Scroll Area

Custom-styled scrollable container with thin styled scrollbar, auto-hide on idle, and horizontal + vertical variants.

css vanilla-js

Targets: JS HTML

Code

*,
*::before,
*::after {
  box-sizing: border-box;
  margin: 0;
  padding: 0;
}

:root {
  --bg: #050910;
  --card: #0d1117;
  --border: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.08);
  --text: #f2f6ff;
  --muted: #475569;
  --accent: #38bdf8;
  --sb-thumb: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.12);
  --sb-thumb-hover: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.28);
  --radius: 12px;
}

body {
  background: var(--bg);
  color: var(--text);
  font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, sans-serif;
  min-height: 100vh;
  padding: 3rem 1.5rem;
}

.page {
  max-width: 720px;
  margin: 0 auto;
  display: flex;
  flex-direction: column;
  gap: 2.5rem;
}

.demo-section {
  display: flex;
  flex-direction: column;
  gap: 0.75rem;
}

.demo-label {
  font-size: 0.75rem;
  font-weight: 600;
  text-transform: uppercase;
  letter-spacing: 0.1em;
  color: var(--muted);
}

/* ── Scroll area base ── */
.scroll-area {
  background: var(--card);
  border: 1px solid var(--border);
  border-radius: var(--radius);
  outline: none;
  position: relative;
}

.scroll-area:focus-visible {
  box-shadow: 0 0 0 2px rgba(56, 189, 248, 0.35);
}

/* ── Webkit scrollbar — shared ── */
.scroll-area::-webkit-scrollbar {
  width: 6px;
  height: 6px;
}

.scroll-area::-webkit-scrollbar-track {
  background: transparent;
}

.scroll-area::-webkit-scrollbar-corner {
  background: transparent;
}

.scroll-area::-webkit-scrollbar-thumb {
  background: transparent;
  border-radius: 3px;
  transition: background 0.25s;
}

/* Show thumb only while scrolling */
.scroll-area.scrolling::-webkit-scrollbar-thumb {
  background: var(--sb-thumb);
}

.scroll-area::-webkit-scrollbar-thumb:hover {
  background: var(--sb-thumb-hover);
}

/* Firefox */
.scroll-area {
  scrollbar-width: thin;
  scrollbar-color: transparent transparent;
}

.scroll-area.scrolling {
  scrollbar-color: var(--sb-thumb) transparent;
}

/* ── Vertical ── */
.scroll-area--vertical {
  height: 280px;
  overflow-y: auto;
  overflow-x: hidden;
}

/* ── Horizontal ── */
.scroll-area--horizontal {
  overflow-x: auto;
  overflow-y: hidden;
  padding-bottom: 0.5rem; /* space for scrollbar */
}

/* ── Both ── */
.scroll-area--both {
  height: 260px;
  overflow: auto;
}

/* ── Item list (vertical) ── */
.item-list {
  list-style: none;
  padding: 0.5rem;
}

.item {
  display: flex;
  align-items: center;
  gap: 0.875rem;
  padding: 0.625rem 0.75rem;
  border-radius: 8px;
  font-size: 0.875rem;
  transition: background 0.15s;
}

.item:hover {
  background: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.03);
}

.item-num {
  font-size: 0.72rem;
  font-weight: 600;
  color: var(--muted);
  font-variant-numeric: tabular-nums;
  width: 22px;
  flex-shrink: 0;
}

/* ── Horizontal cards ── */
.card-row {
  display: flex;
  gap: 0.75rem;
  padding: 0.75rem;
  width: max-content;
}

.h-card {
  width: 120px;
  height: 100px;
  border-radius: 10px;
  display: flex;
  flex-direction: column;
  align-items: flex-start;
  justify-content: flex-end;
  padding: 0.875rem;
  flex-shrink: 0;
  position: relative;
  overflow: hidden;
}

.h-card--1 {
  background: linear-gradient(135deg, #0f2044, #0a3a5c);
}
.h-card--2 {
  background: linear-gradient(135deg, #1a0a3c, #3b0f6e);
}
.h-card--3 {
  background: linear-gradient(135deg, #072a1e, #0d4a32);
}
.h-card--4 {
  background: linear-gradient(135deg, #2a0f0a, #5c1f10);
}
.h-card--5 {
  background: linear-gradient(135deg, #1a1a0a, #3d3800);
}
.h-card--6 {
  background: linear-gradient(135deg, #0a1f2a, #0d3650);
}
.h-card--7 {
  background: linear-gradient(135deg, #1f0a2a, #450f5e);
}
.h-card--8 {
  background: linear-gradient(135deg, #0a2a10, #0d4818);
}
.h-card--9 {
  background: linear-gradient(135deg, #2a1a0a, #5c3a10);
}
.h-card--10 {
  background: linear-gradient(135deg, #001f2a, #003655);
}

.h-card__num {
  position: absolute;
  top: 0.625rem;
  right: 0.75rem;
  font-size: 0.68rem;
  color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.3);
  font-variant-numeric: tabular-nums;
}

.h-card__title {
  font-size: 0.85rem;
  font-weight: 700;
  color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.9);
  letter-spacing: -0.01em;
}

/* ── Both-axes grid ── */
.both-content {
  padding: 0.75rem;
  width: max-content;
}

.both-grid {
  display: grid;
  grid-template-columns: repeat(10, 80px);
  grid-template-rows: repeat(8, 60px);
  gap: 6px;
}

.grid-cell {
  background: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.03);
  border: 1px solid var(--border);
  border-radius: 6px;
  display: grid;
  place-items: center;
  font-size: 0.7rem;
  color: var(--muted);
  font-variant-numeric: tabular-nums;
  transition: background 0.15s, border-color 0.15s;
}

.grid-cell:hover {
  background: rgba(56, 189, 248, 0.06);
  border-color: rgba(56, 189, 248, 0.2);
  color: var(--text);
}

(function () {
  "use strict";

  // ── Auto-hide scrollbar ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────

  document.querySelectorAll(".scroll-area").forEach(function (el) {
    let timer = null;

    el.addEventListener(
      "scroll",
      function () {
        el.classList.add("scrolling");
        clearTimeout(timer);
        timer = setTimeout(function () {
          el.classList.remove("scrolling");
        }, 1000);
      },
      { passive: true }
    );
  });

  // ── Build both-axes grid ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────

  const grid = document.querySelector(".both-grid");
  if (grid) {
    for (let row = 1; row <= 8; row++) {
      for (let col = 1; col <= 10; col++) {
        const cell = document.createElement("div");
        cell.className = "grid-cell";
        cell.textContent = row + "·" + col;
        grid.appendChild(cell);
      }
    }
  }
})();

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
  <meta charset="UTF-8" />
  <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0" />
  <title>Scroll Area</title>
  <link rel="stylesheet" href="style.css" />
</head>
<body>

  <div class="page">

    <!-- ── Demo 1: Vertical scroll ── -->
    <div class="demo-section">
      <h2 class="demo-label">Vertical scroll area</h2>
      <div class="scroll-area scroll-area--vertical" tabindex="0" aria-label="Vertical scroll area">
        <ul class="item-list">
          <li class="item"><span class="item-num">01</span><span>Accordion Spring</span></li>
          <li class="item"><span class="item-num">02</span><span>Animated Tabs</span></li>
          <li class="item"><span class="item-num">03</span><span>Carousel</span></li>
          <li class="item"><span class="item-num">04</span><span>Command Palette</span></li>
          <li class="item"><span class="item-num">05</span><span>Context Menu</span></li>
          <li class="item"><span class="item-num">06</span><span>Data Table</span></li>
          <li class="item"><span class="item-num">07</span><span>Date Picker</span></li>
          <li class="item"><span class="item-num">08</span><span>Drag to Reorder</span></li>
          <li class="item"><span class="item-num">09</span><span>Flip Card 3D</span></li>
          <li class="item"><span class="item-num">10</span><span>Glass Card</span></li>
          <li class="item"><span class="item-num">11</span><span>Glow Metric Card</span></li>
          <li class="item"><span class="item-num">12</span><span>Infinite Marquee</span></li>
          <li class="item"><span class="item-num">13</span><span>Navigation Menu</span></li>
          <li class="item"><span class="item-num">14</span><span>OTP Input</span></li>
          <li class="item"><span class="item-num">15</span><span>Resizable Panels</span></li>
          <li class="item"><span class="item-num">16</span><span>Scroll Area</span></li>
          <li class="item"><span class="item-num">17</span><span>Sheet Drawer</span></li>
          <li class="item"><span class="item-num">18</span><span>Skeleton Loader</span></li>
          <li class="item"><span class="item-num">19</span><span>Toast System</span></li>
          <li class="item"><span class="item-num">20</span><span>Toggle Switch</span></li>
        </ul>
      </div>
    </div>

    <!-- ── Demo 2: Horizontal scroll ── -->
    <div class="demo-section">
      <h2 class="demo-label">Horizontal scroll area</h2>
      <div class="scroll-area scroll-area--horizontal" tabindex="0" aria-label="Horizontal scroll area">
        <div class="card-row">
          <div class="h-card h-card--1"><span class="h-card__num">01</span><span class="h-card__title">Design</span></div>
          <div class="h-card h-card--2"><span class="h-card__num">02</span><span class="h-card__title">Motion</span></div>
          <div class="h-card h-card--3"><span class="h-card__num">03</span><span class="h-card__title">Code</span></div>
          <div class="h-card h-card--4"><span class="h-card__num">04</span><span class="h-card__title">Systems</span></div>
          <div class="h-card h-card--5"><span class="h-card__num">05</span><span class="h-card__title">API</span></div>
          <div class="h-card h-card--6"><span class="h-card__num">06</span><span class="h-card__title">UX</span></div>
          <div class="h-card h-card--7"><span class="h-card__num">07</span><span class="h-card__title">Perf</span></div>
          <div class="h-card h-card--8"><span class="h-card__num">08</span><span class="h-card__title">A11y</span></div>
          <div class="h-card h-card--9"><span class="h-card__num">09</span><span class="h-card__title">DX</span></div>
          <div class="h-card h-card--10"><span class="h-card__num">10</span><span class="h-card__title">Craft</span></div>
        </div>
      </div>
    </div>

    <!-- ── Demo 3: Both axes ── -->
    <div class="demo-section">
      <h2 class="demo-label">Both axes</h2>
      <div class="scroll-area scroll-area--both" tabindex="0" aria-label="Scrollable in both directions">
        <div class="both-content">
          <div class="both-grid">
            <!-- 8x8 grid of cells -->
          </div>
        </div>
      </div>
    </div>

  </div>

  <script src="script.js"></script>
</body>
</html>

Scroll Area

Custom-styled scrollable containers with thin, themed scrollbars that auto-hide when idle. Three layout variants: vertical, horizontal, and both axes.

Variants

Vertical — fixed-height list with 20 items, thin right scrollbar
Horizontal — row of wide cards with bottom scrollbar
Both axes — free-scroll content area with scrollbars on both sides

How it works

::-webkit-scrollbar resets the default browser scrollbar to 6px width/height
The thumb uses rgba(255,255,255,0.15) at rest and rgba(255,255,255,0.3) on hover
A JS scroll listener adds .scrolling to the container; a 1 s debounced timeout removes it
CSS transitions on scrollbar-color and thumb opacity create a smooth fade-in/out
Firefox uses scrollbar-width: thin and scrollbar-color for cross-browser support

CSS-only fallback

The auto-hide behaviour requires JS, but the styled scrollbar is pure CSS. Removing the script degrades gracefully — the scrollbar stays visible but still looks correct.