This sidebar uses a vertical accent rail to indicate active navigation without expanding item size.
HTML
<nav class="sidebar-rail">
<button class="is-active">Overview</button>
<button>Reports</button>
<button>Settings</button>
<span class="sidebar-rail__indicator"></span>
</nav>CSS
.sidebar-rail {
position: relative;
width: 180px;
padding: 0.5rem;
border-radius: 16px;
background: #ffffff;
color: #111827;
box-shadow: 0 18px 36px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.12);
display: flex;
flex-direction: column;
gap: 0.25rem;
}
.sidebar-rail button {
position: relative;
height: 36px;
padding: 0.5rem 0.75rem 0.5rem 1.25rem;
border-radius: 10px;
border: none;
background: transparent;
font-size: 13px;
text-align: left;
color: inherit;
cursor: pointer;
}
.sidebar-rail__indicator {
position: absolute;
left: 0.75rem;
top: 0.75rem;
width: 3px;
height: 20px;
background: #6366f1;
border-radius: 999px;
transition: transform 220ms cubic-bezier(0.4, 0, 0.2, 1);
}
.sidebar-rail button:nth-child(1).is-active ~ .sidebar-rail__indicator {
transform: translateY(0);
}
.sidebar-rail button:nth-child(2).is-active ~ .sidebar-rail__indicator {
transform: translateY(36px);
}
.sidebar-rail button:nth-child(3).is-active ~ .sidebar-rail__indicator {
transform: translateY(72px);
}
.sidebar-rail button:nth-child(1):hover ~ .sidebar-rail__indicator {
transform: translateY(0);
}
.sidebar-rail button:nth-child(2):hover ~ .sidebar-rail__indicator {
transform: translateY(36px);
}
.sidebar-rail button:nth-child(3):hover ~ .sidebar-rail__indicator {
transform: translateY(72px);
}
@media (prefers-color-scheme: dark) {
.sidebar-rail {
background: #111827;
color: #e5e7eb;
box-shadow:
0 20px 40px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.6),
0 0 0 1px rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.04);
}
.sidebar-rail__indicator {
background: #818cf8;
}
}Notes
- Active state without background fill
- Minimal visual noise
- Works well in dense admin UI
Preview styles shown. Production customization recommended.
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