[Brand Refactor] Update SubdomainNavBar by danielguillan · Pull Request #1402 · primer/brand

danielguillan · 2026-07-15T13:03:52Z

Summary

Updates SubdomainNavBar with the new brand refactor styles and expands its content, search, and responsive navigation capabilities.

Towards https://github.com/github/brand-experience/issues/223

List of notable changes:

Updates the default SubdomainNavBar styling with the new gridline design.
Adds leadingComponent and trailingComponent content slots.
Adds an input search type trigger on desktop, configurable keyboard shortcuts, grouped results, and localized labels.
Adds imperative openSearch() and closeSearch() methods.
Improves desktop link overflow and focus management.
Refines responsive and mobile menu behavior.
Updates navigation link hover, focus, current-page, and expanded states.
Updates component documentation, tests, stories, and visual snapshots.

What should reviewers focus on?

Verify the visual treatment across constrained and full-width layouts, light and dark modes, and open menu and search states.
Verify spacing and alignment across desktop, tablet, and mobile.
Verify links move into and out of the More menu in order as the available width changes.
Verify custom content slots render in the expected position across viewport sizes.
Verify search behavior, includin keyboard shortcuts, grouped results, localization, and focus management.
Verify keyboard and assistive technology navigation when links overflow or the mobile menu contains only custom slot content.
Review the new APIs and confirm they cover the expected use cases.

Steps to test:

Open the SubdomainNavBar stories in the Storybook preview.
Review the default, playground, leading and trailing component, input search, grouped results, keyboard shortcut, imperative search API, overflow menu, and mobile stories.
Resize the viewport and verify links move into and out of the More menu in order.
Verify overflowed links are not exposed to keyboard or assistive technology navigation.
Interact with navigation and search using a mouse and keyboard, including opening and closing menus and dialogs, navigating results, and returning focus to the trigger.
Toggle light and dark modes and verify hover, focus, current-page, and expanded states.
Open the docs preview and verify the updated examples and API documentation.

Contributor checklist:

All new and existing CI checks pass
Tests prove that the feature works and covers both happy and unhappy paths
Any drop in coverage, breaking changes or regressions have been documented above
UI Changes contain new visual snapshots (generated by adding update snapshots label to the PR)
All developer debugging and non-functional logging has been removed
Related issues have been referenced in the PR description

Reviewer checklist:

Check that pull request and proposed changes adhere to our contribution guidelines and code of conduct
Check that tests prove the feature works and covers both happy and unhappy paths
Check that there aren't other open Pull Requests for the same update/change

Screenshots:

Desktop navigation

Before	After

Search

Before	After

Mobile menu

Before	After

Co-authored-by: Copilot <223556219+Copilot@users.noreply.github.com>

Co-authored-by: Copilot <223556219+Copilot@users.noreply.github.com> Copilot-Session: ed05986d-edce-42e8-8d89-da23c403edda

changeset-bot · 2026-07-15T13:03:57Z

🦋 Changeset detected

Latest commit: 2c719b4

The changes in this PR will be included in the next version bump.

This PR includes changesets to release 9 packages

Name	Type
@primer/react-brand	Minor
@primer/brand-primitives	Minor
@primer/brand-docs	Minor
@primer/brand-css	Minor
@primer/brand-e2e	Minor
@primer/brand-fonts	Minor
@primer/brand-mcp	Minor
@primer/brand-config	Minor
@primer/brand-storybook	Minor

Not sure what this means? Click here to learn what changesets are.

Click here if you're a maintainer who wants to add another changeset to this PR

github-actions · 2026-07-15T13:34:31Z

🔍 Design token changes found

View CSS variable changes

+ --brand-SubdomainNavBar-color-link-bgColor: var(--base-color-scale-gray-1);

+ --brand-SubdomainNavBar-searchDialog-shadowColor: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1);

+ --brand-SubdomainNavBar-searchDialog-backdropColor: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2);

+ --brand-SubdomainNavBar-color-link-bgColor: var(--base-color-scale-gray-6);

+ --brand-SubdomainNavBar-searchDialog-shadowColor: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1);

+ --brand-SubdomainNavBar-searchDialog-backdropColor: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2);

github-actions · 2026-07-15T13:36:24Z

🟢 Bundle size report

Check	Main	Branch	Change
UMD — full bundle (JS)	102.32 kB	104.76 kB	⬆️ +2.44 kB (+2.4%)
UMD — full bundle (CSS)	67.94 kB	69.91 kB	⬆️ +1.97 kB (+2.9%)
ESM — full bundle (JS + CSS)	1.59 MB	1.61 MB	⬆️ +21.52 kB (+1.3%)
ESM — tree-shaken simple (Button)	71.22 kB	73.16 kB	⬆️ +1.94 kB (+2.7%)
ESM — tree-shaken complex (ActionMenu)	80.13 kB	82.07 kB	⬆️ +1.94 kB (+2.4%)

github-actions · 2026-07-15T13:36:38Z

🟢 Unit test coverage changes found

Unit test coverage has been updated through this PR.

Changes: 0 new tests, 0 removed tests, 1 improved, 0 decreased

Component/Hook	Statements	Functions	Branches	Change
`SubdomainNavBar`	~~71.9%~~ 84.7%	~~79.4%~~ 94.2%	~~66.7%~~ 79.3%	+14.8%

github-actions · 2026-07-15T13:39:50Z

🟢 No visual differences found

Our visual comparison tests did not find any differences in the UI.

Co-authored-by: Copilot <223556219+Copilot@users.noreply.github.com> Copilot-Session: ed05986d-edce-42e8-8d89-da23c403edda

Co-authored-by: Copilot <223556219+Copilot@users.noreply.github.com> Copilot-Session: 7d918370-0eb2-4a77-b692-e6b8b4d0d65e

…nnavbar Co-authored-by: Copilot <223556219+Copilot@users.noreply.github.com> Copilot-Session: 085743ed-8a5d-4c4f-a0db-260a81dcf121

Copilot

Pull request overview

Updates SubdomainNavBar to the brand-refactor visual style while expanding layout, search, and responsive navigation capabilities in the @primer/react-brand component library.

Changes:

Refactors layout/styling (gridline design), adds leadingComponent/trailingComponent, and introduces an imperative search ref API.
Reworks search UX (input-style trigger, keyboard shortcut config, grouped results, localized labels) and desktop overflow behavior (More menu + focus management).
Updates supporting assets: docs, stories, unit tests, visual tests, E2E snapshot generation, and design tokens.

Show a summary per file

File	Description
packages/react/src/SubdomainNavBar/useVisibilityObserver.ts	Replaces IntersectionObserver-based link visibility with measurement + ResizeObserver logic.
packages/react/src/SubdomainNavBar/SubdomainNavBarLinkContext.ts	Adds context for overflow state and link-click handling across visible/overflow menus.
packages/react/src/SubdomainNavBar/SubdomainNavBar.visual.spec.ts	Expands visual coverage for new stories and states (overflow, grouped results, mobile slot-only menu).
packages/react/src/SubdomainNavBar/SubdomainNavBar.tsx	Main component refactor: new slots, search API/UX, overflow accessibility behavior, and responsive updates.
packages/react/src/SubdomainNavBar/SubdomainNavBar.test.tsx	Adds extensive unit coverage for new behaviors (overflow, keyboard shortcuts, ref API, slots, dialog behavior).
packages/react/src/SubdomainNavBar/SubdomainNavBar.stories.tsx	Adds/updates Storybook stories to demonstrate new APIs and responsive behaviors.
packages/react/src/SubdomainNavBar/SubdomainNavBar.module.css.d.ts	Updates CSS module typings for new/removed classnames.
packages/react/src/SubdomainNavBar/SubdomainNavBar.module.css	Major style updates for gridline design, responsive layout, overflow menu, and search dialog.
packages/react/src/SubdomainNavBar/NavigationVisbilityObserver.tsx	Reworks desktop overflow measurement and introduces anchored overflow menu positioning and focus handling.
packages/e2e/scripts/playwright/playwright.generate-tests.ts	Adds per-story viewport/timeout/before-screenshot hooks for more reliable visual snapshots.
packages/design-tokens/src/tokens/functional/components/subdomain-nav-bar/colors.js	Adds token values for search dialog shadow/backdrop colors.
apps/next-docs/content/components/SubdomainNavBar/index.mdx	Updates documentation to match new props, search model, and accessibility guidance.
.changeset/tasty-cameras-search.md	Minor changeset documenting new slots, search APIs, and overflow behavior + token changes.
.changeset/quiet-pills-align.md	Patch changeset for desktop navigation pill state styling updates.

Review details

Files reviewed: 13/42 changed files
Comments generated: 4
Review effort level: Lite

…efactor-update-subdomainnavbar

rezrah · 2026-08-17T11:01:58Z

+    [children],
+  )
+  const hasSearch = Boolean(searchItem)
+  const searchKeyboardShortcut = useMemo(


The keyboard shortcut should really be opt-in, as it's taking over on sites where that might be reserved already.

E.g.

Screen.Recording.2026-08-17.at.11.52.26.mov

danielguillan and others added 16 commits July 1, 2026 13:21

Add SubdomainNavBar gridline variant

885e96d

Add SubdomainNavBar custom slots

6ff3df3

Add SubdomainNavBar slot stories

4ec09e6

Update search button

9856f7e

Add SubdomainNavBar input search trigger

6d8f8c8

Update SubdomainNavBar search modal

31f0b85

Refactor SubdomainNavBar search dialog

0f9ba23

Add SubdomainNavBar search shortcut

4e02e92

Improve SubdomainNavBar overflow handling

c33a41c

Co-authored-by: Copilot <223556219+Copilot@users.noreply.github.com>

Fix responsive SubdomainNavBar search

5761d8c

Update gridline SubdomainNavBar mobile styles

0e4f984

Refine responsive SubdomainNavBar layout

5a9c1c7

Update changeset

2ac053b

Make slot-only mobile navigation accessible

b14db09

Responsive search update

755014e

Merge origin/main into SubdomainNavBar refactor

7891518

Co-authored-by: Copilot <223556219+Copilot@users.noreply.github.com> Copilot-Session: ed05986d-edce-42e8-8d89-da23c403edda

danielguillan added 2 commits July 15, 2026 15:08

Type id prop

c179c2f

Update snapshots

fba43cb

danielguillan temporarily deployed to github-pages July 15, 2026 13:36 — with GitHub Actions Inactive

danielguillan added 3 commits July 15, 2026 15:44

Update actions padding

b60a21b

Fix SubdomainNavBar review findings

57760d6

Co-authored-by: Copilot <223556219+Copilot@users.noreply.github.com> Copilot-Session: ed05986d-edce-42e8-8d89-da23c403edda

Update SubdomainNavBar mobile action snapshots

a24d43f

Co-authored-by: Copilot <223556219+Copilot@users.noreply.github.com> Copilot-Session: ed05986d-edce-42e8-8d89-da23c403edda

danielguillan temporarily deployed to github-pages July 15, 2026 14:44 — with GitHub Actions Inactive

danielguillan added 2 commits July 16, 2026 15:52

Make gridline the default style

4b99a2d

Update snapshots

61d0eff

danielguillan added 3 commits August 5, 2026 15:00

Merge main into SubdomainNavBar refactor

a1c7ae7

Co-authored-by: Copilot <223556219+Copilot@users.noreply.github.com> Copilot-Session: 7d918370-0eb2-4a77-b692-e6b8b4d0d65e

Simplify SubdomainNavBar search trigger

7e7b932

Update SubdomainNavBar visual snapshots

cd4d008

danielguillan temporarily deployed to github-pages August 5, 2026 13:21 — with GitHub Actions Inactive

danielguillan changed the title ~~[WIP] [Brand Refactor] Update SubdomainNavBar~~ [Brand Refactor] Update SubdomainNavBar Aug 6, 2026

Merge branch 'main' into danielguillan/brand-refactor-update-subdomai…

c224d1d

…nnavbar Co-authored-by: Copilot <223556219+Copilot@users.noreply.github.com> Copilot-Session: 085743ed-8a5d-4c4f-a0db-260a81dcf121

danielguillan marked this pull request as ready for review August 6, 2026 07:37

danielguillan requested a review from a team as a code owner August 6, 2026 07:37

Copilot AI lite review requested due to automatic review settings August 6, 2026 07:37

Copilot started reviewing on behalf of danielguillan August 6, 2026 07:37 View session

danielguillan temporarily deployed to github-pages August 6, 2026 07:40 — with GitHub Actions Inactive

Copilot AI reviewed Aug 6, 2026

View reviewed changes

Update changeset

2e276e0

danielguillan temporarily deployed to github-pages August 6, 2026 07:52 — with GitHub Actions Inactive

Address feedback

b5633f6

danielguillan temporarily deployed to github-pages August 6, 2026 08:05 — with GitHub Actions Inactive

Fix a11y issues

86fa8fb

danielguillan temporarily deployed to github-pages August 6, 2026 08:37 — with GitHub Actions Inactive

Update SubdomainNavBar responsive navigation

34298c0

danielguillan had a problem deploying to github-pages August 6, 2026 12:52 — with GitHub Actions Failure

Cleanup

c472eb5

danielguillan had a problem deploying to github-pages August 6, 2026 14:03 — with GitHub Actions Failure

Update snapshots

f2995a4

danielguillan had a problem deploying to github-pages August 6, 2026 14:32 — with GitHub Actions Failure

danielguillan temporarily deployed to github-pages August 7, 2026 00:00 — with GitHub Actions Inactive

danielguillan requested a review from rezrah August 7, 2026 07:37

Merge remote-tracking branch 'origin/main' into danielguillan/brand-r…

2f3c172

…efactor-update-subdomainnavbar

rezrah reviewed Aug 17, 2026

View reviewed changes

clean up docs

2c719b4

rezrah deployed to github-pages August 17, 2026 11:20 — with GitHub Actions View deployment

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[Brand Refactor] Update SubdomainNavBar - #1402

[Brand Refactor] Update SubdomainNavBar#1402
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Summary

List of notable changes:

What should reviewers focus on?

Steps to test:

Contributor checklist:

Reviewer checklist:

Screenshots:

Desktop navigation

Search

Mobile menu

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