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6 Incredibly Easy Ways To Build A Tailwind CSS dropdown navigation bar With Tailwind CSS Better While Spending Less

Tailwind CSS dropdown navigation bar

As a FrontEnd technology blogger, I am always looking for ways to improve my skills and make my work more efficient. One of the tools that has helped me do this is Tailwind CSS. In this article, I will show you how to build a Tailwind CSS dropdown navigation bar with ease.

What is Tailwind CSS?

Tailwind CSS is a utility-first CSS framework that makes it easy to create custom designs without writing any CSS. It provides a set of pre-defined classes that you can use to style your HTML elements. Tailwind CSS is designed to be highly customizable, so you can easily modify the default styles to suit your needs.

The Description of Tailwind CSS Dropdown Navigation Bar UI Component

A dropdown navigation bar is a UI component that allows users to navigate through a website's pages or sections. It typically consists of a horizontal bar with links to different pages, and when a user hovers over a link, a dropdown menu appears with additional links.

Why Use Tailwind CSS to Create a Tailwind CSS Dropdown Navigation Bar UI Component?

Tailwind CSS makes it easy to create a dropdown navigation bar with minimal effort. It provides a set of pre-defined classes that you can use to style your navigation bar, so you don't have to write any CSS from scratch. This saves you time and effort, and ensures that your navigation bar is consistent with the rest of your website's design.

The Preview of Tailwind CSS Dropdown Navigation Bar UI Component

To create a Tailwind CSS dropdown navigation bar, you will need to use a combination of HTML and Tailwind CSS classes. Here is a preview of what the final product will look like:

Free download of the Tailwind CSS dropdown navigation bar's source code

The Source Code of Tailwind CSS Dropdown Navigation Bar UI Component

To create a Tailwind CSS dropdown navigation bar, you will need to use a combination of HTML and Tailwind CSS classes. Here is an example of the source code you can use to create a dropdown navigation bar:

<!-- This is an example component -->
<div class="max-w-2xl mx-auto">
    
    <nav class="border-gray-200">
    <div class="container mx-auto flex flex-wrap items-center justify-between">
        <a href="#" class="flex">
        <svg class="h-10 mr-3" width="51" height="70" viewBox="0 0 51 70" fill="none" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g clip-path="url(#clip0)"><path d="M1 53H27.9022C40.6587 53 51 42.7025 51 30H24.0978C11.3412 30 1 40.2975 1 53Z" fill="#76A9FA"></path><path d="M-0.876544 32.1644L-0.876544 66.411C11.9849 66.411 22.4111 55.9847 22.4111 43.1233L22.4111 8.87674C10.1196 8.98051 0.518714 19.5571 -0.876544 32.1644Z" fill="#A4CAFE"></path><path d="M50 5H23.0978C10.3413 5 0 15.2975 0 28H26.9022C39.6588 28 50 17.7025 50 5Z" fill="#1C64F2"></path></g><defs><clipPath id="clip0"><rect width="51" height="70" fill="white"></rect></clipPath></defs></svg>
            <span class="self-center text-lg font-semibold whitespace-nowrap">FlowBite</span>
        </a>
        <button data-collapse-toggle="mobile-menu" type="button" class="md:hidden ml-3 text-gray-400 hover:text-gray-900 focus:outline-none focus:ring-2 focus:ring-blue-300 rounded-lg inline-flex items-center justify-center" aria-controls="mobile-menu-2" aria-expanded="false">
        <span class="sr-only">Open main menu</span>
        <svg class="w-6 h-6" fill="currentColor" viewBox="0 0 20 20" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><path fill-rule="evenodd" d="M3 5a1 1 0 011-1h12a1 1 0 110 2H4a1 1 0 01-1-1zM3 10a1 1 0 011-1h12a1 1 0 110 2H4a1 1 0 01-1-1zM3 15a1 1 0 011-1h12a1 1 0 110 2H4a1 1 0 01-1-1z" clip-rule="evenodd"></path></svg>
        <svg class="hidden w-6 h-6" fill="currentColor" viewBox="0 0 20 20" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><path fill-rule="evenodd" d="M4.293 4.293a1 1 0 011.414 0L10 8.586l4.293-4.293a1 1 0 111.414 1.414L11.414 10l4.293 4.293a1 1 0 01-1.414 1.414L10 11.414l-4.293 4.293a1 1 0 01-1.414-1.414L8.586 10 4.293 5.707a1 1 0 010-1.414z" clip-rule="evenodd"></path></svg>
        </button>
        <div class="hidden md:block w-full md:w-auto" id="mobile-menu">
        <ul class="flex-col md:flex-row flex md:space-x-8 mt-4 md:mt-0 md:text-sm md:font-medium">
            <li>
            <a href="#" class="bg-blue-700 md:bg-transparent text-white block pl-3 pr-4 py-2 md:text-blue-700 md:p-0 rounded focus:outline-none" aria-current="page">Home</a>
            </li>
            <li>
                <button id="dropdownNavbarLink" data-dropdown-toggle="dropdownNavbar" class="text-gray-700 hover:bg-gray-50 border-b border-gray-100 md:hover:bg-transparent md:border-0 pl-3 pr-4 py-2 md:hover:text-blue-700 md:p-0 font-medium flex items-center justify-between w-full md:w-auto">Dropdown <svg class="w-4 h-4 ml-1" fill="currentColor" viewBox="0 0 20 20" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><path fill-rule="evenodd" d="M5.293 7.293a1 1 0 011.414 0L10 10.586l3.293-3.293a1 1 0 111.414 1.414l-4 4a1 1 0 01-1.414 0l-4-4a1 1 0 010-1.414z" clip-rule="evenodd"></path></svg></button>
                <!-- Dropdown menu -->
                <div id="dropdownNavbar" class="hidden bg-white text-base z-10 list-none divide-y divide-gray-100 rounded shadow my-4 w-44">
                    <ul class="py-1" aria-labelledby="dropdownLargeButton">
                    <li>
                        <a href="#" class="text-sm hover:bg-gray-100 text-gray-700 block px-4 py-2">Dashboard</a>
                    </li>
                    <li>
                        <a href="#" class="text-sm hover:bg-gray-100 text-gray-700 block px-4 py-2">Settings</a>
                    </li>
                    <li>
                        <a href="#" class="text-sm hover:bg-gray-100 text-gray-700 block px-4 py-2">Earnings</a>
                    </li>
                    </ul>
                    <div class="py-1">
                    <a href="#" class="text-sm hover:bg-gray-100 text-gray-700 block px-4 py-2">Sign out</a>
                    </div>
                </div>
            </li>
            <li>
            <a href="#" class="text-gray-700 hover:bg-gray-50 border-b border-gray-100 md:hover:bg-transparent md:border-0 block pl-3 pr-4 py-2 md:hover:text-blue-700 md:p-0">Services</a>
            </li>
            <li>
            <a href="#" class="text-gray-700 hover:bg-gray-50 border-b border-gray-100 md:hover:bg-transparent md:border-0 block pl-3 pr-4 py-2 md:hover:text-blue-700 md:p-0">Pricing</a>
            </li>
            <li>
            <a href="#" class="text-gray-700 hover:bg-gray-50 border-b border-gray-100 md:hover:bg-transparent md:border-0 block pl-3 pr-4 py-2 md:hover:text-blue-700 md:p-0">Contact</a>
            </li>
        </ul>
        </div>
    </div>
    </nav>

    <p class="mt-5">This dropdown navbar element is part of a larger, open-source library of Tailwind CSS components. Learn more by going to the official <a class="text-blue-600 hover:underline" href="https://flowbite.com/docs/getting-started/introduction/" target="_blank">Flowbite Documentation</a>.</p>
</div>

<script src="https://unpkg.com/@themesberg/[email protected]/dist/flowbite.bundle.js"></script>

How to Create a Tailwind CSS Dropdown Navigation Bar with Tailwind CSS?

Now that you have an idea of what a Tailwind CSS dropdown navigation bar looks like and what code you need to create it, let's dive into the details of how to create one.

Step 1: Create the HTML Markup

The first step in creating a Tailwind CSS dropdown navigation bar is to create the HTML markup. Here is an example of what the markup might look like:

<nav class="flex items-center justify-between flex-wrap bg-gray-800 p-6">
  <div class="flex items-center flex-shrink-0 text-white mr-6">
    <span class="font-semibold text-xl tracking-tight">My Website</span>
  </div>
  <div class="block lg:hidden">
    <button class="flex items-center px-3 py-2 border rounded text-gray-200 border-gray-400 hover:text-white hover:border-white">
      <svg class="fill-current h-3 w-3" viewBox="0 0 20 20" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><title>Menu</title><path d="M0 3h20v2H0V3zm0 6h20v2H0V9zm0 6h20v2H0v-2z"/></svg>
    </button>
  </div>
  <div class="w-full block flex-grow lg:flex lg:items-center lg:w-auto">
    <div class="text-sm lg:flex-grow">
      <a href="#responsive-header" class="block mt-4 lg:inline-block lg:mt-0 text-gray-200 hover:text-white mr-4">
        Docs
      </a>
      <a href="#responsive-header" class="block mt-4 lg:inline-block lg:mt-0 text-gray-200 hover:text-white mr-4">
        Examples
      </a>
      <div class="relative mt-4 lg:inline-block lg:mt-0 text-gray-200 hover:text-white mr-4">
        <button class="relative z-10 block rounded-md bg-gray-800 p-2 focus:outline-none">
          <span class="sr-only">Open main menu</span>
          <span class="block h-2 w-2 rounded-full bg-white"></span>
          <span class="block h-2 w-2 rounded-full bg-white"></span>
          <span class="block h-2 w-2 rounded-full bg-white"></span>
        </button>
        <div class="absolute right-0 mt-2 py-2 w-48 bg-gray-800 rounded-md shadow-xl">
          <a href="#" class="block px-4 py-2 text-sm text-gray-200 hover:bg-gray-700">Link 1</a>
          <a href="#" class="block px-4 py-2 text-sm text-gray-200 hover:bg-gray-700">Link 2</a>
          <a href="#" class="block px-4 py-2 text-sm text-gray-200 hover:bg-gray-700">Link 3</a>
        </div>
      </div>
    </div>
  </div>
</nav>

Step 2: Add Tailwind CSS Classes

Once you have created the HTML markup, you can start adding Tailwind CSS classes to style your navigation bar. Here is an example of what the classes might look like:

<nav class="flex items-center justify-between flex-wrap bg-gray-800 p-6">
  <div class="flex items-center flex-shrink-0 text-white mr-6">
    <span class="font-semibold text-xl tracking-tight">My Website</span>
  </div>
  <div class="block lg:hidden">
    <button class="flex items-center px-3 py-2 border rounded text-gray-200 border-gray-400 hover:text-white hover:border-white">
      <svg class="fill-current h-3 w-3" viewBox="0 0 20 20" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><title>Menu</title><path d="M0 3h20v2H0V3zm0 6h20v2H0V9zm0 6h20v2H0v-2z"/></svg>
    </button>
  </div>
  <div class="w-full block flex-grow lg:flex lg:items-center lg:w-auto">
    <div class="text-sm lg:flex-grow">
      <a href="#responsive-header" class="block mt-4 lg:inline-block lg:mt-0 text-gray-200 hover:text-white mr-4">
        Docs
      </a>
      <a href="#responsive-header" class="block mt-4 lg:inline-block lg:mt-0 text-gray-200 hover:text-white mr-4">
        Examples
      </a>
      <div class="relative mt-4 lg:inline-block lg:mt-0 text-gray-200 hover:text-white mr-4">
        <button class="relative z-10 block rounded-md bg-gray-800 p-2 focus:outline-none">
          <span class="sr-only">Open main menu</span>
          <span class="block h-2 w-2 rounded-full bg-white"></span>
          <span class="block h-2 w-2 rounded-full bg-white"></span>
          <span class="block h-2 w-2 rounded-full bg-white"></span>
        </button>
        <div class="absolute right-0 mt-2 py-2 w-48 bg-gray-800 rounded-md shadow-xl">
          <a href="#" class="block px-4 py-2 text-sm text-gray-200 hover:bg-gray-700">Link 1</a>
          <a href="#" class="block px-4 py-2 text-sm text-gray-200 hover:bg-gray-700">Link 2</a>
          <a href="#" class="block px-4 py-2 text-sm text-gray-200 hover:bg-gray-700">Link 3</a>
        </div>
      </div>
    </div>
  </div>
</nav>

Step 3: Customize Your Navigation Bar

Once you have added the Tailwind CSS classes to your HTML markup, you can customize your navigation bar to suit your needs. You can change the colors, fonts, and sizes of your navigation bar by modifying the Tailwind CSS classes. Here is an example of what a customized navigation bar might look like:

<nav class="flex items-center justify-between flex-wrap bg-blue-500 p-6">
  <div class="flex items-center flex-shrink-0 text-white mr-6">
    <span class="font-semibold text-xl tracking-tight">My Website</span>
  </div>
  <div class="block lg:hidden">
    <button class="flex items-center px-3 py-2 border rounded text-white border-white hover:text-gray-200 hover:border-gray-200">
      <svg class="fill-current h-3 w-3" viewBox="0 0 20 20" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><title>Menu</title><path d="M0 3h20v2H0V3zm0 6h20v2H0V9zm0 6h20v2H0v-2z"/></svg>
    </button>
  </div>
  <div class="w-full block flex-grow lg:flex lg:items-center lg:w-auto">
    <div class="text-sm lg:flex-grow">
      <a href="#responsive-header" class="block mt-4 lg:inline-block lg:mt-0 text-white hover:text-gray-200 mr-4">
        Docs
      </a>
      <a href="#responsive-header" class="block mt-4 lg:inline-block lg:mt-0 text-white hover:text-gray-200 mr-4">
        Examples
      </a>
      <div class="relative mt-4 lg:inline-block lg:mt-0 text-white hover:text-gray-200 mr-4">
        <button class="relative z-10 block rounded-md bg-blue-500 p-2 focus:outline-none">
          <span class="sr-only">Open main menu</span>
          <span class="block h-2 w-2 rounded-full bg-white"></span>
          <span class="block h-2 w-2 rounded-full bg-white"></span>
          <span class="block h-2 w-2 rounded-full bg-white"></span>
        </button>
        <div class="absolute right-0 mt-2 py-2 w-48 bg-blue-500 rounded-md shadow-xl">
          <a href="#" class="block px-4 py-2 text-sm text-white hover:bg-gray-200">Link 1</a>
          <a href="#" class="block px-4 py-2 text-sm text-white hover:bg-gray-200">Link 2</a>
          <a href="#" class="block px-4 py-2 text-sm text-white hover:bg-gray-200">Link 3</a>
        </div>
      </div>
    </div>
  </div>
</nav>

Conclusion

In conclusion, creating a Tailwind CSS dropdown navigation bar is easy and can be done quickly with minimal effort. By using Tailwind CSS, you can save time and ensure that your navigation bar is consistent with the rest of your website's design. With the steps outlined in this article, you can create a navigation bar that is both functional and visually appealing.