Over a dozen reusable components built to provide buttons, dropdowns, input groups, navigation, alerts, and much more.
The navbar is a wrapper that positions branding, navigation, and other elements in a concise header. It’s easily extensible and, thanks to our Collapse plugin, can easily integrate responsive behaviors.
Here’s what you need to know before getting started with the navbar:
.navbar and color scheme classes.<nav> element or, if using a more generic element such as a <div>, add a role="navigation" to every navbar to explicitly identify it as a landmark region for users of assistive technologies.Read on for an example and list of supported sub-components.
Navbars come with built-in support for a handful of sub-components. Choose from the following as needed:
.navbar-brand for your company, product, or project name.navbar-nav for a full-height and lightweight navigation (including support for dropdowns).navbar-toggler for use with our collapse plugin and other navigation toggling behaviors..float- utilities for form controls and components..navbar-text for adding vertically centered strings of text..inline-form for form controls and more..collapse.navbar-collapse for grouping and hiding navbar contents by a parent breakpoint.Here’s an example of all the sub-components included in a responsive light-themed navbar.
<nav class="navbar navbar-light navbar-toggleable-md bg-faded">
<button class="navbar-toggler navbar-toggler-right" type="button" data-toggle="collapse" data-target="#navbarSupportedContent" aria-controls="navbarSupportedContent" aria-expanded="false" aria-label="Toggle navigation">
<span class="navbar-toggler-icon"></span>
</button>
<a class="navbar-brand" href="#">Navbar</a>
<div class="collapse navbar-collapse" id="navbarSupportedContent">
<ul class="nav navbar-nav">
<li class="nav-item active">
<a class="nav-link" href="#">Home <span class="sr-only">(current)</span></a>
</li>
<li class="nav-item">
<a class="nav-link" href="#">Link</a>
</li>
<li class="nav-item">
<a class="nav-link disabled" href="#">Disabled</a>
</li>
</ul>
<form class="form-inline mt-2 mt-md-0">
<input class="form-control mr-md-2" type="text" placeholder="Search">
<button class="btn btn-outline-success my-2 my-lg-0" type="submit">Search</button>
</form>
</div>
</nav>The .navbar-brand can be applied to most elements, but an anchor works best as some elements might require utility classes or custom styles.
<!-- As a link -->
<nav class="navbar navbar-light bg-faded">
<a class="navbar-brand" href="#">Navbar</a>
</nav>
<!-- As a heading -->
<nav class="navbar navbar-light bg-faded">
<h1 class="navbar-brand mb-0">Navbar</h1>
</nav>Adding images to the .navbar-brand will likely always require custom styles or utilities to properly size. Here are some examples to demonstrate.
<!-- Just an image -->
<nav class="navbar navbar-light bg-faded">
<a class="navbar-brand" href="#">
<img src="/assets/brand/bootstrap-solid.svg" width="30" height="30" alt="">
</a>
</nav><!-- Image and text -->
<nav class="navbar navbar-light bg-faded">
<a class="navbar-brand" href="#">
<img src="/assets/brand/bootstrap-solid.svg" width="30" height="30" class="d-inline-block align-top" alt="">
Bootstrap
</a>
</nav>Navbar navigation links build on our .nav options with their own modifier class and require the use of toggler classes for proper responsive styling. Navigation in navbars will also grow to occupy as much horizontal space as possible to keep your navbar contents securely aligned.
Active states—with .active—to indicate the current page can be applied directly to .nav-links or their immediate parent .nav-items.
<nav class="navbar navbar-light navbar-toggleable-md bg-faded">
<button class="navbar-toggler navbar-toggler-right" type="button" data-toggle="collapse" data-target="#navbarNav" aria-controls="navbarNav" aria-expanded="false" aria-label="Toggle navigation">
<span class="navbar-toggler-icon"></span>
</button>
<a class="navbar-brand" href="#">Navbar</a>
<div class="collapse navbar-collapse" id="navbarNav">
<ul class="nav navbar-nav">
<li class="nav-item active">
<a class="nav-link" href="#">Home <span class="sr-only">(current)</span></a>
</li>
<li class="nav-item">
<a class="nav-link" href="#">Features</a>
</li>
<li class="nav-item">
<a class="nav-link" href="#">Pricing</a>
</li>
<li class="nav-item">
<a class="nav-link disabled" href="#">Disabled</a>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
</nav>And because we use classes for our navs, you can avoid the list-based approach entirely if you like.
<nav class="navbar navbar-light navbar-toggleable-md bg-faded">
<button class="navbar-toggler navbar-toggler-right" type="button" data-toggle="collapse" data-target="#navbarNavAltMarkup" aria-controls="navbarNavAltMarkup" aria-expanded="false" aria-label="Toggle navigation">
<span class="navbar-toggler-icon"></span>
</button>
<a class="navbar-brand" href="#">Navbar</a>
<div class="collapse navbar-collapse" id="navbarNavAltMarkup">
<div class="nav navbar-nav">
<a class="nav-item nav-link active" href="#">Home <span class="sr-only">(current)</span></a>
<a class="nav-item nav-link" href="#">Features</a>
<a class="nav-item nav-link" href="#">Pricing</a>
<a class="nav-item nav-link disabled" href="#">Disabled</a>
</div>
</div>
</nav>You may also utilize dropdowns in your navbar nav. Dropdown menus require a wrapping element for positioning, so be sure to use separate and nested elements for .nav-item and .nav-link as shown below.
<nav class="navbar navbar-light navbar-toggleable-md bg-faded">
<button class="navbar-toggler navbar-toggler-right" type="button" data-toggle="collapse" data-target="#navbarNavDropdown" aria-controls="navbarNavDropdown" aria-expanded="false" aria-label="Toggle navigation">
<span class="navbar-toggler-icon"></span>
</button>
<a class="navbar-brand" href="#">Navbar</a>
<div class="collapse navbar-collapse" id="navbarNavDropdown">
<ul class="nav navbar-nav">
<li class="nav-item active">
<a class="nav-link" href="#">Home <span class="sr-only">(current)</span></a>
</li>
<li class="nav-item">
<a class="nav-link" href="#">Features</a>
</li>
<li class="nav-item">
<a class="nav-link" href="#">Pricing</a>
</li>
<li class="nav-item dropdown">
<a class="nav-link dropdown-toggle" href="http://example.com" id="navbarDropdownMenuLink" data-toggle="dropdown" aria-haspopup="true" aria-expanded="false">
Dropdown link
</a>
<div class="dropdown-menu" aria-labelledby="navbarDropdownMenuLink">
<a class="dropdown-item" href="#">Action</a>
<a class="dropdown-item" href="#">Another action</a>
<a class="dropdown-item" href="#">Something else here</a>
</div>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
</nav>Place various form controls and components within a navbar with .form-inline.
<nav class="navbar navbar-light bg-faded">
<form class="form-inline">
<input class="form-control mr-md-2" type="text" placeholder="Search">
<button class="btn btn-outline-success my-2 my-lg-0" type="submit">Search</button>
</form>
</nav>Align the contents of your inline forms with utilities as needed.
<nav class="navbar navbar-light bg-faded flex-items-right">
<form class="form-inline">
<input class="form-control mr-md-2" type="text" placeholder="Search">
<button class="btn btn-outline-success my-2 my-lg-0" type="submit">Search</button>
</form>
</nav>Input groups work, too:
<nav class="navbar navbar-light bg-faded">
<form class="form-inline">
<div class="input-group">
<span class="input-group-addon" id="basic-addon1">@</span>
<input type="text" class="form-control" placeholder="Username" aria-describedby="basic-addon1">
</div>
</form>
</nav>Various buttons are supported as part of these navbar forms, too. This is also a great reminder that vertical alignment utilities can be used to align different sized elements.
<nav class="navbar navbar-light bg-faded">
<form class="form-inline">
<button class="btn btn-outline-success" type="button">Main button</button>
<button class="btn btn-sm align-middle btn-outline-secondary" type="button">Smaller button</button>
</form>
</nav>Navbars may contain bits of text with the help of .navbar-text. This class adjusts vertical alignment and horizontal spacing for strings of text.
<nav class="navbar navbar-light bg-faded">
<span class="navbar-text">
Navbar text with an inline element
</span>
</nav>Mix and match with other components and utilities as needed.
<nav class="navbar navbar-light navbar-toggleable-md bg-faded">
<button class="navbar-toggler navbar-toggler-right" type="button" data-toggle="collapse" data-target="#navbarText" aria-controls="navbarText" aria-expanded="false" aria-label="Toggle navigation">
<span class="navbar-toggler-icon"></span>
</button>
<a class="navbar-brand" href="#">Navbar w/ text</a>
<div class="collapse navbar-collapse" id="navbarText">
<ul class="nav navbar-nav">
<li class="nav-item active">
<a class="nav-link" href="#">Home <span class="sr-only">(current)</span></a>
</li>
<li class="nav-item">
<a class="nav-link" href="#">Features</a>
</li>
<li class="nav-item">
<a class="nav-link" href="#">Pricing</a>
</li>
</ul>
<span class="navbar-text">
Navbar text with an inline element
</span>
</div>
</nav>Theming the navbar has never been easier thanks to the combination of theming classes and background-color utilities. Chose from .navbar-light for use with light background colors, or .navbar-inverse for dark background colors. Then, customize with .bg-* utilities.
<nav class="navbar navbar-inverse bg-inverse">
<!-- Navbar content -->
</nav>
<nav class="navbar navbar-inverse bg-primary">
<!-- Navbar content -->
</nav>
<nav class="navbar navbar-light" style="background-color: #e3f2fd;">
<!-- Navbar content -->
</nav>Although it’s not required, you can wrap a navbar in a .container to center it on a page or add one within to only center the contents of a fixed or static top navbar.
<div class="container">
<nav class="navbar navbar-light bg-faded navbar-toggleable-md">
<a class="navbar-brand" href="#">Navbar</a>
</nav>
</div>When the container is within your navbar, it’s horizontal padding is removed at breakpoints lower than your specified .navbar-toggleable-* class. This ensures we’re not doubling up on padding unnecessarily on lower viewports when your navbar is collapsed.
<nav class="navbar navbar-light bg-faded navbar-toggleable-md">
<div class="container">
<a class="navbar-brand" href="#">Navbar</a>
</div>
</nav>Navbars can be statically placed (their default behavior), static without rounded corners, or fixed to the top or bottom of the viewport.
<nav class="navbar navbar-light bg-faded">
<a class="navbar-brand" href="#">Full width</a>
</nav><nav class="navbar navbar-fixed-top navbar-light bg-faded">
<a class="navbar-brand" href="#">Fixed top</a>
</nav><nav class="navbar navbar-fixed-bottom navbar-light bg-faded">
<a class="navbar-brand" href="#">Fixed bottom</a>
</nav>Navbars can utilize .navbar-toggler, .navbar-collapse, and .navbar-toggleable-* classes to change when their content collapses behind a button. In combination with other utilities, you can easily choose when to show or hide particular elements.
Navbar togglers can be left or right aligned with .navbar-toggler-left or .navbar-toggler-right modifiers. These are absolutely positioned within the navbar to avoid interference with the collapsed state. You can also use your own styles to position togglers. Below are examples of different toggle styles.
With no .navbar-brand shown in lowest breakpoint:
<nav class="navbar navbar-light navbar-toggleable-md bg-faded">
<button class="navbar-toggler" type="button" data-toggle="collapse" data-target="#navbarTogglerDemo01" aria-controls="navbarTogglerDemo01" aria-expanded="false" aria-label="Toggle navigation">
<span class="navbar-toggler-icon"></span>
</button>
<div class="collapse navbar-collapse" id="navbarTogglerDemo01">
<a class="navbar-brand" href="#">Hidden brand</a>
<ul class="nav navbar-nav mt-2 mt-lg-0">
<li class="nav-item active">
<a class="nav-link" href="#">Home <span class="sr-only">(current)</span></a>
</li>
<li class="nav-item">
<a class="nav-link" href="#">Link</a>
</li>
<li class="nav-item">
<a class="nav-link disabled" href="#">Disabled</a>
</li>
</ul>
<form class="form-inline mt-2 mt-lg-0">
<input class="form-control mr-md-2" type="text" placeholder="Search">
<button class="btn btn-outline-success my-2 my-lg-0" type="submit">Search</button>
</form>
</div>
</nav>With a brand name shown on the left and toggler on the right:
<nav class="navbar navbar-light navbar-toggleable-md bg-faded">
<button class="navbar-toggler navbar-toggler-right" type="button" data-toggle="collapse" data-target="#navbarTogglerDemo02" aria-controls="navbarTogglerDemo02" aria-expanded="false" aria-label="Toggle navigation">
<span class="navbar-toggler-icon"></span>
</button>
<a class="navbar-brand" href="#">Navbar</a>
<div class="collapse navbar-collapse" id="navbarTogglerDemo02">
<ul class="nav navbar-nav mt-2 mt-md-0">
<li class="nav-item active">
<a class="nav-link" href="#">Home <span class="sr-only">(current)</span></a>
</li>
<li class="nav-item">
<a class="nav-link" href="#">Link</a>
</li>
<li class="nav-item">
<a class="nav-link disabled" href="#">Disabled</a>
</li>
</ul>
<form class="form-inline mt-2 mt-lg-0">
<input class="form-control mr-md-2" type="text" placeholder="Search">
<button class="btn btn-outline-success my-2 my-lg-0" type="submit">Search</button>
</form>
</div>
</nav>Sometimes you want to use the collapse plugin to trigger hidden content elsewhere on the page. Because our plugin works on the id and data-target matching, that’s easily done!
<div class="pos-f-t">
<div class="collapse" id="navbarToggleExternalContent">
<div class="bg-inverse p-4">
<h4 class="text-white">Collapsed content</h4>
<span class="text-muted">Toggleable via the navbar brand.</span>
</div>
</div>
<nav class="navbar navbar-inverse bg-inverse">
<button class="navbar-toggler" type="button" data-toggle="collapse" data-target="#navbarToggleExternalContent" aria-controls="navbarToggleExternalContent" aria-expanded="false" aria-label="Toggle navigation">
<span class="navbar-toggler-icon"></span>
</button>
</nav>
</div>