Navigation Menu

A collection of links for navigating websites.

import * as React from "react";
import { NavigationMenu } from "radix-ui";
import classNames from "classnames";
import { CaretDownIcon } from "@radix-ui/react-icons";
import "./styles.css";

const NavigationMenuDemo = () => {
	return (
		<NavigationMenu.Root className="NavigationMenuRoot">
			<NavigationMenu.List className="NavigationMenuList">
				<NavigationMenu.Item>
					<NavigationMenu.Trigger className="NavigationMenuTrigger">
						Learn <CaretDownIcon className="CaretDown" aria-hidden />
					</NavigationMenu.Trigger>
					<NavigationMenu.Content className="NavigationMenuContent">
						<ul className="List one">
							<li style={{ gridRow: "span 3" }}>
								<NavigationMenu.Link asChild>
									<a className="Callout" href="/">
										<svg
											aria-hidden
											width="38"
											height="38"
											viewBox="0 0 25 25"
											fill="white"
										>
											<path d="M12 25C7.58173 25 4 21.4183 4 17C4 12.5817 7.58173 9 12 9V25Z"></path>
											<path d="M12 0H4V8H12V0Z"></path>
											<path d="M17 8C19.2091 8 21 6.20914 21 4C21 1.79086 19.2091 0 17 0C14.7909 0 13 1.79086 13 4C13 6.20914 14.7909 8 17 8Z"></path>
										</svg>
										<div className="CalloutHeading">Radix Primitives</div>
										<p className="CalloutText">
											Unstyled, accessible components for React.
										</p>
									</a>
								</NavigationMenu.Link>
							</li>

							<ListItem href="https://stitches.dev/" title="Stitches">
								CSS-in-JS with best-in-class developer experience.
							</ListItem>
							<ListItem href="/colors" title="Colors">
								Beautiful, thought-out palettes with auto dark mode.
							</ListItem>
							<ListItem href="https://icons.radix-ui.com/" title="Icons">
								A crisp set of 15x15 icons, balanced and consistent.
							</ListItem>
						</ul>
					</NavigationMenu.Content>
				</NavigationMenu.Item>

				<NavigationMenu.Item>
					<NavigationMenu.Trigger className="NavigationMenuTrigger">
						Overview <CaretDownIcon className="CaretDown" aria-hidden />
					</NavigationMenu.Trigger>
					<NavigationMenu.Content className="NavigationMenuContent">
						<ul className="List two">
							<ListItem
								title="Introduction"
								href="/primitives/docs/overview/introduction"
							>
								Build high-quality, accessible design systems and web apps.
							</ListItem>
							<ListItem
								title="Getting started"
								href="/primitives/docs/overview/getting-started"
							>
								A quick tutorial to get you up and running with Radix
								Primitives.
							</ListItem>
							<ListItem title="Styling" href="/primitives/docs/guides/styling">
								Unstyled and compatible with any styling solution.
							</ListItem>
							<ListItem
								title="Animation"
								href="/primitives/docs/guides/animation"
							>
								Use CSS keyframes or any animation library of your choice.
							</ListItem>
							<ListItem
								title="Accessibility"
								href="/primitives/docs/overview/accessibility"
							>
								Tested in a range of browsers and assistive technologies.
							</ListItem>
							<ListItem
								title="Releases"
								href="/primitives/docs/overview/releases"
							>
								Radix Primitives releases and their changelogs.
							</ListItem>
						</ul>
					</NavigationMenu.Content>
				</NavigationMenu.Item>

				<NavigationMenu.Item>
					<NavigationMenu.Link
						className="NavigationMenuLink"
						href="https://github.com/radix-ui"
					>
						Github
					</NavigationMenu.Link>
				</NavigationMenu.Item>

				<NavigationMenu.Indicator className="NavigationMenuIndicator">
					<div className="Arrow" />
				</NavigationMenu.Indicator>
			</NavigationMenu.List>

			<div className="ViewportPosition">
				<NavigationMenu.Viewport className="NavigationMenuViewport" />
			</div>
		</NavigationMenu.Root>
	);
};

const ListItem = React.forwardRef(
	({ className, children, title, ...props }, forwardedRef) => (
		<li>
			<NavigationMenu.Link asChild>
				<a
					className={classNames("ListItemLink", className)}
					{...props}
					ref={forwardedRef}
				>
					<div className="ListItemHeading">{title}</div>
					<p className="ListItemText">{children}</p>
				</a>
			</NavigationMenu.Link>
		</li>
	),
);

export default NavigationMenuDemo;

Features

Can be controlled or uncontrolled.

Flexible layout structure with managed tab focus.

Supports submenus.

Optional active item indicator.

Full keyboard navigation.

Exposes CSS variables for advanced animation.

Supports custom timings.

Installation

Install the component from your command line.

npm install @radix-ui/react-navigation-menu

Anatomy

Import all parts and piece them together.

import { NavigationMenu } from "radix-ui";

export default () => (
	<NavigationMenu.Root>
		<NavigationMenu.List>
			<NavigationMenu.Item>
				<NavigationMenu.Trigger />
				<NavigationMenu.Content>
					<NavigationMenu.Link />
				</NavigationMenu.Content>
			</NavigationMenu.Item>

			<NavigationMenu.Item>
				<NavigationMenu.Link />
			</NavigationMenu.Item>

			<NavigationMenu.Item>
				<NavigationMenu.Trigger />
				<NavigationMenu.Content>
					<NavigationMenu.Sub>
						<NavigationMenu.List />
						<NavigationMenu.Viewport />
					</NavigationMenu.Sub>
				</NavigationMenu.Content>
			</NavigationMenu.Item>

			<NavigationMenu.Indicator />
		</NavigationMenu.List>

		<NavigationMenu.Viewport />
	</NavigationMenu.Root>
);

API Reference

Root

Contains all the parts of a navigation menu.

Prop	Type	Default
`defaultValue`	`string`	No default value
`value`	`string`	No default value
`onValueChange`	`function`	No default value
`delayDuration`	`number`	`200`
`skipDelayDuration`	`number`	`300`
`dir`	`enum`	No default value
`orientation`	`enum`	`"horizontal"`

Data attribute	Values
`[data-orientation]`	`"vertical" \| "horizontal"`

Sub

Signifies a submenu. Use it in place of the root part when nested to create a submenu.

Prop	Type	Default
`defaultValue`	`string`	No default value
`value`	`string`	No default value
`onValueChange`	`function`	No default value
`orientation`	`enum`	`"horizontal"`

Data attribute	Values
`[data-orientation]`	`"vertical" \| "horizontal"`

List

Contains the top level menu items.

Prop	Type	Default
`asChild`	`boolean`	`false`

Data attribute	Values
`[data-orientation]`	`"vertical" \| "horizontal"`

Item

A top level menu item, contains a link or trigger with content combination.

Prop	Type	Default
`asChild`	`boolean`	`false`
`value`	`string`	No default value

Trigger

The button that toggles the content.

Prop	Type	Default
`asChild`	`boolean`	`false`

Data attribute	Values
`[data-state]`	`"open" \| "closed"`
`[data-disabled]`	Present when disabled

Content

Contains the content associated with each trigger.

Prop	Type	Default
`asChild`	`boolean`	`false`
`onEscapeKeyDown`	`function`	No default value
`onPointerDownOutside`	`function`	No default value
`onFocusOutside`	`function`	No default value
`onInteractOutside`	`function`	No default value
`forceMount`	`boolean`	No default value

Data attribute	Values
`[data-state]`	`"open" \| "closed"`
`[data-motion]`	`"to-start" \| "to-end" \| "from-start" \| "from-end"`
`[data-orientation]`	`"vertical" \| "horizontal"`

Link

A navigational link.

Prop	Type	Default
`asChild`	`boolean`	`false`
`active`	`boolean`	`false`
`onSelect`	`function`	No default value

Data attribute	Values
`[data-active]`	Present when active

Indicator

An optional indicator element that renders below the list, is used to highlight the currently active trigger.

Prop	Type	Default
`asChild`	`boolean`	`false`
`forceMount`	`boolean`	No default value

Data attribute	Values
`[data-state]`	`"visible" \| "hidden"`
`[data-orientation]`	`"vertical" \| "horizontal"`

Viewport

An optional viewport element that is used to render active content outside of the list.

Prop	Type	Default
`asChild`	`boolean`	`false`
`forceMount`	`boolean`	No default value

Data attribute	Values
`[data-state]`	`"open" \| "closed"`
`[data-orientation]`	`"vertical" \| "horizontal"`

CSS Variable	Description
`--radix-navigation-menu-viewport-width`	The width of the viewport when visible/hidden, computed from the active content
`--radix-navigation-menu-viewport-height`	The height of the viewport when visible/hidden, computed from the active content

Examples

Vertical

You can create a vertical menu by using the orientation prop.

<NavigationMenu.Root orientation="vertical">
	<NavigationMenu.List>
		<NavigationMenu.Item>
			<NavigationMenu.Trigger>Item one</NavigationMenu.Trigger>
			<NavigationMenu.Content>Item one content</NavigationMenu.Content>
		</NavigationMenu.Item>
		<NavigationMenu.Item>
			<NavigationMenu.Trigger>Item two</NavigationMenu.Trigger>
			<NavigationMenu.Content>Item Two content</NavigationMenu.Content>
		</NavigationMenu.Item>
	</NavigationMenu.List>
</NavigationMenu.Root>

Use the Viewport part when you need extra control over where Content is rendered. This can be helpful when your design requires an adjusted DOM structure or if you need flexibility to achieve advanced animation. Tab focus will be maintained automatically.

<NavigationMenu.Root>
	<NavigationMenu.List>
		<NavigationMenu.Item>
			<NavigationMenu.Trigger>Item one</NavigationMenu.Trigger>
			<NavigationMenu.Content>Item one content</NavigationMenu.Content>
		</NavigationMenu.Item>
		<NavigationMenu.Item>
			<NavigationMenu.Trigger>Item two</NavigationMenu.Trigger>
			<NavigationMenu.Content>Item two content</NavigationMenu.Content>
		</NavigationMenu.Item>
	</NavigationMenu.List>

	{/* NavigationMenu.Content will be rendered here when active */}
	<NavigationMenu.Viewport />
</NavigationMenu.Root>

With indicator

You can use the optional Indicator part to highlight the currently active Trigger, this is useful when you want to provide an animated visual cue such as an arrow or highlight to accompany the Viewport.

// index.jsx
import { NavigationMenu } from "radix-ui";
import "./styles.css";

export default () => (
	<NavigationMenu.Root>
		<NavigationMenu.List>
			<NavigationMenu.Item>
				<NavigationMenu.Trigger>Item one</NavigationMenu.Trigger>
				<NavigationMenu.Content>Item one content</NavigationMenu.Content>
			</NavigationMenu.Item>
			<NavigationMenu.Item>
				<NavigationMenu.Trigger>Item two</NavigationMenu.Trigger>
				<NavigationMenu.Content>Item two content</NavigationMenu.Content>
			</NavigationMenu.Item>

			<NavigationMenu.Indicator className="NavigationMenuIndicator" />
		</NavigationMenu.List>

		<NavigationMenu.Viewport />
	</NavigationMenu.Root>
);

/* styles.css */
.NavigationMenuIndicator {
	background-color: grey;
}
.NavigationMenuIndicator[data-orientation="horizontal"] {
	height: 3px;
	transition:
		width,
		transform,
		250ms ease;
}

With submenus

Create a submenu by nesting your NavigationMenu and using the Sub part in place of its Root. Submenus work differently to Root navigation menus and are similar to Tabs in that one item should always be active, so be sure to assign and set a defaultValue.

<NavigationMenu.Root>
	<NavigationMenu.List>
		<NavigationMenu.Item>
			<NavigationMenu.Trigger>Item one</NavigationMenu.Trigger>
			<NavigationMenu.Content>Item one content</NavigationMenu.Content>
		</NavigationMenu.Item>
		<NavigationMenu.Item>
			<NavigationMenu.Trigger>Item two</NavigationMenu.Trigger>
			<NavigationMenu.Content>
				<NavigationMenu.Sub defaultValue="sub1">
					<NavigationMenu.List>
						<NavigationMenu.Item value="sub1">
							<NavigationMenu.Trigger>Sub item one</NavigationMenu.Trigger>
							<NavigationMenu.Content>
								Sub item one content
							</NavigationMenu.Content>
						</NavigationMenu.Item>
						<NavigationMenu.Item value="sub2">
							<NavigationMenu.Trigger>Sub item two</NavigationMenu.Trigger>
							<NavigationMenu.Content>
								Sub item two content
							</NavigationMenu.Content>
						</NavigationMenu.Item>
					</NavigationMenu.List>
				</NavigationMenu.Sub>
			</NavigationMenu.Content>
		</NavigationMenu.Item>
	</NavigationMenu.List>
</NavigationMenu.Root>

With client side routing

If you need to use the Link component provided by your routing package then we recommend composing with NavigationMenu.Link via a custom component. This will ensure accessibility and consistent keyboard control is maintained. Here's an example using Next.js:

// index.jsx
import { usePathname } from "next/navigation";
import NextLink from "next/link";
import { NavigationMenu } from "radix-ui";
import "./styles.css";

const Link = ({ href, ...props }) => {
	const pathname = usePathname();
	const isActive = href === pathname;

	return (
		<NavigationMenu.Link asChild active={isActive}>
			<NextLink href={href} className="NavigationMenuLink" {...props} />
		</NavigationMenu.Link>
	);
};

export default () => (
	<NavigationMenu.Root>
		<NavigationMenu.List>
			<NavigationMenu.Item>
				<Link href="/">Home</Link>
			</NavigationMenu.Item>
			<NavigationMenu.Item>
				<Link href="/about">About</Link>
			</NavigationMenu.Item>
		</NavigationMenu.List>
	</NavigationMenu.Root>
);

/* styles.css */
.NavigationMenuLink {
	text-decoration: none;
}
.NavigationMenuLink[data-active] {
	text-decoration: "underline";
}

Advanced animation

We expose --radix-navigation-menu-viewport-[width|height] and data-motion['from-start'|'to-start'|'from-end'|'to-end'] attributes to allow you to animate Viewport size and Content position based on the enter/exit direction.

Combining these with position: absolute; allows you to create smooth overlapping animation effects when moving between items.

// index.jsx
import { NavigationMenu } from "radix-ui";
import "./styles.css";

export default () => (
	<NavigationMenu.Root>
		<NavigationMenu.List>
			<NavigationMenu.Item>
				<NavigationMenu.Trigger>Item one</NavigationMenu.Trigger>
				<NavigationMenu.Content className="NavigationMenuContent">
					Item one content
				</NavigationMenu.Content>
			</NavigationMenu.Item>
			<NavigationMenu.Item>
				<NavigationMenu.Trigger>Item two</NavigationMenu.Trigger>
				<NavigationMenu.Content className="NavigationMenuContent">
					Item two content
				</NavigationMenu.Content>
			</NavigationMenu.Item>
		</NavigationMenu.List>

		<NavigationMenu.Viewport className="NavigationMenuViewport" />
	</NavigationMenu.Root>
);

/* styles.css */
.NavigationMenuContent {
	position: absolute;
	top: 0;
	left: 0;
	animation-duration: 250ms;
	animation-timing-function: ease;
}
.NavigationMenuContent[data-motion="from-start"] {
	animation-name: enterFromLeft;
}
.NavigationMenuContent[data-motion="from-end"] {
	animation-name: enterFromRight;
}
.NavigationMenuContent[data-motion="to-start"] {
	animation-name: exitToLeft;
}
.NavigationMenuContent[data-motion="to-end"] {
	animation-name: exitToRight;
}

.NavigationMenuViewport {
	position: relative;
	width: var(--radix-navigation-menu-viewport-width);
	height: var(--radix-navigation-menu-viewport-height);
	transition:
		width,
		height,
		250ms ease;
}

@keyframes enterFromRight {
	from {
		opacity: 0;
		transform: translateX(200px);
	}
	to {
		opacity: 1;
		transform: translateX(0);
	}
}

@keyframes enterFromLeft {
	from {
		opacity: 0;
		transform: translateX(-200px);
	}
	to {
		opacity: 1;
		transform: translateX(0);
	}
}

@keyframes exitToRight {
	from {
		opacity: 1;
		transform: translateX(0);
	}
	to {
		opacity: 0;
		transform: translateX(200px);
	}
}

@keyframes exitToLeft {
	from {
		opacity: 1;
		transform: translateX(0);
	}
	to {
		opacity: 0;
		transform: translateX(-200px);
	}
}

Accessibility

Adheres to the navigation role requirements.

Differences to menubar

NavigationMenu should not be confused with menubar, although this primitive shares the name menu in the colloquial sense to refer to a set of navigation links, it does not use the WAI-ARIA menu role. This is because menu and menubars behave like native operating system menus most commonly found in desktop application windows, as such they feature complex functionality like composite focus management and first-character navigation.

These features are often considered unnecessary for website navigation and at worst can confuse users who are familiar with established website patterns.

See the W3C Disclosure Navigation Menu example for more information.

Link usage and aria-current

It's important to use NavigationMenu.Link for all navigational links within a menu, this not only applies to the main list but also within any content rendered via NavigationMenu.Content. This will ensure consistent keyboard interactions and accessibility while also giving access to the active prop for setting aria-current and the active styles. See this example for more information on usage with third party routing components.

Keyboard Interactions

Key	Description
`SpaceEnter`	When focus is on `NavigationMenu.Trigger`, opens the content.
`Tab`	Moves focus to the next focusable element.
`ArrowDown`	When `horizontal` and focus is on an open `NavigationMenu.Trigger`, moves focus into `NavigationMenu.Content`. Moves focus to the next `NavigationMenu.Trigger` or `NavigationMenu.Link`.
`ArrowUp`	Moves focus to the previous `NavigationMenu.Trigger` or `NavigationMenu.Link`.
`ArrowRightArrowLeft`	When `vertical` and focus is on an open `NavigationMenu.Trigger`, moves focus into its `NavigationMenu.Content`. Moves focus to the next / previous `NavigationMenu.Trigger` or `NavigationMenu.Link`.
`HomeEnd`	Moves focus to the first/last `NavigationMenu.Trigger` or `NavigationMenu.Link`.
`Esc`	Closes open `NavigationMenu.Content` and moves focus to its `NavigationMenu.Trigger`.

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