Table of Contents
Use an Icon Library
Add Icons Inside Navbar Links
Style Icons Based on State (Optional)
Responsive Layout Tips
Home Web Front-end Bootstrap Tutorial How to add icons to Bootstrap navbar items?

How to add icons to Bootstrap navbar items?

Jul 19, 2025 am 02:43 AM

To add icons to Bootstrap navbar items, first include an icon library like Font Awesome or Bootstrap Icons. 1. Add the library’s CSS link in the HTML head section. 2. Insert icons inline within navbar links using the appropriate classes. 3. Optionally adjust spacing and styling for better appearance. 4. Use media queries to control icon and text visibility based on screen size.

How to add icons to Bootstrap navbar items?

Adding icons to Bootstrap navbar items can make your navigation more visually engaging and intuitive. The process is straightforward, especially if you're already using a version of Bootstrap (usually 4 or 5) and an icon library like Font Awesome or Bootstrap Icons.

How to add icons to Bootstrap navbar items?

Use an Icon Library

Before adding icons, make sure you’re including an icon library in your project. Two popular choices are:

    <li> Font Awesome – Great for a wide variety of icons. <li> Bootstrap Icons – Official icons from Bootstrap, lightweight and easy to use.

To include Bootstrap Icons, for example, add this line in your HTML section:

How to add icons to Bootstrap navbar items?
<link rel="stylesheet" href="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/bootstrap-icons@1.10.5/font/bootstrap-icons.css">

For Font Awesome:

<link rel="stylesheet" href="https://cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/font-awesome/6.4.0/css/all.min.css">

Once the library is loaded, you can start inserting icons into your navbar links.

How to add icons to Bootstrap navbar items?

Icons are usually added inline with text inside anchor (<a>) tags or list items (<li>) that make up your navbar. You can place them before or after the text.

Here’s a basic example using Bootstrap Icons:

<ul class="navbar-nav me-auto mb-2 mb-lg-0">
  <li class="nav-item">
    <a class="nav-link" href="#"><i class="bi bi-house"></i> Home</a>
  </li>
  <li class="nav-item">
    <a class="nav-link" href="#"><i class="bi bi-info-circle"></i> About</a>
  </li>
</ul>

If you're using Font Awesome:

<a class="nav-link" href="#"><i class="fas fa-home"></i> Home</a>

You can adjust spacing between the icon and the text by adding a small margin to the icon:

<i class="bi bi-house me-1"></i>

This makes the layout cleaner and easier to read.

Style Icons Based on State (Optional)

Sometimes you want icons to change color when hovered or when active. You can target .nav-link states and style the <i> element accordingly.

For example:

.nav-link:hover i,
.nav-link.active i {
  color: #0d6efd; /* Change to your desired color */
}

Make sure you’re applying these styles after Bootstrap loads so they aren’t overridden.

Also, if you're using dropdown menus inside your navbar, you can apply the same approach:

<a class="nav-link dropdown-toggle" href="#" id="navbarDropdown" role="button" data-bs-toggle="dropdown">
  <i class="bi bi-gear"></i> Settings
</a>

Responsive Layout Tips

On smaller screens, space becomes limited. If you only show icons without text in mobile view, consider using media queries to hide text there:

<a class="nav-link" href="#">
  <i class="bi bi-person"></i>
  <span class="d-none d-md-inline">Profile</span>
</a>

This shows the icon only on small devices and includes the text on larger ones.


That's basically how it works — just include an icon library, insert the icon inside your nav link, and optionally tweak spacing or styling. It's not complicated, but it can really improve the look of your navbar if done right.

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