Tabs

Tabs segregate similar kind of content and allow users to navigate between them without switching the context.

This variation consists of only a label.

This variation uses the Pill component to display the count along with the label.

This variant consists of an icon along with the label. Icons should only be used when they add additional value to the label.

For example, with the help of icons, one can easily see the status without actually navigating to each and every tab.

This variant consists of a Close Icon Button along with the label. It supports the dismissal of the tabs. These tabs can be triggered through an action button. In case the tab is already open on the screen, the action to re-open the tab should be known to the user.

Tabs have similar kind of content and act as filters. Don’t use tabs to group content that is dissimilar.

On the other hand, navigation menu items are generally used to group independent pages.

If navigation items and tabs are used on the same page make sure to use them in such a way that while switching between multiple tabs, the user stays on the same page and sees relative data whereas while switching between multiple navigation items, the user is taken to a new page which may or may not be relative.

Tabs are usually paired with components like headers or nested in components like cards, modals, and sidesheets.

Tabs should have short and scannable labels, generally limited to a single word.

Too many tabs can unnecessarily clutter the UI. Hence it is recommended not to use more than 5 tabs at once.