Sidebar Navigation
Sidebar navigation is a side area with named links that can stay open or fold away. It often groups related places in a product.
A real example
A workspace has 18 routes grouped under Overview, Reports, and Admin. The sidebar shows the groups, current page, and a smaller view that keeps labels. Actions for the current page belong in a toolbar, not site navigation.
Main parts
- 01navigation landmark
- 02destination groups
- 03current-page state
Use it when
Use this term when a product needs visible, named navigation across several related places.
Do not use it when
Do not use a sidebar on a simple site with only a few main links. On narrow screens, plan a drawer or another small layout.
Name used in code
<nav aria-label=Workspace> grouped links Before you ship
Before release, check the page structure, keyboard access, visible focus, contrast, and zoom. Also check loading, empty, error, success, cancel, and reduced-motion states.
Outcome: Use Sidebar Navigation to solve this user need without losing the current context. User context: A workspace has 18 routes grouped under Overview, Reports, and Admin. The sidebar shows the groups, current page, and a smaller view that keeps labels. Actions for the current page belong in a toolbar, not site navigation. Recommended pattern: Sidebar Navigation. Why it fits: Use this term when a product needs visible, named navigation across several related places. Do not use it when: Do not use a sidebar on a simple site with only a few main links. On narrow screens, plan a drawer or another small layout. Product requirements: Define the default, loading, empty, error, success, and recovery states. Keep user input. Give clear feedback after every action. Accessibility and resilience: Use semantic HTML, full keyboard access, and visible focus. Make the layout work when zoomed and support reduced motion. Follow the project’s current rules. Do not add a new UI library unless the project already uses it. Acceptance criteria: The main task works with keyboard only and at 320px width. Focus and status changes are announced. Check loading, failure, retry, cancel, and reduced-motion paths. Evidence and limits (evidence boundary): No single official standard controls the whole term. Its meaning may change across teams, platforms, or frameworks. Unknowns to confirm: Product wording, data source, analytics events, supported devices and languages, and platform limits.
Check this request
Review the current use of Sidebar Navigation. Definition: Sidebar navigation is a side area with named links that can stay open or fold away. It often groups related places in a product. Release checks: Before release, check the page structure, keyboard access, visible focus, contrast, and zoom. Also check loading, empty, error, success, cancel, and reduced-motion states. Before changing code, report the evidence you found, gaps, severity, and the smallest safe fix.