Making a Scrollable Container in HTML

Overflow Property

The overflow property is super important for scrollable containers. It decides what happens to content that's too big for the container. Here's what you can do with it:

• visible : This is the default. Content might stick out of the container.
• hidden : Cuts off extra content without showing a scrollbar.
• scroll : Always shows scrollbars, even if you don't need them.
• auto : Shows scrollbars only when you need them (when there's too much content).

Example:

.scrollable-container {
    overflow: auto; /* Scrollbars only show up when needed */
}

Pro Tip: Usually, overflow: auto; is your best bet for a clean look. It only shows scrollbars when you actually need them.

Setting Height and Width

You gotta set the size of your scrollable container. If you don't, the overflow property won't do anything.

.scrollable-container {
    width: 400px;
    height: 300px;
    overflow: auto;
}

Responsive Design Tip: While using exact sizes is easy, for responsive designs you might want to use percentages or viewport units ( vw , vh ) so things adjust to different screen sizes.

Smooth Scrolling

Smooth scrolling makes things feel nicer when users scroll through content. It makes navigation feel more natural and less jumpy.

How to do it:

.scrollable-container {
    scrollbar-width: thin;
    scrollbar-color: #888 #f1f1f1;
    scroll-behavior: smooth;
}

Browser Support: Most modern browsers support scroll-behavior , but it's always good to check, especially for older browsers.

Custom Scrollbars

If you want total control over how scrollbars look, you can use libraries like SimpleBar or OverlayScrollbars . These let you style scrollbars the same way across different browsers and add extra features.

Example using SimpleBar:

1. Add SimpleBar to your page:

   <link rel="stylesheet" href="https://unpkg.com/simplebar@latest/dist/simplebar.css" />
   <script src="https://unpkg.com/simplebar@latest/dist/simplebar.min.js"></script>

2. Use it on your container:

   <div class="scrollable-container" data-simplebar>
       
   </div>

Why it's cool:

• Works the same on different browsers.
• Lots of ways to customize it.
• Easy to use and doesn't slow down your site.

Navigation Menus

Ever tried to use a website with a ton of menu items? Scrollable navigation menus can keep things organized without overwhelming users.

<nav class="scrollable-menu">
    <ul>
        <li><a href="#">Home</a></li>
        <li><a href="#">About</a></li>
        <!-- More menu items -->
    </ul>
</nav>

Styling Tip: Set a max height for the menu and use overflow-y: auto; to let it scroll up and down when needed.

Image Galleries

Showing lots of images can be tricky. Scrollable containers let users browse through images side-to-side or up-and-down without cluttering the page.

<div class="scrollable-gallery">
    <img src="image1.jpg" alt="Image 1">
    <img src="image2.jpg" alt="Image 2">
    <!-- More images -->
</div>

CSS Snippet:

.scrollable-gallery {
    display: flex;
    gap: 10px;
    overflow-x: auto;
    white-space: nowrap;
}
.scrollable-gallery img {
    height: 150px;
    flex-shrink: 0;
}

UX Tip: Use lazy loading for images to make things faster, especially if you have lots of big images.

Keyboard Navigation

Make sure people can move through scrollable containers using keyboard controls. For example, make sure pressing arrow keys scrolls the content.

Implementation Tip:

.scrollable-container:focus {
    outline: 2px solid #000;
}

Lazy Loading Content

Instead of loading everything at once, load content as people scroll. This makes initial load times faster and uses less data.

How to do it with Intersection Observer:

const lazyContainers = document.querySelectorAll('.scrollable-container');

const observer = new IntersectionObserver((entries) => {
    entries.forEach(entry => {
        if (entry.isIntersecting) {
            // Load content
            entry.target.classList.add('loaded');
            observer.unobserve(entry.target);
        }
    });
});

lazyContainers.forEach(container => {
    observer.observe(container);
});

Minimize Reflows and Repaints

Changing the DOM too much can slow down your site. Try to optimize your JavaScript and CSS to avoid unnecessary changes in scrollable containers.

SimpleBar

SimpleBar

A lightweight library that gives you custom scrollbars without changing how scrolling normally works.

• Small and fast.
• Easy to use.
• Works the same on different browsers.

OverlayScrollbars

OverlayScrollbars

A versatile library that lets you customize scrollbars in lots of ways.

• Works with touch screens.
• Supports right-to-left languages.
• Lots of customization options.

What We're Making

We're going to create a stylish, responsive scrollable container that shows a list of articles.

Step 1: HTML Structure

First, let's set up the basic HTML structure.

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
    <meta charset="UTF-8">
    <title>Scrollable Container Tutorial</title>
    <link rel="stylesheet" href="styles.css">
</head>
<body>
    <div class="scrollable-container">
        <article>
            <h2>Article 1</h2>
            <p>Content for article 1...</p>
        </article>
        <article>
            <h2>Article 2</h2>
            <p>Content for article 2...</p>
        </article>
        <!-- Add more articles as needed -->
    </div>
</body>
</html>

Step 2: CSS Styling

Now, let's style the container to make it scrollable and look good.

/* styles.css */

body {
    font-family: Arial, sans-serif;
    background-color: #f9f9f9;
    display: flex;
    justify-content: center;
    padding: 50px;
}

.scrollable-container {
    width: 80%;
    max-width: 800px;
    height: 400px;
    border: 2px solid #ddd;
    border-radius: 8px;
    background-color: #fff;
    overflow-y: auto;
    padding: 20px;
    box-shadow: 0 4px 6px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1);
}

.scrollable-container article {
    margin-bottom: 20px;
}

.scrollable-container h2 {
    margin-bottom: 10px;
    color: #333;
}

.scrollable-container p {
    color: #555;
    line-height: 1.6;
}

What's happening here:

• Container Size: The container is centered and has a fixed height to make it scroll vertically.
• Making it Look Good: Border, rounded corners, padding, and shadow make it look nice.
• Content Styling: Margins and colors make it easy to read and organized.

Step 3: Test Your Scrollable Container

Add enough articles to make scrolling necessary. Open your HTML file in a browser to see your scrollable container in action.

What You Should See:

You should have a nice-looking container with multiple articles. As you add more articles, a scrollbar should appear, letting users scroll through the content smoothly.

Make it Better: To make the container work well on different screen sizes, adjust the width and height using percentages and media queries as needed.

You can try this feature yourself at Img2html to quickly convert your designs into responsive HTML and CSS code.

1. Scrollbars Don't Show Up

Why it happens: The content inside isn't bigger than the container.

How to fix it:

• Make sure the container has a set height or width to allow overflow.
• Add more content to make scrolling necessary.

2. Scrollbars Mess Up the Layout

Why it happens: Scrollbars might take up space, causing things to shift around.

How to fix it:

• Use box-sizing: border-box; to include padding and border in the element's total size.
• Try using overlay scrollbars with custom libraries to avoid layout issues.

3. Scrollable Container Doesn't Work on Different Screen Sizes

Why it happens: Fixed sizes don't adjust to different screens.

How to fix it:

• Use percentages or viewport units instead of exact pixels.
• Use media queries to change styles based on screen size.

4. Scrollbars Look Different on Different Browsers

Why it happens: Different browsers show scrollbars differently, and some CSS might not work on all browsers.

How to fix it:

• Use libraries that work across browsers for custom scrollbars.
• Have backup styles for browsers that don't support certain scrollbar customizations.

1. Work with Screen Readers

Make sure screen readers can understand the content in scrollable containers. Use ARIA labels and roles where needed.

<div class="scrollable-container" role="region" aria-label="Article List">
    <!-- Content -->
</div>

2. Keyboard Navigation

Users should be able to move through scrollable containers using keyboard shortcuts. Make sure focus states work and tab order makes sense.

3. Focusable Elements

All interactive elements inside scrollable containers should be focusable and accessible via keyboard.

4. Avoid Auto-Scrolling

Automatically scrolling content can be confusing, especially for people using assistive technologies. Let users control scrolling themselves.