Production
This guide explains how to set up your project so you can start using the styles and coded examples in the GOV.UK Design System in production.
If you’ve used GOV.UK Elements, GOV.UK Template or the GOV.UK Frontend Toolkit before, you might also find it useful to read the guide on updating your code.
Include GOV.UK Frontend in your project
To start using GOV.UK styles, components and patterns contained here, you’ll need to include GOV.UK Frontend in your project.
There are 2 ways to include GOV.UK Frontend in your project. You can either install it using node package manager (npm) or include the compiled files in your application.
Option 1: install using npm
We recommend installing GOV.UK Frontend using npm.
Using this option, you will be able to:
- selectively include the CSS or JavaScript for individual components
- build your own styles or components based on the palette or typography and spacing mixins
- customise the build (for example, overriding colours or enabling global styles)
- use the Nunjucks template and macros if your environment supports them
Option 2: include compiled files
If your project does not use npm, or if you want to try out GOV.UK Frontend in your project without installing it through npm, you can download and include compiled stylesheets, JavaScript and the asset files.
Using this option, you will be able to include all the CSS and JavaScript of GOV.UK Frontend in your project.
You will not be able to:
- selectively include the CSS or JavaScript for individual components
- build your own styles or components based on the palette or typography and spacing mixins
- customise the build, for example, overriding colours or enabling global styles
- use the component Nunjucks templates
Start using the GOV.UK page template
You can set up a basic page that is consistent with GOV.UK branding by using the GOV.UK page template.
Styling page elements
The Design System provides CSS classes for styling content, instead of global styles.
The class names follow the Block Element Modifier (BEM) naming convention. This can look a bit daunting at first, but it makes robust code that’s easy to maintain.
Explore the Styles section of the Design System to see what classes are available.
Using components
The components in the Design System are designed to be accessible and responsive.
You can use them in your live application as either:
- HTML
- Nunjucks macros - if you installed GOV.UK Frontend using npm and your application uses Node.js
You can get the code from the HTML or Nunjucks tabs below any examples:
<div class="app-example app-example--tabs">
<div class="app-example__toolbar">
<a href="/components/button/default/index.html" class="app-example__new-window" target="_blank">
Open this
<span class="govuk-visually-hidden">button</span>
example in a new tab
</a>
</div>
<iframe title="Button example" data-module="app-example-frame" class="app-example__frame app-example__frame--resizable" src="/components/button/default/index.html" frameBorder="0" loading="lazy"></iframe>
</div>
<span id="options-button-example"></span>
<ul class="app-tabs" role="tablist">
<li class="app-tabs__item js-tabs__item" role="presentation"><a href="#button-example-html" role="tab" aria-controls="button-example-html" data-track="tab-html">HTML</a></li>
<li class="app-tabs__item js-tabs__item" role="presentation"><a href="#button-example-nunjucks" role="tab" aria-controls="button-example-nunjucks" data-track="tab-nunjucks">Nunjucks</a></li>
</ul>
<div class="app-tabs__heading js-tabs__heading"><a href="#button-example-html" aria-controls="button-example-html" data-track="tab-html">HTML</a></div>
<div class="app-tabs__container js-tabs__container" id="button-example-html" role="tabpanel">
<div class="app-example__code">
<pre data-module="app-copy" tabindex="0"><code class="hljs html"><span class="hljs-tag"><<span class="hljs-name">button</span> <span class="hljs-attr">class</span>=<span class="hljs-string">"govuk-button"</span> <span class="hljs-attr">data-module</span>=<span class="hljs-string">"govuk-button"</span>></span>
Save and continue </button>
<div class="app-tabs__heading js-tabs__heading"><a class="app-tabs__heading-link" href="#button-example-nunjucks" aria-controls="button-example-nunjucks" data-track="tab-nunjucks">Nunjucks</a></div>
<div class="app-tabs__container js-tabs__container" id="button-example-nunjucks" role="tabpanel">
<details class="govuk-details app-options" data-module="govuk-details" id="options-button-example-details">
<p>
Use options to customise the appearance, content and behaviour of a component when using a macro, for example, changing the text.
</p>
<p>
Some options are required for the macro to work; these are marked as "Required" in the option description.
</p>
<p>
If you're using Nunjucks macros in production with "html" options, or ones ending with "html", you must sanitise the HTML to protect against <a href="https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Glossary/Cross-site_scripting">cross-site scripting exploits</a>.
</p>
<table class="govuk-table app-options__table" id="options-button-example--primary">
<caption class="govuk-table__caption govuk-heading-m govuk-visually-hidden">Primary options</caption>
<thead class="govuk-table__head">
<tr class="govuk-table__row">
<th class="govuk-table__header app-options__limit-table-cell" scope="col">Name</th>
<th class="govuk-table__header app-options__limit-table-cell" scope="col">Type</th>
<th class="govuk-table__header" scope="col">Description</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody class="govuk-table__body">
<tr class="govuk-table__row">
<th class="govuk-table__header" scope="row">element</th>
<td class="govuk-table__cell ">string</td>
<td class="govuk-table__cell ">
Whether to use an <code>input</code>, <code>button</code> or <code>a</code> element to create the button. In most cases you will not need to set this as it will be configured automatically if you use <code>href</code> or <code>html</code>.
</td>
</tr>
<tr class="govuk-table__row">
<th class="govuk-table__header" scope="row">text</th>
<td class="govuk-table__cell ">string</td>
<td class="govuk-table__cell ">
<strong>Required.</strong>
If <code>html</code> is set, this is not required. Text for the button or link. If <code>html</code> is provided, the <code>text</code> option will be ignored and <code>element</code> will be automatically set to <code>button</code> unless <code>href</code> is also set, or it has already been defined. This option has no effect if <code>element</code> is set to <code>input</code>.
</td>
</tr>
<tr class="govuk-table__row">
<th class="govuk-table__header" scope="row">html</th>
<td class="govuk-table__cell ">string</td>
<td class="govuk-table__cell ">
<strong>Required.</strong>
If <code>text</code> is set, this is not required. HTML for the button or link. If <code>html</code> is provided, the <code>text</code> option will be ignored and <code>element</code> will be automatically set to <code>button</code> unless <code>href</code> is also set, or it has already been defined. This option has no effect if <code>element</code> is set to <code>input</code>.
</td>
</tr>
<tr class="govuk-table__row">
<th class="govuk-table__header" scope="row">name</th>
<td class="govuk-table__cell ">string</td>
<td class="govuk-table__cell ">
Name for the <code>input</code> or <code>button</code>. This has no effect on <code>a</code> elements.
</td>
</tr>
<tr class="govuk-table__row">
<th class="govuk-table__header" scope="row">type</th>
<td class="govuk-table__cell ">string</td>
<td class="govuk-table__cell ">
Type of <code>input</code> or <code>button</code> – <code>button</code>, <code>submit</code> or <code>reset</code>. Defaults to <code>submit</code>. This has no effect on <code>a</code> elements.
</td>
</tr>
<tr class="govuk-table__row">
<th class="govuk-table__header" scope="row">value</th>
<td class="govuk-table__cell ">string</td>
<td class="govuk-table__cell ">
Value for the <code>button</code> tag. This has no effect on <code>a</code> or <code>input</code> elements.
</td>
</tr>
<tr class="govuk-table__row">
<th class="govuk-table__header" scope="row">disabled</th>
<td class="govuk-table__cell ">boolean</td>
<td class="govuk-table__cell ">
Whether the button should be disabled. For button and input elements, <code>disabled</code> and <code>aria-disabled</code> attributes will be set automatically.
</td>
</tr>
<tr class="govuk-table__row">
<th class="govuk-table__header" scope="row">href</th>
<td class="govuk-table__cell ">string</td>
<td class="govuk-table__cell ">
The URL that the button should link to. If this is set, <code>element</code> will be automatically set to <code>a</code> if it has not already been defined.
</td>
</tr>
<tr class="govuk-table__row">
<th class="govuk-table__header" scope="row">classes</th>
<td class="govuk-table__cell ">string</td>
<td class="govuk-table__cell ">
Classes to add to the button component.
</td>
</tr>
<tr class="govuk-table__row">
<th class="govuk-table__header" scope="row">attributes</th>
<td class="govuk-table__cell ">object</td>
<td class="govuk-table__cell ">
HTML attributes (for example data attributes) to add to the button component.
</td>
</tr>
<tr class="govuk-table__row">
<th class="govuk-table__header" scope="row">preventDoubleClick</th>
<td class="govuk-table__cell ">boolean</td>
<td class="govuk-table__cell ">
Prevent accidental double clicks on submit buttons from submitting forms multiple times
</td>
</tr>
<tr class="govuk-table__row">
<th class="govuk-table__header" scope="row">isStartButton</th>
<td class="govuk-table__cell ">boolean</td>
<td class="govuk-table__cell ">
Use for the main call to action on your service's start page.
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<div class="app-example__code">
<pre data-module="app-copy" tabindex="0"><code class="hljs js">{% <span class="hljs-keyword">from</span> <span class="hljs-string">"govuk/components/button/macro.njk"</span> <span class="hljs-keyword">import</span> govukButton %}
{{ govukButton({ text: "Save and continue" }) }}