# Floating left sidebar

**URL:** https://meta.discourse.org/t/floating-left-sidebar/320241
**Category:** Theme component
**Tags:** experimental
**Created:** [August 5, 2024, 8:14pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/floating-left-sidebar/320241 "2024-08-05T20:14:26Z")
**Posts on this page:** 2
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![chapoi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/chapoi/32/537252_2.png) [@chapoi](https://meta.discourse.org/u/chapoi)
#### Post date: [August 5, 2024, 8:14pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/floating-left-sidebar/320241/1 "2024-08-05T20:14:26Z")

</div>

| | | |
| --- | --- | --- |
| ℹ | **Summary** | Make the fixed, left-anchored sidebar float instead |
| 👓 | **Preview** | [preview](https://discourse.theme-creator.io/theme/chapoi/floating-sidebar) |
| 🛠 | **Repository** | [repo](https://github.com/chapoi/floating-sidebar-left.git) |
| ❓ | **Install Guide** | [How to install a theme or theme component](https://meta.discourse.org/t/how-do-i-install-a-theme-or-theme-component/63682) |
| 📖 | **New to Discourse Themes?** | [Beginner’s guide to using Discourse Themes](https://meta.discourse.org/t/beginners-guide-to-using-discourse-themes/91966) |

Install this theme component

A small component with a CSS-based approach to make the fixed sidebar behave like the dropdown sidebar, but still anchored to the left, and retaining the one-column layout.

⚠ As this is mainly CSS, it might be a tiny bit hacky and not be as “smart” as a regular floating menu. So far I haven’t noticed any real issues though.

 ![image](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/meta/original/4X/7/8/0/78004d4fe7c572e1ab5317e6ccc38d7d3d4f0c36.png)

#### Requirements

The `navigation menu` setting has to be set to `sidebar`

 ![image](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/meta/original/4X/9/0/5/90544a3106493e673b6b4c6e9dcb63999ec85807.png)

ℹ **Important in regards to the chat plugin**  
The chat sections are hidden in the sidebar, and it’s assumed you use the drawer version of chat when installing this component. Full-page chat is not readily available, as that would interfere too much with the sidebar in the case the setting `chat separate sidebar mode` is set to fullscreen or always. For the same reason, the (optional) toggle button to switch between forum/chat is also hidden.

* * *

We are very interested in seeing how much (if any) interest there is in displaying the sidebar this way, and _why_ it would be preferred over the fixed sidebar or over the regular dropdown header. Feel free to reply with answers or other feedback.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![merefield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/merefield/32/176214_2.png) [@merefield](https://meta.discourse.org/u/merefield)
#### Post date: [August 5, 2024, 8:47pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/floating-left-sidebar/320241/2 "2024-08-05T20:47:20Z")

</div>

Much prefer the two column regular dropdown header because there is significantly less vertical eye scanning and mouse movement to find your target.

Plus I prefer having the “control cluster” top right as imho it’s the classic Discourse look.