Headers

Variations Design Guidelines Code Reference Accessibility

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Headers

HTML/CSS Available
Web Component Deprecated
Last Updated
2.21.0

Headers combine a title, border, and–when appropriate–actions to introduce a group of information and/or functionality. They also help establish clear visual hierarchy, adding structure to a composition.

Variations Design Guidelines Code Reference Accessibility

Header

Top Border

Size

Title Description

Actions

Background Color

Invalid Combination

That combination of options is invalid.

View Code

Anatomy

Headers can be configured in a variety of ways to accomplish their intended goal. Implementing teams are encouraged to use the particular set of elements which best serve their use case.

Name	Required	Description
Title	Yes	Briefly summarizes the content following the header.
Border	No	Visually defines the header’s space, dividing content into related groups, and helping to establish information hierarchy.
Title Description	No	Provides an Icon-only Button as an interaction point to surface additional information via a Tooltip or Popover.
Action	No	Includes Buttons, Button Groups, or other UI components.

Variations

Default

Use to pair typography and a border to create visual hierarchy. Headers can use the full range of Header borders to define their border-top.

With Primary Header Border

Header Title

With Secondary Header Border

Header Title

With Tertiary Header Border

Header Title

With Primary Header Border

Header Title

With Secondary Header Border

Header Title

With Tertiary Header Border

Header Title

HTML

Web Component

<div class="mds-header mds-header--primary">
    <h2 class="mds-header__title">
        Header Title
    </h2>
</div>

<mds-header border="primary"> Header Title </mds-header>

Omit the border modifier class to render a borderless header.

Without Border

Header Title

Without Border

Header Title

HTML

Web Component

<div class="mds-header">
    <h2 class="mds-header__title">
        Header Title
    </h2>
</div>

<mds-header border="none"> Header Title </mds-header>

Use the headers which make sense within the visual hierarchy of a product. Products do not have to always use the full set of headers, e.g., a product can use just Secondary and Tertiary headers.

With Title Description

Use to include an Icon-only Button to provide an interaction point for surfacing additional information that clarifies the content introduced by the header, e.g., a data definition housed in a Tooltip or a Popover.

With Title Description

Header Title

With Title Description

Header Title

HTML

Web Component

<div class="mds-header mds-header--primary">
    <h2 class="mds-header__title">
        Header Title
        <div class="mds-header__title-description">
            <button class="mds-button mds-button--icon-only" type="button">
                <svg class="mds-icon mds-button__icon mds-button__icon--left" aria-hidden="true">
                    <use xlink:href="#question-circle">
                    </use>
                </svg>
            </button>
        </div>
    </h2>
</div>

<mds-header title-description> Header Title </mds-header>

With Actions

Use to provide functionality related to the elements grouped under a header.

With Actions

Header Title

With Actions

Header Title Button Text

HTML

Web Component

<div class="mds-header mds-header--primary">
    <h2 class="mds-header__title">
        Header Title
        <div class="mds-header__title-description">
            <button class="mds-button mds-button--icon-only" type="button">
                <svg class="mds-icon mds-button__icon mds-button__icon--left" aria-hidden="true">
                    <use xlink:href="#question-circle">
                    </use>
                </svg>
            </button>
        </div>
    </h2>
    <div class="mds-header__actions">
        <button class="mds-button mds-button--secondary mds-button--small" type="button">
            Button Text
        </button>
    </div>
</div>

<mds-header title-description>
    Header Title
    <mds-button slot="mds-header-actions" size="small" variation="secondary"> Button Text </mds-button>
</mds-header>

Actions should always relate to content directly contained by the header, or content nested within subsequent headers in a composition’s hierarchy.

Bottom Border

Reposition the border and increase padding above and below the title by applying the mds-header--border-bottom modifier class.

Bottom Border

Header Title

Bottom Border

Header Title

HTML

Web Component

<div class="mds-header mds-header--primary mds-header--border-bottom">
    <h2 class="mds-header__title">
        Header Title
    </h2>
</div>

<mds-header border-position="bottom"> Header Title </mds-header>

Avoid using this variation outside of Module Containers.

Sizing

Sizing affects text size and internal padding. Use modifier classes or props to access the full set of font sizes offered within the system.

Level 1 Header

Header Title

Level 2 Header

Header Title

Level 3 Header

Header Title

Level 4 Header

Header Title

Level 5 Header

Header Title

Level 6 Header

Header Title

Level 7 Header

Header Title

Level 8 Header

Header Title

Level 9 Header

Header Title

Level 1 Header

Header Title

Level 2 Header

Header Title

Level 3 Header

Header Title

Level 4 Header

Header Title

Level 5 Header

Header Title

Level 6 Header

Header Title

Level 7 Header

Header Title

Level 8 Header

Header Title

Level 9 Header

Header Title

HTML

Web Component

<div class="mds-header mds-header--primary mds-header--level-1">
    <h2 class="mds-header__title">
        Header Title
    </h2>
</div>

<mds-header size="level 1"> Header Title </mds-header>

Pairing UI Components with Heading Sizes

To maintain proper proportional relationships while providing flexibility, choose what size of UI Components to use within a With Actions header, and what size of Icon-only Button to use within the Info element, using the table below.

Title	Text Size	Small Components	Medium Components	Large Components
Level 1 Heading	`45px`	Can Use	Can Use	Can Use
Level 2 Heading	`32px`	Can Use	Can Use	—
Level 3 Heading	`28px`	Can Use	Can Use	—
Level 4 Heading	`23px`	Can Use	Can Use	—
Level 5 Heading	`20px`	Can Use	Can Use	—
Level 6 Heading	`18px`	Can Use	—	—
Level 7 Heading	`16px`	Can Use	—	—
Level 8 Heading	`14px`	Can Use	—	—
Level 9 Heading	`10px`	—	—	—

Guidelines

Use When

Pairing typography and a border to define a section of a composition.
Creating visual and informational hierarchy on a page.
Providing actions or controls for a section of content.

Don’t Use When

Creating a vertical series of links or other elements, instead, use a List Group.

Visual Language

At level-6 through level-9, the internal padding tightens.
Header titles are bold by default. If requirements call for a different font-weight, work with a designer to create custom styles within your product’s CSS, which utilize the MDS font weight constants.

Nesting Headers

Nest headers to create layered hierarchies which clearly communicate the relationship between sets of information.

Example of borders in their intended nesting order: primary, secondary, then tertiary. — Do use header borders in their intended nesting order.

Example of borders improperly organized: tertiary, primary, then secondary. — Don‘t reorder header borders to create a paradoxical hierarchy.

Example of omitting the border from the first header in a stack of sections with headers. — Do avoid unnecessary visual noise by omitting the border from the first header in a stack of sections with headers.

Example of improperly retaining the border on the first header in a stack of sections with headers. — Don‘t include a border on the first header in a stack of sections with headers.

Editorial

Actions

Always follow the editorial guidelines for any included UI components.

Title

Keep titles to five words, if possible, to avoid wrapping.
Use title case and capitalize prepositions of four letters or more.

CSS

Class References

Class	Applies to	Outcome
`mds-header--primary`	`mds-header`	Applies a Primary Header Border to the `border-top`.
`mds-header--secondary`	`mds-header`	Applies a Secondary Header Border to the `border-top`.
`mds-header--tertiary`	`mds-header`	Applies a Tertiary Header Border to the `border-top`.
`mds-header--border-bottom`	`mds-header--primary`, `mds-header--secondary`, `mds-header--tertiary`	For use in Module Containers only. Repositions the border and increases padding above and below the title.
`mds-header--level-1`	`mds-header`	Sets the Title to `$mds-font-size-heading-level-1`.
`mds-header--level-2`	`mds-header`	Sets the Title to `$mds-font-size-heading-level-2`.
`mds-header--level-3`	`mds-header`	Sets the Title to `$mds-font-size-heading-level-3`.
`mds-header--level-4`	`mds-header`	Sets the Title to `$mds-font-size-heading-level-4`.
`mds-header--level-5`	`mds-header`	Sets the Title to `$mds-font-size-heading-level-5`.
`mds-header--level-6`	`mds-header`	Sets the Title to `$mds-font-size-heading-level-6` and reduces the `padding-top`.
`mds-header--level-7`	`mds-header`	Sets the Title to `$mds-font-size-m` and reduces the `padding-top`.
`mds-header--level-8`	`mds-header`	Sets the Title to $mds-font-size-s and reduces the `padding-top`.
`mds-header--level-9`	`mds-header`	Sets the Title to `$mds-font-size-xs`, sets `letter-spacing` and `text-transform` values, and reduces the `padding-top`.

Web Component

Props

When setting props as attributes on a custom HTML element, use kebab-case instead of camelCase.

Prop	Type	Validation	Default	Description
`additionalClass`	String	—	—	A space-separated list of class names that will be appended to the default `mds-header` class.
`ariaLabel`	String	—	—	Sets the aria-label for the header.
`border`	String	One of: `primary`, `secondary`, `tertiary`, `none`	`primary`	Sets the border variation.
`borderPosition`	String	One of: `top`, `bottom`	`top`	Sets the border position
`headingLevel`	Number	Number in the range `1`–`6`	`2`	Sets the HTML heading level (`<h#>`) used in the header.
`size`	String	One of: `level 1`, `level 2`, `level 3`, `level 4`, `level 5`, `level 6`, `level 7`, `level 8`, `level 9`	`level 5`	Alters the size of the header text.
`text`	String	Required	—	The text for the header. Can also be passed via the default slot.
`titleDescription`	Boolean	—	`false`	If `true`, renders an icon-only button to the right of the title to provide further information via a tooltip or popover.
`titleDescriptionIcon`	String	—	`question-circle`	Sets the icon used for the title description.
`titleHidden`	Boolean	—	`false`	If `true`, visibly hides the header’s title.

Slots

Default Slot

Pass text in between the <mds-header></mds-header> tags to set the header’s text content. This can be overridden with the text prop.

Named Slots

Slot Name	Description
`mds-header-actions`	Displays actions related to the header and the section it represents, such as Buttons and Switches. See the With Actions variation for more information.

Usage Examples

Setting text, size, and headingLevel via props:

<mds-header text="Hello World" size="level 3" heading-level="4"></mds-header>

Setting border and titleDescription via props. Using the defult slot for text content:

<mds-header border="tertiary" title-description>
    Hello World
</mds-header>

Using the default slot for text content. Using named slots for mds-header-actions:

<mds-header>
    Header Title
    <mds-button slot="mds-header-actions" size="small" variation="secondary"> Button Text </mds-button>
</mds-header>

Implementation

When creating the mds-header__title of a header component, teams should use the header tag (<h#>) which properly places the content within their product's information hierarchy.
When appropriate, add a unique ID to the mds-header__title to be referenced by its parent container through an aria-labelledby attribute. This will clearly communicate their relationship.