Side navigation
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Side navigation

How to use this component

Select the Side Navigation component for pages with a significant number of sibling pages. This component is placed on the left side of a web page and gives users vertical links to related pages in the same section. 

A Side Navigation component provides users with vertical links on the left side of a page, allowing them to navigate to related sibling pages.

Side Navigation component

View video transcript for SideNav component.

Side nav states: default, hover, active, and focus

Best practices

  • Use on pages with many related sibling pages.
  • Use descriptive, succinct page titles.
  • Arrange items in the side navigation logically and based on relevance.
  • Avoid using external links; only TxDOT.gov links are permitted.
  • Do not place the SideNav component in locations other than the left column of a Column Control.

Placement

  • The SideNav component dynamically draws from AEM. The content of the list cannot be changed on the page apart from "Check to hide sibling pages." 
  • Double check the content to ensure that all items are relavant to the page that the component is used on.
  • Enable the "Check to hide sibling pages" option if children pages should not be displayed.
  • Always display the SideNav component in the left column of a Column Control for visual consistency. Use layouts like 3-9 or 3-6-3 for visual consistency.

Accessibility guidelines

  • Ensure the SideNav links are keyboard accessible.
  • Provide clear and descriptive link text for screen readers.
  • Maintain a logical tab order in the navigation.

Web Coordinator Checklist

  • Select the appropriate Column Control layout (3-9 or 3-6-3).
  • Place the SideNav component in the left column of a Column Control.
  • Verify all included links are internal TxDOT.gov links.
  • Reorder pages in AEM if a specific link order is needed, and republish.
  • Enable "Check to hide sibling pages" if necessary.
  • Test the navigation for keyboard accessibility and screen reader compatibility.