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Bootstrap 5Navigation

Bootstrap 5 Offcanvas

Bootstrap 5 offcanvas is a sidebar/drawer component that slides in from the left, right, top, or bottom of the viewport. It's commonly used for mobile navigation menus, shopping cart drawers, filter panels, and notification feeds. It replaced many jQuery modal/sidebar patterns in modern Bootstrap apps.

Primary Class

.offcanvas

Common Use Cases

  • Mobile hamburger menu drawer
  • Shopping cart sidebar
  • Filter panel in product listings
  • Notification feed panel
  • Settings drawer
  • Navigation mega-menu on mobile

Variants & Classes

VariantDescription
Offcanvas leftSlides in from the left edge.
Offcanvas rightSlides in from the right edge.
Offcanvas bottomSlides up from the bottom.
Responsive offcanvasOnly activates as offcanvas below a breakpoint; displays inline above.

Code Example

<!-- Toggle button -->
<button class="btn btn-primary" data-bs-toggle="offcanvas" data-bs-target="#mobileMenu">
  <span class="navbar-toggler-icon"></span> Menu
</button>

<!-- Offcanvas panel -->
<div class="offcanvas offcanvas-start" tabindex="-1" id="mobileMenu" aria-labelledby="mobileMenuLabel">
  <div class="offcanvas-header border-bottom">
    <h5 class="offcanvas-title fw-bold" id="mobileMenuLabel">Navigation</h5>
    <button type="button" class="btn-close" data-bs-dismiss="offcanvas" aria-label="Close"></button>
  </div>
  <div class="offcanvas-body">
    <nav class="d-flex flex-column gap-2">
      <a href="/features" class="text-decoration-none fw-semibold text-dark py-2 border-bottom">Features</a>
      <a href="/pricing" class="text-decoration-none fw-semibold text-dark py-2 border-bottom">Pricing</a>
      <a href="/blog" class="text-decoration-none fw-semibold text-dark py-2 border-bottom">Blog</a>
      <a href="/signup" class="btn btn-primary mt-3">Get Started Free</a>
    </nav>
  </div>
</div>

Canvas Framework Variants

The Canvas template extends Bootstrap 5 with 1,658+ component variants. Generate any of these using Canvas Builder:

  • Cart drawer from right with product list
  • Mobile nav with accordion sub-menus
  • Filter sidebar for product grid
  • Notification feed offcanvas right
  • Mega menu drawer for complex navigation

Best Practices

Use offcanvas-lg for responsive navigation

offcanvas-lg makes the sidebar behave as a normal inline element on large screens and as a drawer on smaller screens. Perfect for navigation sidebars that should always be visible on desktop.

Add a backdrop to focus attention

By default, Bootstrap offcanvas shows a backdrop that dims the page behind the panel. This focuses attention on the offcanvas content. Disable it with data-bs-backdrop='false' only when the offcanvas overlays a non-primary section.

FAQ

What is the difference between Bootstrap 5 modal and offcanvas?
Modals appear centred in the viewport (as dialog boxes). Offcanvas slides in from an edge (left, right, top, or bottom). Use modals for confirmation dialogs and forms; use offcanvas for navigation drawers, cart panels, and filter sidebars.