Tabs

Introduction

The Tabs component provides a way to organize content into different sections that can be accessed one at a time. It follows WAI-ARIA guidelines and includes full keyboard support and proper ARIA attributes.

When to use

Use the Tabs component when you need to:

• Organize related content into sections
• Switch between different views
• Present form sections
• Display product details
• Show settings panels
• Structure dashboard sections

Quick example

First tab Second tab Third tab

First panel

Try using the arrow keys to navigate between tabs!

Second panel

Notice how the focus management works when tabbing through.

Third panel

The component handles all the ARIA attributes automatically.

Usage

The Tabs component consists of four parts: the container, list wrapper, individual tabs, and their corresponding panels.

---
import { Tabs, TabsList, TabsTab, TabsPanel } from 'accessible-astro-components'
---

<Tabs>
  <TabsList>
    <TabsTab id="tab1" controls="panel1" selected>First tab</TabsTab>
    <TabsTab id="tab2" controls="panel2">Second tab</TabsTab>
    <TabsTab id="tab3" controls="panel3">Third tab</TabsTab>
  </TabsList>

  <TabsPanel id="panel1" labelledby="tab1" selected>
    <h2>First panel</h2>
    <p>Content for first panel</p>
  </TabsPanel>
  <TabsPanel id="panel2" labelledby="tab2">
    <h2>Second panel</h2>
    <p>Content for second panel</p>
  </TabsPanel>
  <TabsPanel id="panel3" labelledby="tab3">
    <h2>Third panel</h2>
    <p>Content for third panel</p>
  </TabsPanel>
</Tabs>

Progressive enhancement

The component uses JavaScript for enhanced functionality but maintains a logical structure even without it.

Props

Each component in the Tabs system accepts specific props:

Tabs

Prop	Type	Default	Description
class	string	''	Additional CSS classes to apply

TabsList

Prop	Type	Default	Description
class	string	''	Additional CSS classes to apply

TabsTab

Prop	Type	Default	Description
id	string	Required	Unique identifier for the tab
controls	string	Required	ID of the panel this tab controls
selected	boolean	false	Whether this tab is initially selected
class	string	''	Additional CSS classes to apply

TabsPanel

Prop	Type	Default	Description
id	string	Required	Unique identifier for the panel
labelledby	string	Required	ID of the tab that labels this panel
selected	boolean	false	Whether this panel is initially visible
class	string	''	Additional CSS classes to apply

Accessibility

Accessibility isn’t an afterthought - it’s built into the core of this component through semantic HTML elements and proper ARIA attributes. The Tabs component is built with accessibility in mind:

• Proper ARIA roles (tablist, tab, tabpanel)
• Keyboard navigation:
  • Left/Right arrows to move between tabs
  • Tab/Shift+Tab for focus management
• Clear focus indicators
• Proper ARIA states (aria-selected, aria-controls, aria-labelledby)
• Semantic HTML structure
• Proper focus management
• Smooth transitions (respecting reduced-motion preferences)

Styling

Make the Tabs component your own while maintaining its accessibility features.

Accessibility considerations

When customizing styles, ensure you maintain sufficient color contrast ratios and don’t remove focus indicators.

Custom CSS

/* Option 1: Using :global() in your style block */
<style>
  :global(.tab) {
    flex-grow: 1;
    padding-block: 0.75rem;
    padding-inline: 1rem;
    border: 2px solid;
    border-radius: 0.5rem;
    border-color: light-dark(hsl(215 25% 27%), hsl(215 25% 89%));
    background-color: transparent;
    color: inherit;
    font-weight: 700;
    cursor: pointer;
  }

  :global(.tab[aria-selected='true']),
  :global(.tab:hover),
  :global(.tab:focus-visible) {
    color: light-dark(hsl(0 0% 100%), hsl(215 25% 27%));
    background-color: light-dark(hsl(215 25% 27%), hsl(215 25% 89%));
  }

  :global(.tab-panel) {
    display: flex;
    flex-direction: column;
    min-block-size: 10rem;
    padding: 2rem;
    border: 2px solid;
    border-color: light-dark(hsl(215 25% 27%), hsl(215 25% 89%));
    border-end-end-radius: 0.5rem;
    border-end-start-radius: 0.5rem;
  }
</style>

/* Option 2: Using is:global on the style tag */
<style is:global>
  .tab {
    /* Same as above */
  }

  .tab[aria-selected='true'],
  .tab:hover,
  .tab:focus-visible {
    /* Same as above */
  }

  .tab-panel {
    /* Same as above */
  }
</style>

Tailwind Classes

<Tabs class="w-full">
  <TabsList class="flex gap-2">
    <TabsTab
      class="flex-1 px-4 py-2 font-bold rounded-t border-2 hover:bg-gray-100 dark:hover:bg-gray-800"
      id="tab1"
      controls="panel1"
      selected
    >
      Tab 1
    </TabsTab>
  </TabsList>
  <TabsPanel
    class="p-4 border-2 rounded-b min-h-[10rem]"
    id="panel1"
    labelledby="tab1"
    selected
  >
    Panel content
  </TabsPanel>
</Tabs>

Style scoping

Astro components use scoped styles by default. To override component styles, you’ll need to use either :global() selectors or the is:global directive on your style tag.

Interactive example

First tab Second tab Third tab

First panel

Try using the arrow keys to navigate between tabs!

Second panel

Notice how the focus management works when tabbing through.

Third panel

The component handles all the ARIA attributes automatically.

Implementation note

The component automatically handles keyboard interactions and focus management. Use unique IDs for tabs and panels to ensure proper relationships.