Sidebar

A composable, themeable and customizable sidebar component.

A sidebar that collapses to icons.

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*.vue.

We now have a solid foundation to build on top of. Composable. Themeable. Customizable.

Browse the Blocks Library.

Installation

Run the following command to install sidebar

bash
npx shadcn-vue@latest add sidebar

Add the following colors to your CSS file

The command above should install the colors for you. If not, copy and paste the following in your CSS file.

We'll go over the colors later in the theming section.

css
@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 and SidebarFooter - Sticky at the top and bottom of the sidebar.
  • SidebarContent - Scrollable content.
  • SidebarGroup - Section within the SidebarContent.
  • SidebarTrigger - Trigger for the Sidebar.

Sidebar Structure

Usage

vue
<script setup lang="ts">
import AppSidebar from '@/components/AppSidebar.vue'
import { SidebarProvider, SidebarTrigger } from '@/components/ui/sidebar'
</script>

<template>
  <SidebarProvider>
    <AppSidebar />
    <main>
      <SidebarTrigger />
      <slot></slot>
    </main>
  </SidebarProvider>
</template>
vue
<script setup lang="ts">
import {
  Sidebar,
  SidebarContent,
  SidebarFooter,
  SidebarGroup,
  SidebarHeader,
} from '@/components/ui/sidebar'
</script>

<template>
  <Sidebar>
    <SidebarHeader />
    <SidebarContent>
      <SidebarGroup />
      <SidebarGroup />
    </SidebarContent>
    <SidebarFooter />
  </Sidebar>
</template>

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.

vue
<script setup lang="ts">
import { AppSidebar } from '@/components/app-sidebar'
import { SidebarProvider, SidebarTrigger } from '@/components/ui/sidebar'
</script>

<template>
  <SidebarProvider>
    <AppSidebar />
    <main>
      <SidebarTrigger />
      <slot />
    </main>
  </SidebarProvider>
</template>

Create a new sidebar component at components/AppSidebar.vue.

vue
<script setup lang="ts">
import { Sidebar, SidebarContent } from '@/components/ui/sidebar'
</script>

<template>
  <Sidebar>
    <SidebarContent />
  </Sidebar>
</template>

Now, let's add a SidebarMenu to the sidebar.

We'll use the SidebarMenu component in a SidebarGroup.

vue
<script setup lang="ts">
import {
  Sidebar,
  SidebarContent,
  SidebarGroup,
  SidebarGroupContent,
  SidebarGroupLabel,
  SidebarMenu,
  SidebarMenuButton,
  SidebarMenuItem,
} from '@/components/ui/sidebar'

import { Calendar, Home, Inbox, Search, Settings } from 'lucide-vue-next'

// 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 },
]
</script>

<template>
  <Sidebar>
    <SidebarContent>
      <SidebarGroup>
        <SidebarGroupLabel>Application</SidebarGroupLabel>
        <SidebarGroupContent>
          <SidebarMenu>
            <SidebarMenuItem v-for="item in items" :key="item.title">
              <SidebarMenuButton asChild>
                <a :href="item.url">
                  <component :is="item.icon" />
                  <span>{{item.title}}</span>
                </a>
              </SidebarMenuButton>
            </SidebarMenuItem>
          </SidebarMenu>
        </SidebarGroupContent>
      </SidebarGroup>
    </SidebarContent>
  </Sidebar>
</template>

You've created your first sidebar.

Your first sidebar.

Components

The components in Sidebar* 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*.vue, you are encouraged to do so. The code is yours. Use Sidebar.vue 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

NameTypeDescription
defaultOpenbooleanDefault open state of the sidebar.
openbooleanOpen state of the sidebar (controlled).
onOpenChange(open: boolean) => voidSets 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/utils to set the width of the sidebar.

ts
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.

vue
<template>
  <SidebarProvider
    :style="{
      '--sidebar-width': '20rem',
      '--sidebar-width-mobile': '20rem',
    }"
  >
    <Sidebar />
  </SidebarProvider>
</template>

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.

ts
const SIDEBAR_KEYBOARD_SHORTCUT = 'b'

Persisted State

The SidebarProvider supports persisting the sidebar state across page reloads and server-side rendering. It uses cookies to store the current state of the sidebar. When the sidebar state changes, a default cookie named sidebar:state is set with the current open/closed state. This cookie is then read on subsequent page loads to restore the sidebar state.

To persist sidebar state in Nuxt, set up your SidebarProvider in app/layout.tsx like this:

vue
<script setup lang="ts">
import AppSidebar from '@/components/AppSidebar.vue'
import { SidebarProvider, SidebarTrigger } from '@/components/ui/sidebar'
const sidebarState = useCookie('sidebar:state')

const defaultOpen = computed(() => sidebarState.value === 'true')
</script>

<template>
  <SidebarProvider :defaultOpen="defaultOpen">
    <AppSidebar />
    <main>
      <SidebarTrigger />
      <slot />
    </main>
  </SidebarProvider>
</template>

You can change the name of the cookie by updating the SIDEBAR_COOKIE_NAME variable in sidebar/utils.

ts
const SIDEBAR_COOKIE_NAME = 'sidebar:state'

The main Sidebar component used to render a collapsible sidebar.

vue
<script setup lang="ts">
import { Sidebar } from '@/components/ui/sidebar'
</script>

<template>
  <Sidebar />
</template>

Props

PropertyTypeDescription
sideleft or rightThe side of the sidebar.
variantsidebar, floating, or insetThe variant of the sidebar.
collapsibleoffcanvas, icon, or noneCollapsible state of the sidebar.

side

Use the side prop to change the side of the sidebar.

Available options are left and right.

vue
<script setup lang="ts">
import { Sidebar } from '@/components/ui/sidebar'
</script>

<template>
  <Sidebar side="left | right" />
</template>

variant

Use the variant prop to change the variant of the sidebar.

Available options are sidebar, floating and inset.

vue
<script setup lang="ts">
import { Sidebar } from '@/components/ui/sidebar'
</script>

<template>
  <Sidebar variant="sidebar | floating | inset" />
</template>
vue
<template>
  <SidebarProvider>
    <Sidebar variant="inset" />
    <SidebarInset>
      <main><slot /></main>
    </SidebarInset>
  </SidebarProvider>
</template>

collapsible

Use the collapsible prop to make the sidebar collapsible.

Available options are offcanvas, icon and none.

vue
<script setup lang="ts">
import { Sidebar } from '@/components/ui/sidebar'
</script>

<template>
  <Sidebar collapsible="offcanvas | icon | none" />
</template>
PropDescription
offcanvasA collapsible sidebar that slides in from the left or right.
iconA sidebar that collapses to icons.
noneA non-collapsible sidebar.

useSidebar

The useSidebar hook is used to control the sidebar.

vue
<script setup lang="ts">
import { useSidebar } from '@/components/ui/sidebar'

const {
  state,
  open,
  setOpen,
  openMobile,
  setOpenMobile,
  isMobile,
  toggleSidebar,
} = useSidebar()
</script>
PropertyTypeDescription
stateexpanded or collapsedThe current state of the sidebar.
openbooleanWhether the sidebar is open.
setOpen(open: boolean) => voidSets the open state of the sidebar.
openMobilebooleanWhether the sidebar is open on mobile.
setOpenMobile(open: boolean) => voidSets the open state of the sidebar on mobile.
isMobilebooleanWhether the sidebar is on mobile.
toggleSidebar() => voidToggles 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.

A sidebar header with a dropdown menu.
vue
<template>
  <Sidebar>
    <SidebarHeader>
      <SidebarMenu>
        <SidebarMenuItem>
          <DropdownMenu>
            <DropdownMenuTrigger asChild>
              <SidebarMenuButton>
                Select Workspace
                <ChevronDown class="ml-auto" />
              </SidebarMenuButton>
            </DropdownMenuTrigger>
            <DropdownMenuContent class="w-[--reka-popper-anchor-width]">
              <DropdownMenuItem>
                <span>Acme Inc</span>
              </DropdownMenuItem>
              <DropdownMenuItem>
                <span>Acme Corp.</span>
              </DropdownMenuItem>
            </DropdownMenuContent>
          </DropdownMenu>
        </SidebarMenuItem>
      </SidebarMenu>
    </SidebarHeader>
  </Sidebar>
</template>

SidebarFooter

Use the SidebarFooter component to add a sticky footer to the sidebar.

The following example adds a <DropdownMenu> to the SidebarFooter.

A sidebar footer with a dropdown menu.
vue
<template>
  <SidebarProvider>
    <Sidebar>
      <SidebarHeader />
      <SidebarContent />
      <SidebarFooter>
        <SidebarMenu>
          <SidebarMenuItem>
            <DropdownMenu>
              <DropdownMenuTrigger asChild>
                <SidebarMenuButton>
                  <User2 />
                  Username
                  <ChevronUp class="ml-auto" />
                </SidebarMenuButton>
              </DropdownMenuTrigger>
              <DropdownMenuContent
                side="top"
                class="w-[--reka-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>
</template>

SidebarContent

The SidebarContent component is used to wrap the content of the sidebar. This is where you add your SidebarGroup components. It is scrollable.

vue
<script setup lang="ts">
import { Sidebar, SidebarContent } from '@/components/ui/sidebar'
</script>

<template>
  <Sidebar>
    <SidebarContent>
      <SidebarGroup />
      <SidebarGroup />
    </SidebarContent>
  </Sidebar>
</template>

SidebarGroup

Use the SidebarGroup component to create a section within the sidebar.

A SidebarGroup has a SidebarGroupLabel, a SidebarGroupContent and an optional SidebarGroupAction.

A sidebar group.
vue
<script setup lang="ts">
import { Sidebar, SidebarContent, SidebarGroup } from '@/components/ui/sidebar'
</script>

<template>
  <Sidebar>
    <SidebarContent>
      <SidebarGroup>
        <SidebarGroupLabel>Application</SidebarGroupLabel>
        <SidebarGroupAction>
          <Plus />
          <span class="sr-only">Add Project</span>
        </SidebarGroupAction>
        <SidebarGroupContent></SidebarGroupContent>
      </SidebarGroup>
    </SidebarContent>
  </Sidebar>
</template>

Collapsible SidebarGroup

To make a SidebarGroup collapsible, wrap it in a Collapsible.

A collapsible sidebar group.
vue
<template>
  <Collapsible defaultOpen class="group/collapsible">
    <SidebarGroup>
      <SidebarGroupLabel asChild>
        <CollapsibleTrigger>
          Help
          <ChevronDown class="ml-auto transition-transform group-data-[state=open]/collapsible:rotate-180" />
        </CollapsibleTrigger>
      </SidebarGroupLabel>
      <CollapsibleContent>
        <SidebarGroupContent />
      </CollapsibleContent>
    </SidebarGroup>
  </Collapsible>
</template>

SidebarGroupAction

Use the SidebarGroupAction component to add an action button to the SidebarGroup.

vue
<template>
  <SidebarGroup>
    <SidebarGroupLabel asChild>Projects</SidebarGroupLabel>
    <SidebarGroupAction title="Add Project">
      <Plus />
      <span class="sr-only">Add Project</span>
    </SidebarGroupAction>
    <SidebarGroupContent />
  </SidebarGroup>
</template>
A sidebar group with an action button.

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.

Sidebar Menu

Here's an example of a SidebarMenu component rendering a list of projects.

A sidebar menu with a list of projects.
vue
<template>
  <Sidebar>
    <SidebarContent>
      <SidebarGroup>
        <SidebarGroupLabel>Projects</SidebarGroupLabel>
        <SidebarGroupContent>
          <SidebarMenu>
              <SidebarMenuItem v-for="project in projects" :key="project.name">
                <SidebarMenuButton asChild>
                  <a :href="project.url">
                    <component :is="project.icon" />
                    <span>{{project.name}}</span>
                  </a>
                </SidebarMenuButton>
              </SidebarMenuItem>
          </SidebarMenu>
        </SidebarGroupContent>
      </SidebarGroup>
    </SidebarContent>
  </Sidebar>
</template>

SidebarMenuButton

The SidebarMenuButton component is used to render a menu button within a SidebarMenuItem.

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.

vue
<template>
  <SidebarMenuButton asChild>
    <a href="#">Home</a>
  </SidebarMenuButton>
</template>

Icon and Label

You can render an icon and a truncated label inside the button. Remember to wrap the label in a <span>.

vue
<template>
  <SidebarMenuButton asChild>
    <a href="#">
      <Home />
      <span>Home</span>
    </a>
  </SidebarMenuButton>
</template>

isActive

Use the isActive prop to mark a menu item as active.

vue
<template>
  <SidebarMenuButton asChild isActive>
    <a href="#">Home</a>
  </SidebarMenuButton>
</template>

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.

vue
<template>
  <SidebarMenuItem>
    <SidebarMenuButton asChild>
      <a href="#">
        <Home />
        <span>Home</span>
      </a>
    </SidebarMenuButton>
    <SidebarMenuAction>
      <Plus />
      <span class="sr-only">Add Project</span>
    </SidebarMenuAction>
  </SidebarMenuItem>
</template>

Here's an example of a SidebarMenuAction component rendering a DropdownMenu.

A sidebar menu action with a dropdown menu.
vue
<template>
  <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>
</template>

SidebarMenuSub

The SidebarMenuSub component is used to render a submenu within a SidebarMenu.

Use <SidebarMenuSubItem /> and <SidebarMenuSubButton /> to render a submenu item.

A sidebar menu with a submenu.
vue
<template>
  <SidebarMenuItem>
    <SidebarMenuButton />
    <SidebarMenuSub>
      <SidebarMenuSubItem>
        <SidebarMenuSubButton />
      </SidebarMenuSubItem>
      <SidebarMenuSubItem>
        <SidebarMenuSubButton />
      </SidebarMenuSubItem>
    </SidebarMenuSub>
  </SidebarMenuItem>
</template>

Collapsible SidebarMenu

To make a SidebarMenu component collapsible, wrap it and the SidebarMenuSub components in a Collapsible.

A collapsible sidebar menu.
vue
<template>
  <SidebarMenu>
    <Collapsible defaultOpen class="group/collapsible">
      <SidebarMenuItem>
        <CollapsibleTrigger asChild>
          <SidebarMenuButton />
        </CollapsibleTrigger>
        <CollapsibleContent>
          <SidebarMenuSub>
            <SidebarMenuSubItem />
          </SidebarMenuSub>
        </CollapsibleContent>
      </SidebarMenuItem>
    </Collapsible>
  </SidebarMenu>
</template>

SidebarMenuBadge

The SidebarMenuBadge component is used to render a badge within a SidebarMenuItem.

A sidebar menu with a badge.
vue
<template>
  <SidebarMenuItem>
    <SidebarMenuButton />
    <SidebarMenuBadge>24</SidebarMenuBadge>
  </SidebarMenuItem>
</template>

SidebarMenuSkeleton

The SidebarMenuSkeleton component is used to render a skeleton within a SidebarMenuItem. You can use this to show a loading state while waiting for data to load.

vue
<template>
  <SidebarMenu>
    <SidebarMenuItem v-for="i in 5" :key="i">
      <SidebarMenuSkeleton />
    </SidebarMenuItem>
  </SidebarMenu>
</template>

SidebarSeparator

The SidebarSeparator component is used to render a separator within a Sidebar.

vue
<template>
  <Sidebar>
    <SidebarHeader />
    <SidebarSeparator />
    <SidebarContent>
      <SidebarGroup />
      <SidebarSeparator />
      <SidebarGroup />
    </SidebarContent>
  </Sidebar>
</template>

SidebarTrigger

Use the SidebarTrigger component to render a button that toggles the sidebar.

The SidebarTrigger component must be used within a SidebarProvider.

vue
<template>
  <SidebarProvider>
    <Sidebar />
    <main>
      <SidebarTrigger />
    </main>
  </SidebarProvider>
</template>

Custom Trigger

To create a custom trigger, you can use the useSidebar hook.

vue
<script setup lang="ts">
import { useSidebar } from '@/components/ui/sidebar'
const { toggleSidebar } = useSidebar()
</script>

<template>
  <button @click="toggleSidebar">Toggle Sidebar</button>
</template>

SidebarRail

The SidebarRail component is used to render a rail within a Sidebar. This rail can be used to toggle the sidebar.

vue
<template>
  <Sidebar>
    <SidebarHeader />
    <SidebarContent>
      <SidebarGroup />
    </SidebarContent>
    <SidebarFooter />
    <SidebarRail />
  </Sidebar>
</template>

Controlled Sidebar

Use the open and onOpenChange props to control the sidebar.

A controlled sidebar.
vue
<script setup lang="ts">
const open = ref(false)
</script>

<template>
  <SidebarProvider v-model:open="open">
    <Sidebar />
  </SidebarProvider>
</template>

Theming

We use the following CSS variables to theme the sidebar.

css
@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 in icon mode.
vue
<template>
  <Sidebar collapsible="icon">
    <SidebarContent>
      <SidebarGroup class="group-data-[collapsible=icon]:hidden" />
    </SidebarContent>
  </Sidebar>
</template>
  • 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.
vue
<template>
  <SidebarMenuItem>
    <SidebarMenuButton />
    <SidebarMenuAction class="peer-data-[active=true]/menu-button:opacity-100" />
  </SidebarMenuItem>
</template>

You can find more tips on using states for styling in this Twitter thread.

Edit this page on GitHub