description: Build hidden sidebars into your project for navigation, shopping carts, and more with a few classes and our JavaScript plugin.
group: components
toc: true
---
## How it works
Offcanvas is a sidebar component that can be toggled via JavaScript to appear from the left, right, or bottom edge of the viewport. Buttons or anchors are used as triggers that are attached to specific elements you toggle, and `data` attributes are used to invoke our JavaScript.
- Offcanvas shares some of the same JavaScript code as modals. Conceptually, they are quite similar, but they are separate plugins.
- Similarly, some [source Sass](#sass) variables for offcanvas's styles and dimensions are inherited from the modal's variables.
- When shown, offcanvas includes a default backdrop that can be clicked to hide the offcanvas.
- Similar to modals, only one offcanvas can be shown at a time.
**Heads up!** Given how CSS handles animations, you cannot use `margin` or `translate` on an `.offcanvas` element. Instead, use the class as an independent wrapping element.
Below is an offcanvas example that is shown by default (via `.show` on `.offcanvas`). Offcanvas includes support for a header with a close button and an optional body class for some initial `padding`. We suggest that you include offcanvas headers with dismiss actions whenever possible, or provide an explicit dismiss action.
Content for the offcanvas goes here. You can place just about any Bootstrap component or custom elements here.
</div>
</div>
{{</example>}}
### Live demo
Use the buttons below to show and hide an offcanvas element via JavaScript that toggles the `.show` class on an element with the `.offcanvas` class.
-`.offcanvas` hides content (default)
-`.offcanvas.show` shows content
You can use a link with the `href` attribute, or a button with the `data-bs-target` attribute. In both cases, the `data-bs-toggle="offcanvas"` is required.
Try the top, right, and bottom examples out below.
{{<example>}}
<buttonclass="btn btn-primary"type="button"data-bs-toggle="offcanvas"data-bs-target="#offcanvasTop"aria-controls="offcanvasTop">Toggle top offcanvas</button>
<buttonclass="btn btn-primary"type="button"data-bs-toggle="offcanvas"data-bs-target="#offcanvasRight"aria-controls="offcanvasRight">Toggle right offcanvas</button>
Scrolling the `<body>` element is disabled when an offcanvas and its backdrop are visible. Use the `data-bs-scroll` attribute to toggle `<body>` scrolling and `data-bs-backdrop` to toggle the backdrop.
<buttonclass="btn btn-primary"type="button"data-bs-toggle="offcanvas"data-bs-target="#offcanvasScrolling"aria-controls="offcanvasScrolling">Enable body scrolling</button>
<p>Try scrolling the rest of the page to see this option in action.</p>
</div>
</div>
{{</example>}}
## Accessibility
Since the offcanvas panel is conceptually a modal dialog, be sure to add `aria-labelledby="..."`—referencing the offcanvas title—to `.offcanvas`. Note that you don’t need to add `role="dialog"` since we already add it via JavaScript.
The offcanvas plugin utilizes a few classes and attributes to handle the heavy lifting:
-`.offcanvas` hides the content
-`.offcanvas.show` shows the content
-`.offcanvas-start` hides the offcanvas on the left
-`.offcanvas-end` hides the offcanvas on the right
-`.offcanvas-bottom` hides the offcanvas on the bottom
Add a dismiss button with the `data-bs-dismiss="offcanvas"` attribute, which triggers the JavaScript functionality. Be sure to use the `<button>` element with it for proper behavior across all devices.
### Via data attributes
Add `data-bs-toggle="offcanvas"` and a `data-bs-target` or `href` to the element to automatically assign control of one offcanvas element. The `data-bs-target` attribute accepts a CSS selector to apply the offcanvas to. Be sure to add the class `offcanvas` to the offcanvas element. If you'd like it to default open, add the additional class `show`.
### Via JavaScript
Enable manually with:
```js
var offcanvasElementList = [].slice.call(document.querySelectorAll('.offcanvas'))
var offcanvasList = offcanvasElementList.map(function (offcanvasEl) {
| `toggle` | Toggles an offcanvas element to shown or hidden. **Returns to the caller before the offcanvas element has actually been shown or hidden** (i.e. before the `shown.bs.offcanvas` or `hidden.bs.offcanvas` event occurs). |
| `show` | Shows an offcanvas element. **Returns to the caller before the offcanvas element has actually been shown** (i.e. before the `shown.bs.offcanvas` event occurs).|
| `hide` | Hides an offcanvas element. **Returns to the caller before the offcanvas element has actually been hidden** (i.e. before the `hidden.bs.offcanvas` event occurs).|
| `show.bs.offcanvas` | This event fires immediately when the `show` instance method is called. |
| `shown.bs.offcanvas` | This event is fired when an offcanvas element has been made visible to the user (will wait for CSS transitions to complete). |
| `hide.bs.offcanvas` | This event is fired immediately when the `hide` method has been called. |
| `hidden.bs.offcanvas` | This event is fired when an offcanvas element has been hidden from the user (will wait for CSS transitions to complete). |