How to Make a Responsive Navigation Bar

Introduction

A responsive navigation bar (navbar) adapts to different screen sizes. This tutorial shows you how to build a modern, mobile-friendly navbar with HTML, CSS, and a touch of JavaScript.

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Step 1: HTML Structure

Create the basic HTML structure:

<nav class="navbar">
  <div class="brand">MyWebsite</div>
  <button class="toggle-button">
    ☰
  </button>
  <div class="navbar-links">
    <ul>
      <li><a href="#">Home</a></li>
      <li><a href="#">About</a></li>
      <li><a href="#">Services</a></li>
      <li><a href="#">Contact</a></li>
    </ul>
  </div>
</nav>

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Step 2: CSS Styling

Style the navbar for desktop and mobile:

body {
  margin: 0;
  font-family: Arial, sans-serif;
}

.navbar {
  display: flex;
  justify-content: space-between;
  align-items: center;
  background-color: #4CAF50;
  padding: 10px 20px;
}

.navbar .brand {
  color: white;
  font-size: 24px;
  font-weight: bold;
}

.navbar-links ul {
  list-style: none;
  margin: 0;
  padding: 0;
  display: flex;
}

.navbar-links li {
  margin-left: 20px;
}

.navbar-links a {
  text-decoration: none;
  color: white;
  font-size: 18px;
}

.toggle-button {
  display: none;
  background: none;
  border: none;
  color: white;
  font-size: 24px;
  cursor: pointer;
}

/* Mobile Styles */
@media (max-width: 768px) {
  .toggle-button {
    display: block;
  }
  .navbar-links {
    display: none;
    width: 100%;
  }
  .navbar-links ul {
    flex-direction: column;
  }
  .navbar-links li {
    margin: 10px 0;
  }
  .navbar-links.active {
    display: flex;
  }
}

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Step 3: JavaScript for Toggle

Make the navbar toggle on mobile screens:

const toggleButton = document.querySelector('.toggle-button');
const navbarLinks = document.querySelector('.navbar-links');

toggleButton.addEventListener('click', () => {
  navbarLinks.classList.toggle('active');
});

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Step 4: Testing

• Open your HTML file in a browser.
• Resize the window to see the navbar adapt.
• Click the toggle button on mobile view to expand/collapse links.

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Step 5: Enhancements

• Add smooth transitions with CSS.
• Highlight active links.
• Include dropdown menus if needed.

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Conclusion

You now have a fully responsive navigation bar that works across desktop and mobile devices. Customize colors, fonts, and layout to match your website’s theme.

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