidebarSeparator
The SidebarSeparator
component is used to render a separator within a Sidebar
.
<Sidebar>
<SidebarHeader />
<SidebarSeparator />
<SidebarContent>
<SidebarGroup />
<SidebarSeparator />
<SidebarGroup />
</SidebarContent>
</Sidebar>
SidebarTrigger
Use the SidebarTrigger
component to render a button that toggles the sidebar.
The SidebarTrigger
component must be used within a SidebarProvider
.
<SidebarProvider>
<Sidebar />
<main>
<SidebarTrigger />
</main>
</SidebarProvider>
Custom Trigger
To create a custom trigger, you can use the useSidebar
hook.
import { useSidebar } from "@/components/ui/sidebar"
export function CustomTrigger() {
const { toggleSidebar } = useSidebar()
return <button onClick={toggleSidebar}>Toggle Sidebar</button>
}
SidebarRail
The SidebarRail
component is used to render a rail within a Sidebar
. This rail can be used to toggle the sidebar.
<Sidebar>
<SidebarHeader />
<SidebarContent>
<SidebarGroup />
</SidebarContent>
<SidebarFooter />
<SidebarRail />
</Sidebar>
Data Fetching
React Server Components
Here's an example of a SidebarMenu
component rendering a list of projects using React Server Components.
function NavProjectsSkeleton() {
return (
<SidebarMenu>
{Array.from({ length: 5 }).map((_, index) => (
<SidebarMenuItem key={index}>
<SidebarMenuSkeleton showIcon />
</SidebarMenuItem>
))}
</SidebarMenu>
)
}
async function NavProjects() {
const projects = await fetchProjects()
return (
<SidebarMenu>
{projects.map((project) => (
<SidebarMenuItem key={project.name}>
<SidebarMenuButton asChild>
<a href={project.url}>
<project.icon />
<span>{project.name}</span>
</a>
</SidebarMenuButton>
</SidebarMenuItem>
))}
</SidebarMenu>
)
}
function AppSidebar() {
return (
<Sidebar>
<SidebarContent>
<SidebarGroup>
<SidebarGroupLabel>Projects</SidebarGroupLabel>
<SidebarGroupContent>
<React.Suspense fallback={<NavProjectsSkeleton />}>
<NavProjects />
</React.Suspense>
</SidebarGroupContent>
</SidebarGroup>
</SidebarContent>
</Sidebar>
)
}
SWR and React Query
You can use the same approach with SWR or react-query.
function NavProjects() {
const { data, isLoading } = useSWR("/api/projects", fetcher)
if (isLoading) {
return (
<SidebarMenu>
{Array.from({ length: 5 }).map((_, index) => (
<SidebarMenuItem key={index}>
<SidebarMenuSkeleton showIcon />
</SidebarMenuItem>
))}
</SidebarMenu>
)
}
if (!data) {
return ...
}
return (
<SidebarMenu>
{data.map((project) => (
<SidebarMenuItem key={project.name}>
<SidebarMenuButton asChild>
<a href={project.url}>
<project.icon />
<span>{project.name}</span>
</a>
</SidebarMenuButton>
</SidebarMenuItem>
))}
</SidebarMenu>
)
}
function NavProjects() {
const { data, isLoading } = useQuery()
if (isLoading) {
return (
<SidebarMenu>
{Array.from({ length: 5 }).map((_, index) => (
<SidebarMenuItem key={index}>
<SidebarMenuSkeleton showIcon />
</SidebarMenuItem>
))}
</SidebarMenu>
)
}
if (!data) {
return ...
}
return (
<SidebarMenu>
{data.map((project) => (
<SidebarMenuItem key={project.name}>
<SidebarMenuButton asChild>
<a href={project.url}>
<project.icon />
<span>{project.name}</span>
</a>
</SidebarMenuButton>
</SidebarMenuItem>
))}
</SidebarMenu>
)
}
Controlled Sidebar
Use the open
and onOpenChange
props to control the sidebar.
export function AppSidebar() {
const [open, setOpen] = React.useState(false)
return (
<SidebarProvider open={open} onOpenChange={setOpen}>
<Sidebar />
</SidebarProvider>
)
}
Theming
We use the following CSS variables to theme the sidebar.
@layer base {
:root {
--sidebar-background: 0 0% 98%;
--sidebar-foreground: 240 5.3% 26.1%;
--sidebar-primary: 240 5.9% 10%;
--sidebar-primary-foreground: 0 0% 98%;
--sidebar-accent: 240 4.8% 95.9%;
--sidebar-accent-foreground: 240 5.9% 10%;
--sidebar-border: 220 13% 91%;
--sidebar-ring: 217.2 91.2% 59.8%;
}
.dark {
--sidebar-background: 240 5.9% 10%;
--sidebar-foreground: 240 4.8% 95.9%;
--sidebar-primary: 0 0% 98%;
--sidebar-primary-foreground: 240 5.9% 10%;
--sidebar-accent: 240 3.7% 15.9%;
--sidebar-accent-foreground: 240 4.8% 95.9%;
--sidebar-border: 240 3.7% 15.9%;
--sidebar-ring: 217.2 91.2% 59.8%;
}
}
We intentionally use different variables for the sidebar and the rest of the application to make it easy to have a sidebar that is styled differently from the rest of the application. Think a sidebar with a darker shade from the main application.
Styling
Here are some tips for styling the sidebar based on different states.
- Styling an element based on the sidebar collapsible state. The following will hide the
SidebarGroup
when the sidebar is inicon
mode.
<Sidebar collapsible="icon">
<SidebarContent>
<SidebarGroup className="group-data-[collapsible=icon]:hidden" />
</SidebarContent>
</Sidebar>
- Styling a menu action based on the menu button active state. The following will force the menu action to be visible when the menu button is active.
<SidebarMenuItem>
<SidebarMenuButton />
<SidebarMenuAction className="peer-data-[active=true]/menu-button:opacity-100" />
</SidebarMenuItem>
You can find more tips on using states for styling in this Twitter thread.