Need help with CSS position:sticky - Navigation bar behaving like position:static - Responsive Web Design > Technical Documentation Page

HTML-CSS
1

:blush: Hi everyone,

I’m working on the Responsive Web Design > Technical Documentation Page and encountering an issue with the navigation bar positioning. I’m trying to implement a sticky navigation that starts scrolling with the page but becomes fixed at a certain point. However, when I set position: sticky;, it behaves as if I had set position: static; instead.

What I’m trying to achieve:
I want the navigation bar to:

  1. Start normally in the document flow. (not fixed at first)
  2. Become sticky and stay in view once the user scrolls to its position.
  3. Work properly in both desktop and mobile views.

What I’ve tried:
Initially, I used position: fixed; which made the nav stay at the top from the beginning - not what I wanted. I then switched to position: sticky; with a specific top value, but it’s not behaving as expected. The navigation just scrolls away with the rest of the content.

A part of the current CSS code | image | 468x399
A part of the current CSS code | image | 468x399468×399 10.4 KB

Due to the forum’s character limit (32,000 characters), I’ve had to omit the full codebase from this post (My first draft for this post had 53,254 characters in it :melting_face:). You can find the complete code and project structure in my GitHub repository:

Here is full HTML code: https://github.com/HimalEranganaOfficial/Learning-CSS/blob/main/RWD%20on%20FreeCodeCamp/Certificate%20Project%2003%20-%20PPU%20Web%20Doc/index.html

My full styles.css file content: https://github.com/HimalEranganaOfficial/Learning-CSS/blob/main/RWD%20on%20FreeCodeCamp/Certificate%20Project%2003%20-%20PPU%20Web%20Doc/styles.css

My browser information:

Brave browser (1.75.175 Chromium: 133.0.6943.54 (Official Build) (64-bit))
Windows 10 Version 22H2 (Build 19045.5440)

I’ve read through the MDN documentation on sticky positioning and tried various approaches including:

  • Adjusting z-index values
  • Removing conflicting positioning on parent elements

None of these attempts have resolved the issue. The navigation continues to scroll away with the page instead of sticking at the specified position.

Does anyone have insights into what might be causing this behavior or suggestions for how to achieve the desired sticky navigation effect? I’d really appreciate any help or guidance on this.

Thank you in advance! & Thank you for your time and assistance! :v: :upside_down_face:

2

hello and welcome to fcc forum :slight_smile:

  • what if you tried something similar for “fixed”
  • seems like use of js would be handy for this, to decide after how far down navs needs to be “fixed”

happy coding :slight_smile:

1 Like
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Hi @bappyasif,

Thank you for taking the time to read and respond to my question! I was concerned my post might be too lengthy, so your engagement means a lot.

To address your suggestion: I experimented with position: fixed;, but it locks the navigation bar at the top by default, which disrupts the layout by requiring the banner to be pushed down. I’d prefer a solution that avoids this visual compromise.

Your feedback did inspire me, though! I’m now considering a floating widget approach for the mobile view. That said, I’m holding off on JavaScript for now, as I’m still building foundational skills in HTML/CSS and Python. (I paused halfway through FreeCodeCamp’s Scientific Computing with Python course to focus on front-end basics—my ultimate goal is AI engineering, and I plan to pursue formal education next year while freelancing.)

Thanks again for your help, and apologies for the tangent—I’m a chatty non-native English speaker! :stuck_out_tongue:

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  • this is what is expected, more you can share, more we can offer where possible :slight_smile:
  • i would consider reading (more) about “fixed|sticky” positions, should be useful

happy coding :slight_smile:

1 Like