# Setting up navigation A clear and concise navigation structure is an important aspect of good project documentation. Material for MkDocs provides a multitude of options to configure the behavior of navigational elements, including [tabs] and [sections], and one of its flagship features: [instant loading]. [tabs]: #navigation-tabs [sections]: #navigation-sections [instant loading]: #instant-loading Additional navigation can be configured [in the footer] as well as with the [tags plugin]. The [blog plugin] also sets up additional navigation. [in the footer]: setting-up-the-footer.md#navigation [tags plugin]: ../plugins/tags.md [blog plugin]: ../plugins/blog.md ## Configuration ### Instant loading <!-- md:version 5.0.0 --> <!-- md:feature --> When instant loading is enabled, clicks on all internal links will be intercepted and dispatched via [XHR] without fully reloading the page. Add the following lines to `mkdocs.yml`: ``` yaml theme: features: - navigation.instant ``` The resulting page is parsed and injected and all event handlers and components are rebound automatically, i.e., __Material for MkDocs now behaves like a Single Page Application__. Now, the search index survives navigation, which is especially useful for large documentation sites. !!! info "The [`site_url`][mkdocs.site_url] setting must be set" Note that you must set [`site_url`][mkdocs.site_url] when using instant navigation, as instant navigation relies on the generated `sitemap.xml` which will be empty if this setting is omitted. Example: ``` yaml site_url: https://example.com ``` [XHR]: https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/API/XMLHttpRequest #### Instant prefetching <!-- md:sponsors --> <!-- md:version insiders-4.36.0 --> <!-- md:feature --> <!-- md:flag experimental --> Instant prefetching is a new experimental feature that will start to fetch a page once the user hovers over a link. This will reduce the perceived loading time for the user, especially on slow connections, as the page will be available immediately upon navigation. Enable it with: ``` yaml theme: features: - navigation.instant - navigation.instant.prefetch ``` #### Progress indicator <!-- md:version 9.4.3 --> <!-- md:feature --> <!-- md:flag experimental --> In order to provide a better user experience on slow connections when using instant navigation, a progress indicator can be enabled. It will be shown at the top of the page and will be hidden once the page has fully loaded. You can enable it in `mkdocs.yml` with: ``` yaml theme: features: - navigation.instant - navigation.instant.progress ``` The progress indicator will only show if the page hasn't finished loading after 400ms, so that fast connections will never show it for a better instant experience. ### Instant previews :material-alert-decagram:{ .mdx-pulse title="Added on January 28, 2024" } <!-- md:sponsors --> <!-- md:version insiders-4.52.0 --> <!-- md:feature --> <!-- md:flag experimental --> Instant previews are a brand new feature that allow the user to preview another site of your documentation without navigating to it. They can be very helpful to keep the user in context. Instant previews can be enabled on any header link with the `data-preview` attribute: ```` markdown title="Link with instant preview" ``` markdown [Attribute Lists](#){ data-preview } ``` ```` <div class="result" markdown> [Attribute Lists](extensions/python-markdown.md#attribute-lists){ data-preview } </div> !!! info "Limitations" Instant previews are still an experimental feature and currently limited to headerlinks. This means, you can use them on any internal link that points to a header on another page, but not other elements with `id` attributes. After we have gathered enough feedback, we will consider extending this feature to other, and possibly arbitrary elements. #### Automatic previews <!-- md:sponsors --> <!-- md:version insiders-4.53.0 --> <!-- md:extension --> <!-- md:flag experimental --> The recommended way to work with instant previews is to use the Markdown extension that is included with Material for MkDocs, as it allows you to enable instant previews on a per-page or per-section level for your documentation: ``` yaml markdown_extensions: - material.extensions.preview: targets: include: - changelog/index.md - customization.md - insiders/changelog/* - setup/extensions/* ``` The above configuration is what we use for our documentation. We've enabled instant previews for our changelogs, customization guide, and Insiders sections, as well as for all Markdown extensions that we support. !!! info "Full configuration example" ``` yaml markdown_extensions: - material.extensions.preview: sources: # (1)! include: - ... exclude: - ... targets: # (2)! include: - ... exclude: - ... ``` 1. Sources specify the pages _on_ which instant previews should be enabled. If this setting is omitted, instant previews will be enabled on all pages. You can use patterns to include or exclude pages. Exclusion is evaluated on top of inclusion, so if a page is matched by both, it will be excluded. 2. Targets specify the pages _to_ which instant previews should be enabled. This is the recommended way to enable instant previews. --- Instant previews can also be enabled globally by adding the following lines to `mkdocs.yml`, which will enable instant previews for all header links, alleviating the need to add data attributes: ``` yaml theme: features: - navigation.instant.preview ``` !!! info "The [`site_url`][mkdocs.site_url] setting must be set" Note that you must set [`site_url`][mkdocs.site_url] when using instant previews, as instant previews rely on the generated `sitemap.xml` which will be empty if this setting is omitted. Example: ``` yaml site_url: https://example.com ``` ### Anchor tracking <!-- md:version 8.0.0 --> <!-- md:feature --> When anchor tracking is enabled, the URL in the address bar is automatically updated with the active anchor as highlighted in the table of contents. Add the following lines to `mkdocs.yml`: ``` yaml theme: features: - navigation.tracking ``` ### Navigation tabs <!-- md:version 1.1.0 --> <!-- md:feature --> When tabs are enabled, top-level sections are rendered in a menu layer below the header for viewports above `1220px`, but remain as-is on mobile.[^1] Add the following lines to `mkdocs.yml`: [^1]: Prior to <!-- md:version 6.2.0 -->, navigation tabs had a slightly different behavior. All top-level pages (i.e. all top-level entries directly referring to a `*.md` file) defined inside the `nav` entry of `mkdocs.yml` were grouped under the first tab which received the title of the first page. This made it impossible to include a top-level page (or external link) as a tab item, as was reported in #1884 and #2072. From <!-- md:version 6.2.0 --> on, navigation tabs include all top-level pages and sections. ``` yaml theme: features: - navigation.tabs ``` === "With tabs" [![Navigation tabs enabled]][Navigation tabs enabled] === "Without" [![Navigation tabs disabled]][Navigation tabs disabled] [Navigation tabs enabled]: ../assets/screenshots/navigation-tabs.png [Navigation tabs disabled]: ../assets/screenshots/navigation.png #### Sticky navigation tabs <!-- md:version 7.3.0 --> <!-- md:feature --> When sticky tabs are enabled, navigation tabs will lock below the header and always remain visible when scrolling down. Just add the following two feature flags to `mkdocs.yml`: ``` yaml theme: features: - navigation.tabs - navigation.tabs.sticky ``` === "With sticky tabs" [![Sticky navigation tabs enabled]][Sticky navigation tabs enabled] === "Without" [![Sticky navigation tabs disabled]][Sticky navigation tabs disabled] [Sticky navigation tabs enabled]: ../assets/screenshots/navigation-tabs-sticky.png [Sticky navigation tabs disabled]: ../assets/screenshots/navigation-tabs-collapsed.png ### Navigation sections <!-- md:version 6.2.0 --> <!-- md:feature --> When sections are enabled, top-level sections are rendered as groups in the sidebar for viewports above `1220px`, but remain as-is on mobile. Add the following lines to `mkdocs.yml`: ``` yaml theme: features: - navigation.sections ``` === "With sections" [![Navigation sections enabled]][Navigation sections enabled] === "Without" [![Navigation sections disabled]][Navigation sections disabled] [Navigation sections enabled]: ../assets/screenshots/navigation-sections.png [Navigation sections disabled]: ../assets/screenshots/navigation.png Both feature flags, [`navigation.tabs`][tabs] and [`navigation.sections`][sections], can be combined with each other. If both feature flags are enabled, sections are rendered for level 2 navigation items. ### Navigation expansion <!-- md:version 6.2.0 --> <!-- md:feature --> When expansion is enabled, the left sidebar will expand all collapsible subsections by default, so the user doesn't have to open subsections manually. Add the following lines to `mkdocs.yml`: ``` yaml theme: features: - navigation.expand ``` === "With expansion" [![Navigation expansion enabled]][Navigation expansion enabled] === "Without" [![Navigation expansion disabled]][Navigation expansion disabled] [Navigation expansion enabled]: ../assets/screenshots/navigation-expand.png [Navigation expansion disabled]: ../assets/screenshots/navigation.png ### Navigation path <small>Breadcrumbs</small> { id=navigation-path } <!-- md:sponsors --> <!-- md:version insiders-4.28.0 --> <!-- md:feature --> <!-- md:flag experimental --> When navigation paths are activated, a breadcrumb navigation is rendered above the title of each page, which might make orientation easier for users visiting your documentation on devices with smaller screens. Add the following lines to `mkdocs.yml`: ``` yaml theme: features: - navigation.path ``` === "With navigation path" [![Navigation path enabled]][Navigation path enabled] === "Without" [![Navigation path disabled]][Navigation path disabled] [Navigation path enabled]: ../assets/screenshots/navigation-path-on.png [Navigation path disabled]: ../assets/screenshots/navigation-path-off.png ### Navigation pruning <!-- md:version 9.2.0 --> <!-- md:feature --> <!-- md:flag experimental --> When pruning is enabled, only the visible navigation items are included in the rendered HTML, __reducing the size of the built site by 33% or more__. Add the following lines to `mkdocs.yml`: ``` yaml theme: features: - navigation.prune # (1)! ``` 1. This feature flag is not compatible with [`navigation.expand`][navigation.expand], as navigation expansion requires the complete navigation structure. This feature flag is especially useful for documentation sites with 100+ or even 1,000+ of pages, as the navigation makes up a significant fraction of the HTML. Navigation pruning will replace all expandable sections with links to the first page in that section (or the section index page). [navigation.expand]: #navigation-expansion ### Section index pages <!-- md:version 7.3.0 --> <!-- md:feature --> When section index pages are enabled, documents can be directly attached to sections, which is particularly useful for providing overview pages. Add the following lines to `mkdocs.yml`: ``` yaml theme: features: - navigation.indexes # (1)! ``` 1. This feature flag is not compatible with [`toc.integrate`][toc.integrate], as sections cannot host the table of contents due to missing space. === "With section index pages" [![Section index pages enabled]][Section index pages enabled] === "Without" [![Section index pages disabled]][Section index pages disabled] In order to link a page to a section, create a new document with the name `index.md` in the respective folder, and add it to the beginning of your navigation section: ``` yaml nav: - Section: - section/index.md # (1)! - Page 1: section/page-1.md ... - Page n: section/page-n.md ``` 1. MkDocs also considers files called `README.md` as [index pages]. [Section index pages enabled]: ../assets/screenshots/navigation-index-on.png [Section index pages disabled]: ../assets/screenshots/navigation-index-off.png [toc.integrate]: #navigation-integration [index pages]: https://www.mkdocs.org/user-guide/writing-your-docs/#index-pages ### Table of contents #### Anchor following <!-- md:version 8.5.0 --> <!-- md:feature --> <!-- md:flag experimental --> When anchor following for the [table of contents] is enabled, the sidebar is automatically scrolled so that the active anchor is always visible. Add the following lines to `mkdocs.yml`: ``` yaml theme: features: - toc.follow ``` #### Navigation integration <!-- md:version 6.2.0 --> <!-- md:feature --> When navigation integration for the [table of contents] is enabled, it is always rendered as part of the navigation sidebar on the left. Add the following lines to `mkdocs.yml`: ``` yaml theme: features: - toc.integrate # (1)! ``` 1. This feature flag is not compatible with [`navigation.indexes`][navigation.indexes], as sections cannot host the table of contents due to missing space. === "With navigation integration" [![Navigation integration enabled]][Navigation integration enabled] === "Without" [![Navigation integration disabled]][Navigation integration disabled] [table of contents]: extensions/python-markdown.md#table-of-contents [Navigation integration enabled]: ../assets/screenshots/toc-integrate.png [Navigation integration disabled]: ../assets/screenshots/navigation-tabs.png [navigation.indexes]: #section-index-pages ### Back-to-top button <!-- md:version 7.1.0 --> <!-- md:feature --> A back-to-top button can be shown when the user, after scrolling down, starts to scroll up again. It's rendered centered and just below the header. Add the following lines to `mkdocs.yml`: ``` yaml theme: features: - navigation.top ``` ## Usage ### Hiding the sidebars <!-- md:version 6.2.0 --> <!-- md:flag metadata --> The navigation and/or table of contents sidebars can be hidden for a document with the front matter `hide` property. Add the following lines at the top of a Markdown file: ``` yaml --- hide: - navigation - toc --- # Page title ... ``` === "Hide navigation" [![Hide navigation enabled]][Hide navigation enabled] === "Hide table of contents" [![Hide table of contents enabled]][Hide table of contents enabled] === "Hide both" [![Hide both enabled]][Hide both enabled] [Hide navigation enabled]: ../assets/screenshots/hide-navigation.png [Hide table of contents enabled]: ../assets/screenshots/hide-toc.png [Hide both enabled]: ../assets/screenshots/hide-navigation-toc.png ### Hiding the navigation path <!-- md:sponsors --> <!-- md:version insiders-4.28.0 --> <!-- md:flag metadata --> While the [navigation path] is rendered above the main headline, sometimes, it might be desirable to hide it for a specific page, which can be achieved with the front matter `hide` property: ``` yaml --- hide: - path --- # Page title ... ``` [navigation path]: #navigation-path ## Customization ### Keyboard shortcuts Material for MkDocs includes several keyboard shortcuts that make it possible to navigate your project documentation via keyboard. There are two modes: <!-- md:option mode:search --> : This mode is active when the _search is focused_. It provides several key bindings to make search accessible and navigable via keyboard: * ++arrow-down++ , ++arrow-up++ : select next / previous result * ++esc++ , ++tab++ : close search dialog * ++enter++ : follow selected result <!-- md:option mode:global --> : This mode is active when _search is not focussed_ and when there's no other focussed element that is susceptible to keyboard input. The following keys are bound: * ++f++ , ++s++ , ++slash++ : open search dialog * ++p++ , ++comma++ : go to previous page * ++n++ , ++period++ : go to next page Let's say you want to bind some action to the ++x++ key. By using [additional JavaScript], you can subscribe to the `keyboard$` observable and attach your custom event listener: === ":octicons-file-code-16: `docs/javascripts/shortcuts.js`" ``` js keyboard$.subscribe(function(key) { if (key.mode === "global" && key.type === "x") { /* Add custom keyboard handler here */ key.claim() // (1)! } }) ``` 1. The call to `key.claim()` will execute `preventDefault()` on the underlying event, so the keypress will not propagate further and touch other event listeners. === ":octicons-file-code-16: `mkdocs.yml`" ``` yaml extra_javascript: - javascripts/shortcuts.js ``` [additional JavaScript]: ../customization.md#additional-javascript ### Content area width The width of the content area is set so the length of each line doesn't exceed 80-100 characters, depending on the width of the characters. While this is a reasonable default, as longer lines tend to be harder to read, it may be desirable to increase the overall width of the content area, or even make it stretch to the entire available space. This can easily be achieved with an [additional style sheet] and a few lines of CSS: === ":octicons-file-code-16: `docs/stylesheets/extra.css`" ``` css .md-grid { max-width: 1440px; /* (1)! */ } ``` 1. If you want the content area to always stretch to the available screen space, reset `max-width` with the following CSS: ``` css .md-grid { max-width: initial; } ``` === ":octicons-file-code-16: `mkdocs.yml`" ``` yaml extra_css: - stylesheets/extra.css ``` [additional style sheet]: ../customization.md#additional-css