This navigation bar highlights the active route using soft surface emphasis instead of pills or center alignment.
HTML
<nav class="nav-soft">
<a class="is-active">Home</a>
<a>Projects</a>
<a>Settings</a>
</nav>CSS
.nav-soft {
width: 200px;
padding: 0.4rem;
border-radius: 16px;
background: #ECECEC;
display: flex;
justify-content: space-between;
font-size: 12px;
}
.nav-soft a {
padding: 0.35rem 0.45rem;
border-radius: 10px;
color: #a1a1aa;
text-decoration: none;
transition: background 140ms ease, color 140ms ease;
}
.nav-soft a:hover {
color: #e4e4e7;
}
.nav-soft a.is-active {
background: #27272a;
color: #ffffff;
font-weight: 600;
}Notes
- Clear active state without pills
- Neutral modern palette
- Suitable for compact toolbars
Preview styles shown. Production customization recommended.
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