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ContainersLevel 2

Popover

浮出层

WebDesktopDifficulty: Medium

A small panel that pops out next to a particular element, visually tethered to the thing that opened it.

01

Live Demo

Actually clickable
What separates a Popover from a Tooltip: there's something clickable in here (template choices).

What you just saw:The month picker that appears beside the calendar icon, the little menu that floats out after you tap "More", the palette that opens after you tap a color swatch — each one sits right next to its own trigger.

02

What it actually is

The defining trait of a popover is attachment: it always grows out near its trigger and points back at where it came from. That is what makes it read differently from a modal in the center of the screen or a bottom sheet at the bottom of the screen.

popoverpopover panelfloating panelflyoutpopup menuanchored overlay
03

Anatomy · What it's made of

  1. Trigger触发元素

    Gets an active background while pressed

  2. Surface浮层本体

    White background + shadow to read as floating

  3. Arrow小箭头

    Points at the trigger, optional

  4. Content内容

    Menu items / a form / a preview

04

When to Use

When it fits, and when it doesn't
Popover usage recommendations
SituationUse it?
The content needs a visual relationship with a specific elementYes
The content is light (a menu, a picker, a small form)Yes
The page underneath needs to stay interactiveYes
The user has to be blocked from finishing the current operationNo
The content is long and needs a lot of scrollingNo

Putting a long list in a popover is a common mistake — once users scroll to the bottom they lose the thread of where it came from.

On mobile, popovers tend to overflow the viewport because there is not enough room, so positioning needs care.

05

Similar Patterns

Don't mix these up
06

How to tell AI

Three levels of prompt

Add the component name and specifics

After clicking the "Format" button, open a popover below it offering four type styles to choose from, with a small arrow pointing at the trigger button. Esc and outside clicks close it.

07

Don't just say this to AI

Bad → Better

Don't say this to AI

Pop something out next to this.

Say this instead

Open a popover below the trigger button (role=menu) with a small arrow pointing back at the trigger, positioned with Floating UI and flipped above automatically when there is not enough space, closed by Esc or an outside click, focus returned to the trigger.

08

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