Why Does `overflow: hidden` Break `position: sticky` Behavior?

Why overflow:hidden Can Interfere with position:sticky Behavior

In web development, position:sticky allows an element to stay visible and positioned within its container while the user scrolls a parent container or viewport. However, when the container has overflow:hidden applied, it may prevent position:sticky from working as intended.

Original Problem:

Consider the following HTML code:

<div class="parent">
  <div class="sticky">
    ...
  </div>
</div>

The sticky element will remain visible and positioned within the parent div as the user scrolls.

Overflow Issue:

If you add overflow:hidden to the parent div, the sticky element will no longer stick to the top of the container and will scroll out of view.

<div class="parent">
  <div class="sticky">
    ...
  </div>
</div>

Cause:

overflow:hidden hides any content that extends beyond the boundaries of its container. This includes the sticky element when it is positioned outside of the container's visible area.

Resolution:

To prevent overflow:hidden from interfering with position:sticky, you have two options:

• Use Modern Techniques: Since the initial posting of this question, CSS has evolved to introduce contain: paint. By setting contain: paint on the parent container, you can prevent overflowing content from escaping and ensure that the sticky element remains visible and positioned correctly.

.parent {
  contain: paint;
}

• Adjust Overflow Property: Alternatively, you can set the overflow property to auto or scroll instead of hidden. This allows the content to extend beyond the container's boundaries and ensures that the sticky element remains visible.

.parent {
  overflow: auto;
  /* or */
  overflow: scroll;
}

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