Sidebar

A vertical navigation panel along the left or right edge of the screen.

Also called: sidebar, side bar, side menu, side panel, side navigation, menu on the left, left menu, left column, left panel, collapse the menu, dashboard menu, admin menu

What it is for

It makes room for many links or filters without crowding the header. On desktop it often holds a multi-level menu, and on mobile it turns into a slide-out panel.

Where you see it

• Admin panels and dashboards — the main menu for moving between sections
• Email clients — the list of folders and labels
• Documentation — navigating between articles

What it is called in code

• <aside> + <nav>
• Sidebar

See also

• Hamburger menu — An icon of three horizontal lines that hides the main menu off-screen until you tap it.
• Tabs — A row of labels above a block of content. Click one and the block shows that section.
• Site header — The block across the top of a page that holds the logo and the main navigation.