When Should I Use Position:Sticky vs Position:Fixed?

Unveiling the Distinction Between position:sticky and position:fixed

Understanding the nuances between CSS positioning properties can be perplexing for beginners. This article delves into the subtle differences between position:sticky and position:fixed, clarifying their distinct functionalities to enhance your CSS prowess.

position:fixed vs. position:sticky

position:fixed

• Locks an element to a specific position within its container or the viewport.
• Stays fixed regardless of container scrolling.

position:sticky

• Initially behaves like position:relative, which does not affect element flow.
• Upon scrolling beyond a specified offset, transitions to position:fixed, "sticking" the element to its position.
• Reverts to position:relative when scrolled back toward its initial position.

Example

Consider the following HTML and CSS:

<code class="html"><div class="container">
  <div class="sticky-element">Sticky Element</div>
  <div class="fixed-element">Fixed Element</div>
</div></code>

<code class="css">.container {
  height: 100vh; /* Set the container to full viewport height */
  overflow-y: scroll; /* Enable vertical scrolling within the container */
}

.sticky-element {
  position: sticky;
  top: 10px; /* Specifies the offset from the top before stickiness applies */
  width: 200px;
  height: 200px;
  background-color: blue;
}

.fixed-element {
  position: fixed;
  top: 0; /* Sets the fixed position from the top of the viewport */
  width: 200px;
  height: 200px;
  background-color: red;
}</code>

Behavior:

When scrolled, the sticky element remains in place until it reaches the top of the viewport, at which point it sticks to the top like a fixed element. The fixed element, on the other hand, remains glued to its initial position, regardless of container scrolling.

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