scroll-areas

Scroll Areas

Avoid Scroll Areas by Default

Scroll containers inside a layout — panels, drawers, tables, modals with inner overflow — create friction. Users must discover that a region scrolls, manage multiple independent scroll positions simultaneously, and context-switch between scroll areas on the same screen.

Default: let the page scroll. A single page-level scroll is universally understood and requires no discovery. Before introducing an inner scroll area, ask whether the layout can be restructured so the page itself handles the overflow.

Alternatives to inner scroll:

• Pagination or load-more for long lists
• Collapsible sections (accordion) for long detail panels
• A separate page or route for content that would otherwise fill a scroll area
• Progressive disclosure — show less by default, expand on demand

When a Scroll Area Is Justified

Some layouts genuinely require inner scroll:

• Fixed-height sidebars with navigation trees longer than the viewport
• Data tables where the header must remain visible while rows scroll
• Chat or log panels where the stream is continuous and the surrounding layout is fixed
• Code editors or terminal panes embedded in a larger application shell

In these cases, proceed — but apply the constraints below.

One Axis Only

Never create a scroll container that scrolls on both axes simultaneously. Two-axis scroll is disorienting, hard to control precisely, and nearly unusable on touch devices.

/* One axis: vertical */
overflow-y: auto;
overflow-x: hidden;

/* One axis: horizontal (e.g. wide table) */
overflow-x: auto;
overflow-y: hidden;

/* Never */
overflow: auto; /* allows both axes */

If content requires both axes — e.g. a wide table inside a constrained panel — restructure the layout so the table's horizontal scroll is the only scroll in the view, with the page itself not scrolling at that point.

Always User-Controlled

Scroll must never happen automatically without user intent. Specifically: