Tooltips
Tooltips are tiny labels that appear on hover or focus. They name icon buttons, explain terms and show full text that was cut off. Below you will find placements, triggers, disabled wrappers, custom colours and many real spots such as toolbars, avatar stacks, tables and sidebars.
1Basic tooltip
Hover or focus the button to see its tooltip.
<button type="button" class="btn btn-secondary" data-bs-toggle="tooltip" data-bs-title="Saves a copy to your account">Hover me</button>2Four directions
<code>data-bs-placement</code> sets the side.
<div class="d-flex flex-wrap gap-2">
<button type="button" class="btn btn-outline-secondary" data-bs-toggle="tooltip" data-bs-title="Tooltip on top" data-bs-placement="top">Tooltip on top</button>
<button type="button" class="btn btn-outline-secondary" data-bs-toggle="tooltip" data-bs-title="Tooltip on right" data-bs-placement="right">Tooltip on right</button>
<button type="button" class="btn btn-outline-secondary" data-bs-toggle="tooltip" data-bs-title="Tooltip on bottom" data-bs-placement="bottom">Tooltip on bottom</button>
<button type="button" class="btn btn-outline-secondary" data-bs-toggle="tooltip" data-bs-title="Tooltip on left" data-bs-placement="left">Tooltip on left</button>
</div>3Links in text
Tooltips on inline links give extra context without clutter.
Vela works with single sign-on and audit trail, so we listen first, then build a plan around what you actually need.
<p class="mb-0">Vela works with <a href="#" class="" data-bs-toggle="tooltip" data-bs-title="Connect in two clicks">single sign-on</a> and <a href="#" class="" data-bs-toggle="tooltip" data-bs-title="Included in the Pro plan">audit trail</a>, so we listen first, then build a plan around what you actually need.</p>4Icon toolbar
Icon-only buttons need a tooltip and an <code>aria-label</code> to explain them.
<div class="btn-toolbar gap-1" role="toolbar" aria-label="Item actions">
<button type="button" class="btn btn-light border" data-bs-toggle="tooltip" data-bs-title="Edit" aria-label="Edit"><i class="bi bi-pencil-fill" aria-hidden="true"></i></button>
<button type="button" class="btn btn-light border" data-bs-toggle="tooltip" data-bs-title="Duplicate" aria-label="Duplicate"><i class="bi bi-files" aria-hidden="true"></i></button>
<button type="button" class="btn btn-light border" data-bs-toggle="tooltip" data-bs-title="Share" aria-label="Share"><i class="bi bi-share-fill" aria-hidden="true"></i></button>
<button type="button" class="btn btn-light border" data-bs-toggle="tooltip" data-bs-title="Download" aria-label="Download"><i class="bi bi-download" aria-hidden="true"></i></button>
<button type="button" class="btn btn-light border" data-bs-toggle="tooltip" data-bs-title="Delete" aria-label="Delete"><i class="bi bi-trash-fill" aria-hidden="true"></i></button>
</div>5Disabled wrapper
Wrap a disabled button in a focusable span so the tooltip still shows.
<span class="d-inline-block" tabindex="0" data-bs-toggle="tooltip" data-bs-title="Add a payment method first">
<button class="btn btn-primary" type="button" disabled>Upgrade</button>
</span>6Custom colors
<code>data-bs-custom-class</code> plus a few CSS variables give the tooltip your brand colour.
<button type="button" class="btn btn-primary" data-bs-toggle="tooltip" data-bs-title="Styled with the theme primary colour" data-bs-custom-class="cb-tooltip">Custom tooltip</button>7Click trigger
<code>data-bs-trigger="click"</code> shows the tooltip only on click - useful on touch screens.
<button type="button" class="btn btn-outline-info" data-bs-toggle="tooltip" data-bs-title="You clicked me" data-bs-trigger="click"><i class="bi bi-hand-index-fill" aria-hidden="true"></i> Click me</button>8Avatar stack
Overlapping avatars show each member's name on hover.
<div class="d-flex">
<a href="#" class="d-inline-block" style="margin-left:0" data-bs-toggle="tooltip" data-bs-title="Theo Sato"><img src="../assets/img/avatar-7.svg" class="rounded-circle border border-2 border-white" width="40" height="40" alt="Theo Sato"></a><a href="#" class="d-inline-block" style="margin-left:-.6rem" data-bs-toggle="tooltip" data-bs-title="Kai Carter"><img src="../assets/img/avatar-7.svg" class="rounded-circle border border-2 border-white" width="40" height="40" alt="Kai Carter"></a><a href="#" class="d-inline-block" style="margin-left:-.6rem" data-bs-toggle="tooltip" data-bs-title="Isla Ibrahim"><img src="../assets/img/avatar-10.svg" class="rounded-circle border border-2 border-white" width="40" height="40" alt="Isla Ibrahim"></a><a href="#" class="d-inline-block" style="margin-left:-.6rem" data-bs-toggle="tooltip" data-bs-title="Noah Novak"><img src="../assets/img/avatar-6.svg" class="rounded-circle border border-2 border-white" width="40" height="40" alt="Noah Novak"></a><a href="#" class="d-inline-block" style="margin-left:-.6rem" data-bs-toggle="tooltip" data-bs-title="Kenji Silva"><img src="../assets/img/avatar-2.svg" class="rounded-circle border border-2 border-white" width="40" height="40" alt="Kenji Silva"></a>
</div>9Terms and abbreviations
Dotted underlined terms with a focusable span explain jargon.
Shipping is DDP and orders leave within one business day.
<p class="mb-0">Shipping is <span class="wt-term" tabindex="0" data-bs-toggle="tooltip" data-bs-title="Delivered Duty Paid - all import costs included">DDP</span> and orders leave within one <span class="wt-term" tabindex="0" data-bs-toggle="tooltip" data-bs-title="Monday to Friday, not counting holidays">business day</span>.</p>10Field help icon
A help icon after an input label.
app/
<div style="max-width:360px">
<label for="tip-field-1230" class="form-label">Workspace URL <span class="text-body-secondary" tabindex="0" data-bs-toggle="tooltip" data-bs-placement="right" data-bs-title="Letters, numbers and dashes only"><i class="bi bi-question-circle-fill" aria-hidden="true"></i></span></label>
<div class="input-group">
<span class="input-group-text">app/</span><input type="text" class="form-control" id="tip-field-1230" value="vela">
</div>
</div>11Status dots
Coloured dots carry their details in a tooltip.
- Single sign-on Online
- Secure file sharing Degraded
- Team analytics Offline
<ul class="list-unstyled mb-0">
<li class="d-flex align-items-center gap-2 mb-1"><span class="d-inline-block rounded-circle bg-success" style="width:.7rem;height:.7rem" tabindex="0" data-bs-toggle="tooltip" data-bs-title="All systems running" aria-label="Online"></span>Single sign-on <small class="text-body-secondary">Online</small></li>
<li class="d-flex align-items-center gap-2 mb-1"><span class="d-inline-block rounded-circle bg-warning" style="width:.7rem;height:.7rem" tabindex="0" data-bs-toggle="tooltip" data-bs-title="Slower than usual" aria-label="Degraded"></span>Secure file sharing <small class="text-body-secondary">Degraded</small></li>
<li class="d-flex align-items-center gap-2 mb-1"><span class="d-inline-block rounded-circle bg-danger" style="width:.7rem;height:.7rem" tabindex="0" data-bs-toggle="tooltip" data-bs-title="Down since 13:30" aria-label="Offline"></span>Team analytics <small class="text-body-secondary">Offline</small></li>
</ul>12Contact icons
Large icon links with descriptive tooltips.
<div class="d-flex gap-3 fs-4">
<a href="#" class="link-body-emphasis" data-bs-toggle="tooltip" data-bs-title="Email us" aria-label="Email us"><i class="bi bi-envelope-fill" aria-hidden="true"></i></a><a href="#" class="link-body-emphasis" data-bs-toggle="tooltip" data-bs-title="Live chat" aria-label="Live chat"><i class="bi bi-chat-dots-fill" aria-hidden="true"></i></a><a href="#" class="link-body-emphasis" data-bs-toggle="tooltip" data-bs-title="Call +1 (555) 380-6760" aria-label="Call +1 (555) 380-6760"><i class="bi bi-telephone-fill" aria-hidden="true"></i></a><a href="#" class="link-body-emphasis" data-bs-toggle="tooltip" data-bs-title="Visit us in Vancouver" aria-label="Visit us in Vancouver"><i class="bi bi-geo-alt-fill" aria-hidden="true"></i></a>
</div>13Table actions
Row action icons with tooltips naming the target.
| Member | Actions |
|---|---|
| Priya Patel | |
| Liam Rossi | |
| Ruby Tanaka |
<div class="table-responsive">
<table class="table align-middle mb-0">
<thead>
<tr>
<th scope="col">Member</th>
<th scope="col" class="text-end">Actions</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Priya Patel</td>
<td class="text-end text-nowrap"><button type="button" class="btn btn-sm btn-link link-secondary" data-bs-toggle="tooltip" data-bs-title="View Priya" aria-label="View"><i class="bi bi-eye" aria-hidden="true"></i></button><button type="button" class="btn btn-sm btn-link link-secondary" data-bs-toggle="tooltip" data-bs-title="Edit Priya" aria-label="Edit"><i class="bi bi-pencil-fill" aria-hidden="true"></i></button><button type="button" class="btn btn-sm btn-link link-danger" data-bs-toggle="tooltip" data-bs-title="Remove Priya" aria-label="Remove"><i class="bi bi-trash-fill" aria-hidden="true"></i></button></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Liam Rossi</td>
<td class="text-end text-nowrap"><button type="button" class="btn btn-sm btn-link link-secondary" data-bs-toggle="tooltip" data-bs-title="View Liam" aria-label="View"><i class="bi bi-eye" aria-hidden="true"></i></button><button type="button" class="btn btn-sm btn-link link-secondary" data-bs-toggle="tooltip" data-bs-title="Edit Liam" aria-label="Edit"><i class="bi bi-pencil-fill" aria-hidden="true"></i></button><button type="button" class="btn btn-sm btn-link link-danger" data-bs-toggle="tooltip" data-bs-title="Remove Liam" aria-label="Remove"><i class="bi bi-trash-fill" aria-hidden="true"></i></button></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Ruby Tanaka</td>
<td class="text-end text-nowrap"><button type="button" class="btn btn-sm btn-link link-secondary" data-bs-toggle="tooltip" data-bs-title="View Ruby" aria-label="View"><i class="bi bi-eye" aria-hidden="true"></i></button><button type="button" class="btn btn-sm btn-link link-secondary" data-bs-toggle="tooltip" data-bs-title="Edit Ruby" aria-label="Edit"><i class="bi bi-pencil-fill" aria-hidden="true"></i></button><button type="button" class="btn btn-sm btn-link link-danger" data-bs-toggle="tooltip" data-bs-title="Remove Ruby" aria-label="Remove"><i class="bi bi-trash-fill" aria-hidden="true"></i></button></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</div>14Truncated text
When <code>.text-truncate</code> cuts a title, the tooltip shows the whole text.
Plan projects, track progress and share updates without another status meeting.
<div class="text-truncate border rounded p-2" style="max-width:220px" tabindex="0" data-bs-toggle="tooltip" data-bs-title="Plan projects, track progress and share updates without another status meeting.">
Plan projects, track progress and share updates without another status meeting.
</div>15Rating stars
Each star names its rating on hover.
<div class="d-flex gap-1 fs-4 text-warning">
<a href="#" class="link-warning" data-bs-toggle="tooltip" data-bs-title="Poor" aria-label="1 stars - Poor"><i class="bi bi-star-fill" aria-hidden="true"></i></a><a href="#" class="link-warning" data-bs-toggle="tooltip" data-bs-title="Fair" aria-label="2 stars - Fair"><i class="bi bi-star-fill" aria-hidden="true"></i></a><a href="#" class="link-warning" data-bs-toggle="tooltip" data-bs-title="Good" aria-label="3 stars - Good"><i class="bi bi-star-fill" aria-hidden="true"></i></a><a href="#" class="link-warning" data-bs-toggle="tooltip" data-bs-title="Very good" aria-label="4 stars - Very good"><i class="bi bi-star-fill" aria-hidden="true"></i></a><a href="#" class="link-warning" data-bs-toggle="tooltip" data-bs-title="Excellent" aria-label="5 stars - Excellent"><i class="bi bi-star-fill" aria-hidden="true"></i></a>
</div>16Comparison table
Check marks and add-on icons in a pricing comparison explain themselves.
| Feature | Pro | Basic |
|---|---|---|
| Real-time collaboration | ||
| 99.99% uptime | ||
| Open API |
<div class="table-responsive">
<table class="table mb-0">
<thead>
<tr>
<th scope="col">Feature</th>
<th scope="col" class="text-center">Pro</th>
<th scope="col" class="text-center">Basic</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<th scope="row" class="fw-normal">Real-time collaboration</th>
<td class="text-center"><span class="text-success" tabindex="0" data-bs-toggle="tooltip" data-bs-title="Included"><i class="bi bi-check-lg" aria-hidden="true"></i></span></td>
<td class="text-center"><span class="text-body-secondary" tabindex="0" data-bs-toggle="tooltip" data-bs-title="Available as an add-on"><i class="bi bi-plus-circle-fill" aria-hidden="true"></i></span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th scope="row" class="fw-normal">99.99% uptime</th>
<td class="text-center"><span class="text-success" tabindex="0" data-bs-toggle="tooltip" data-bs-title="Included"><i class="bi bi-check-lg" aria-hidden="true"></i></span></td>
<td class="text-center"><span class="text-body-secondary" tabindex="0" data-bs-toggle="tooltip" data-bs-title="Available as an add-on"><i class="bi bi-plus-circle-fill" aria-hidden="true"></i></span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th scope="row" class="fw-normal">Open API</th>
<td class="text-center"><span class="text-success" tabindex="0" data-bs-toggle="tooltip" data-bs-title="Included"><i class="bi bi-check-lg" aria-hidden="true"></i></span></td>
<td class="text-center"><span class="text-body-secondary" tabindex="0" data-bs-toggle="tooltip" data-bs-title="Available as an add-on"><i class="bi bi-plus-circle-fill" aria-hidden="true"></i></span></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</div>17Icon sidebar
A slim icon-only sidebar where tooltips on the right name each page.
<ul class="nav nav-pills flex-column text-center bg-body-tertiary rounded p-2" style="width:4rem">
<li class="nav-item"><a href="#" class="nav-link py-2 active" aria-current="page" data-bs-toggle="tooltip" data-bs-placement="right" data-bs-title="Home" aria-label="Home"><i class="bi bi-house-door-fill" aria-hidden="true"></i></a></li>
<li class="nav-item"><a href="#" class="nav-link py-2" data-bs-toggle="tooltip" data-bs-placement="right" data-bs-title="Dashboard" aria-label="Dashboard"><i class="bi bi-speedometer2" aria-hidden="true"></i></a></li>
<li class="nav-item"><a href="#" class="nav-link py-2" data-bs-toggle="tooltip" data-bs-placement="right" data-bs-title="Orders" aria-label="Orders"><i class="bi bi-table" aria-hidden="true"></i></a></li>
<li class="nav-item"><a href="#" class="nav-link py-2" data-bs-toggle="tooltip" data-bs-placement="right" data-bs-title="Customers" aria-label="Customers"><i class="bi bi-people-fill" aria-hidden="true"></i></a></li>
</ul>18Copy button
A copy button with a tooltip next to a command; <code>data-demo-copy</code> puts the text on the clipboard.
$
<div class="input-group" style="max-width:420px">
<span class="input-group-text font-monospace small">$</span><input type="text" class="form-control font-monospace" value="npm install vela" readonly aria-label="Install command">
<button class="btn btn-outline-secondary" type="button" data-demo-copy="npm install vela" data-bs-toggle="tooltip" data-bs-title="Copy to clipboard" aria-label="Copy"><i class="bi bi-clipboard-fill" aria-hidden="true"></i></button>
</div>19Offset and no animation
<code>data-bs-offset</code> moves the tooltip away; <code>data-bs-animation="false"</code> shows it instantly.
<div class="d-flex flex-wrap gap-2">
<button type="button" class="btn btn-outline-dark" data-bs-toggle="tooltip" data-bs-title="Twenty pixels away" data-bs-offset="0,20">With offset</button>
<button type="button" class="btn btn-outline-dark" data-bs-toggle="tooltip" data-bs-title="No fade animation" data-bs-animation="false">Instant tooltip</button>
</div>20Keyboard shortcuts
Tooltips that reveal the keyboard shortcut for each command.
Tip: press Ctrl + K anywhere to search.
<div class="d-flex flex-wrap gap-2">
<button type="button" class="btn btn-light border" data-bs-toggle="tooltip" data-bs-title="Search (CTRL + K)" data-bs-placement="bottom"><i class="bi bi-search" aria-hidden="true"></i> Search</button>
<button type="button" class="btn btn-light border" data-bs-toggle="tooltip" data-bs-title="Save (CTRL + S)" data-bs-placement="bottom"><i class="bi bi-floppy-fill" aria-hidden="true"></i> Save</button>
<button type="button" class="btn btn-light border" data-bs-toggle="tooltip" data-bs-title="Undo (CTRL + Z)" data-bs-placement="bottom"><i class="bi bi-arrow-counterclockwise" aria-hidden="true"></i> Undo</button>
</div>
<p class="small text-body-secondary mt-2 mb-0">Tip: press <kbd>Ctrl</kbd> + <kbd>K</kbd> anywhere to search.</p>