layout

CSS Sticky Navigation Bar

Sticky header that stays at the top on scroll with a backdrop blur and shadow effect.

A sticky navigation bar improves UX by keeping navigation accessible as users scroll. This snippet uses position: sticky with a glass-effect backdrop-filter and a dynamic shadow that appears on scroll (using the :not([data-scrolled]) trick or a simple class toggle).

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CSS

Preview

/* Sticky navigation bar */
.navbar {
  position: sticky;
  top: 0;
  z-index: 50;
  height: 60px;
  background: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.9);
  backdrop-filter: blur(12px);
  -webkit-backdrop-filter: blur(12px);
  border-bottom: 1px solid rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.08);
  display: flex;
  align-items: center;
  padding: 0 24px;
  gap: 24px;
}

/* Shadow version (no blur) */
.navbar-shadow {
  position: sticky;
  top: 0;
  z-index: 50;
  height: 60px;
  background: #fff;
  box-shadow: 0 1px 0 rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.08);
  display: flex;
  align-items: center;
  padding: 0 24px;
}

/* Dark mode */
@media (prefers-color-scheme: dark) {
  .navbar {
    background: rgba(17, 17, 16, 0.9);
    border-bottom-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.08);
  }
}

/* Navbar logo and links layout */
.navbar-logo { flex-shrink: 0; }

.navbar-links {
  display: flex;
  gap: 4px;
  margin-left: auto;
}

.navbar-link {
  padding: 6px 12px;
  border-radius: 4px;
  font-size: 14px;
  color: #666;
  text-decoration: none;
  transition: color 0.15s, background 0.15s;
}

.navbar-link:hover { color: #111; background: #f0f0f0; }

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Usage Note

position: sticky requires the parent to have a defined height or overflow that isn't hidden. For performance, backdrop-filter may cause compositing layers — test on lower-end devices if animating nearby elements.