Explore the best Bootstrap navigation bar examples to enhance your website design. Learn how to implement stylish and responsive navbars with our comprehensive guide.
Bootstrap Navigation Bar Examples: Elevate Your Website Design
In the world of web development, navigation bars (navbars) play a crucial role in ensuring a seamless user experience. They are the backbone of website navigation, providing users with an easy way to access different sections of a site. Bootstrap, a popular front-end framework, offers a variety of customizable and responsive navbar options. In this blog, we will explore some of the best Bootstrap navigation bar examples and how to implement them in your projects.
Table of Contents
- Introduction to Bootstrap Navigation Bars
- Basic Bootstrap Navbar
- Bootstrap Navbar with Dropdown
- Bootstrap Navbar with Forms
- Bootstrap Navbar with Icons
- Bootstrap Navbar with Search Bar
- Sticky and Fixed Navbar
- Customizing Bootstrap Navbars
- Best Practices for Using Bootstrap Navbars
- Conclusion
Introduction to Bootstrap Navigation Bars
Bootstrap navbars are flexible and responsive components that provide a consistent user experience across different devices and screen sizes. With Bootstrap, you can create sleek and stylish navigation bars with minimal effort. Let’s dive into some practical examples and learn how to make the most of Bootstrap’s navbar capabilities.
Basic Bootstrap Navbar
The basic Bootstrap navbar is simple yet effective. It includes a brand logo, navigation links, and a toggle button for mobile view.
<nav class="navbar navbar-expand-lg navbar-light bg-light">
<a class="navbar-brand" href="#">Navbar</a>
<button class="navbar-toggler" 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>
<div class="collapse navbar-collapse" id="navbarNav">
<ul class="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>This code creates a basic navbar with a light background, expanding capabilities, and a toggle button for small screens.
Bootstrap Navbar with Dropdown
Adding dropdown menus to your navbar can enhance navigation by grouping related links.
<nav class="navbar navbar-expand-lg navbar-light bg-light">
<a class="navbar-brand" href="#">Navbar</a>
<button class="navbar-toggler" 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>
<div class="collapse navbar-collapse" id="navbarNavDropdown">
<ul class="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 dropdown">
<a class="nav-link dropdown-toggle" href="#" 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>
<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>This example adds a dropdown menu to the navbar, allowing for more organized and accessible navigation options.
Bootstrap Navbar with Forms
Incorporating forms into your navbar is a common practice for adding search functionality or other interactive elements.
<nav class="navbar navbar-expand-lg navbar-light bg-light">
<a class="navbar-brand" href="#">Navbar</a>
<button class="navbar-toggler" 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>
<div class="collapse navbar-collapse" id="navbarNavAltMarkup">
<div class="navbar-nav">
<a class="nav-link active" href="#">Home <span class="sr-only">(current)</span></a>
<a class="nav-link" href="#">Features</a>
<a class="nav-link" href="#">Pricing</a>
<a class="nav-link disabled" href="#">Disabled</a>
</div>
<form class="form-inline ml-auto">
<input class="form-control mr-sm-2" type="search" placeholder="Search" aria-label="Search">
<button class="btn btn-outline-success my-2 my-sm-0" type="submit">Search</button>
</form>
</div>
</nav>Here, a search form is added to the right side of the navbar, providing users with quick access to search functionality.
Bootstrap Navbar with Icons
Icons can greatly enhance the visual appeal of your navbar and provide intuitive navigation cues.
<nav class="navbar navbar-expand-lg navbar-light bg-light">
<a class="navbar-brand" href="#">Navbar</a>
<button class="navbar-toggler" 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>
<div class="collapse navbar-collapse" id="navbarNav">
<ul class="navbar-nav">
<li class="nav-item active">
<a class="nav-link" href="#"><i class="fas fa-home"></i> Home <span class="sr-only">(current)</span></a>
</li>
<li class="nav-item">
<a class="nav-link" href="#"><i class="fas fa-info-circle"></i> Features</a>
</li>
<li class="nav-item">
<a class="nav-link" href="#"><i class="fas fa-dollar-sign"></i> Pricing</a>
</li>
<li class="nav-item">
<a class="nav-link disabled" href="#"><i class="fas fa-ban"></i> Disabled</a>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
</nav>This example uses Font Awesome icons to enhance the navbar links, making them more visually appealing and easier to understand.
Bootstrap Navbar with Search Bar
A search bar is a valuable addition to any navbar, providing users with a quick and easy way to find content.
<nav class="navbar navbar-expand-lg navbar-light bg-light">
<a class="navbar-brand" href="#">Navbar</a>
<button class="navbar-toggler" 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>
<div class="collapse navbar-collapse" id="navbarNav">
<ul class="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>
<form class="form-inline ml-auto">
<input class="form-control mr-sm-2" type="search" placeholder="Search" aria-label="Search">
<button class="btn btn-outline-success my-2 my-sm-0" type="submit">Search</button>
</form>
</div>
</nav>This example features a search bar integrated into the navbar, allowing users to perform searches directly from the navigation area.
Sticky and Fixed Navbar
Sticky and fixed navbars remain visible as users scroll through the page, providing constant access to navigation links.
Sticky Navbar
<nav class="navbar navbar-expand-lg navbar-light bg-light sticky-top">
<a class="navbar-brand" href="#">Sticky Navbar</a>
<button class="navbar-toggler" 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>
<div class="collapse navbar-collapse" id="navbarNav">
<ul class="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>The sticky-top class ensures that the navbar stays at the top of the viewport as you scroll, providing easy access to navigation at all times.
Fixed Navbar
<nav class="navbar navbar-expand-lg navbar-light bg-light fixed-top">
<a class="navbar-brand" href="#">Fixed Navbar</a>
<button class="navbar-toggler" 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>
<div class="collapse navbar-collapse" id="navbarNav">
<ul class="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>Using the fixed-top class, this navbar stays at the top of the viewport, even as you scroll down the page. This is especially useful for long-scrolling pages where constant access to navigation is beneficial.
Customizing Bootstrap Navbars
While Bootstrap provides a robust set of defaults, customizing your navbar to match your site’s design is often necessary. You can change colors, add custom fonts, and modify the layout using custom CSS.
Changing Colors
To change the background color of the navbar, you can override the default Bootstrap styles.
.custom-navbar {
background-color: #0044cc;
}
.custom-navbar .nav-link {
color: #ffffff;
}<nav class="navbar navbar-expand-lg custom-navbar">
<a class="navbar-brand" href="#">Custom Navbar</a>
<button class="navbar-toggler" 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>
<div class="collapse navbar-collapse" id="navbarNav">
<ul class="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>This example changes the navbar background to a dark blue and the text to white, giving it a custom look that matches your branding.
Best Practices for Using Bootstrap Navbars
When implementing Bootstrap navbars, consider the following best practices to ensure a positive user experience:
- Keep it Simple: Avoid overcrowding your navbar with too many links. Prioritize essential navigation items and group related links in dropdowns.
- Ensure Accessibility: Use appropriate ARIA attributes and semantic HTML to make your navbar accessible to all users, including those using screen readers.
- Responsive Design: Test your navbar on different screen sizes to ensure it works well on both desktop and mobile devices.
- Consistent Styling: Maintain consistency in your navbar design to create a cohesive look across your website.
- Performance: Optimize your navbar for performance by minimizing JavaScript and CSS where possible.
Conclusion
Bootstrap navbars offer a flexible and powerful way to create responsive and stylish navigation for your website. By understanding the different types of navbars and how to customize them, you can enhance the user experience and improve the overall design of your site.
For more tips and tutorials on Bootstrap and web development, visit Varg.
Related Blog
- Learn more about Bootstrap components
- Discover advanced CSS techniques
By incorporating these practices and examples, you can create a robust and visually appealing navigation system for your website, ensuring a positive user experience and easy access to all your site’s content.
