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Component Lab / navigation-layout / expanding-rail-navigation

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Expanding rail navigation

Keeps destinations icon-compact until hover, focus-within, or explicit pinning expands their labels. A pin control locks the expanded state while destinations update the active marker. Its width-changing rail and persistent pin state differ from the existing compact sidebar.

Lab tested Responsive Dark mode Interactive
Version
1.0.0
Updated
2026-08-02
Dependencies
Zero
Live canvasInstant token updates
Source filesEditable and export-ready
<nav
  class="cmp-expanding-rail-navigation cmp-atlas"
  data-state="idle"
  data-variant="5"
  aria-label="Expanding rail navigation demo"
>
  <div class="cmp-atlas__nav-head">
    <span>Luminous edge rail</span
    ><button type="button" data-primary aria-pressed="false">Pin interface</button>
  </div>
  <div class="cmp-atlas__nav-track">
    <button type="button" data-choice="0" aria-pressed="true">
      <i aria-hidden="true">01</i><span>Pulse</span></button
    ><button type="button" data-choice="1" aria-pressed="false">
      <i aria-hidden="true">02</i><span>Orbit</span></button
    ><button type="button" data-choice="2" aria-pressed="false">
      <i aria-hidden="true">03</i><span>Prism</span></button
    ><button type="button" data-choice="3" aria-pressed="false">
      <i aria-hidden="true">04</i><span>Focus</span>
    </button>
  </div>
  <div class="cmp-atlas__nav-detail">
    <b data-output>Pulse</b><span>Context-aware destination</span><i aria-hidden="true"></i>
  </div>
  <p data-status aria-live="polite">Pulse is active</p>
</nav>
No runtime reactions detected Open in Editor

Validated in the lab

Experiment report

  • Schema and source files passed
  • Responsive test passed
  • Keyboard test passed
  • No console errors

Component ingredients

Dependencies
None
Browser support
Current Chrome, Current Edge, Current Firefox, Current Safari
Version
1.0.0
Last tested
2026-08-02

Accessibility notes

  • Every interactive target is a labelled native control with a visible focus treatment.
  • State changes are communicated through a polite text status and never by color alone.
  • The contained visual effects stop when the user requests reduced motion.

License: MIT License for open-source use, modification, and distribution.