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CSS-Only Tabs & Toggles

When to Use

Use radio inputs + :checked + sibling selectors for CSS-only tab interfaces. Add ARIA roles for accessibility. Switch to JavaScript when you have more than 5 panels.

Decision

Client asks for... Use... Why
Tab interface Radio inputs + :checked + sibling selectors CSS-only state management
Toggle panel (show/hide) <details> or checkbox + :checked Built-in toggle
Segmented control Radio inputs styled as buttons Same pattern as tabs
Content switcher (A/B) Checkbox :checked + sibling selectors Binary toggle
Dark mode toggle Checkbox :checked + :has() on html Parent-based state

Pattern

<div class="tabs">
  <input type="radio" name="tab" id="tab1" checked class="tabs__input">
  <label for="tab1" class="tabs__label">Tab 1</label>
  <input type="radio" name="tab" id="tab2" class="tabs__input">
  <label for="tab2" class="tabs__label">Tab 2</label>
  <div class="tabs__panel" id="panel1">Content 1</div>
  <div class="tabs__panel" id="panel2">Content 2</div>
</div>

.tabs__input { position: absolute; opacity: 0; pointer-events: none; }
.tabs__label {
  display: inline-block; padding: 0.75rem 1.5rem;
  cursor: pointer; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent;
  transition: border-color 0.2s, color 0.2s;
}
.tabs__input:checked + .tabs__label {
  border-bottom-color: var(--color-primary); color: var(--color-primary);
}
.tabs__input:focus-visible + .tabs__label {
  outline: 2px solid var(--color-primary); outline-offset: 2px;
}
.tabs__panel { display: none; }
#tab1:checked ~ #panel1,
#tab2:checked ~ #panel2 { display: block; }

/* Dark mode toggle with :has() */
html:has(#dark-toggle:checked) {
  color-scheme: dark;
  --bg: oklch(15% 0 0);
  --text: oklch(90% 0 0);
}

Accessibility: Add role="tablist" on container, role="tab" on labels, role="tabpanel" on panels. Toggle switches need role="switch" and aria-checked.

Common Mistakes

  • Using display: none on radio inputs — breaks keyboard navigation; use opacity: 0 with positioning
  • Missing focus styles — hidden radio inputs need :focus-visible + label styling
  • Not adding ARIA roles — CSS-only tabs need ARIA attributes for screen readers
  • Too many tabs — CSS-only tabs with >5 panels get unwieldy; use JS at that point

See Also