Components

Footer

A footer serves site visitors who arrive at the bottom of a page without finding what they want.

<h3 class="site-preview-heading" id="big-footer">Big footer</h3>

<footer class="usa-footer usa-footer--big">
  <div class="grid-container usa-footer__return-to-top">
    <a href="#">Return to top</a>
  </div>
  <div class="usa-footer__primary-section">
    <div class="grid-container">
      <div class="grid-row grid-gap">
        <div class="tablet:grid-col-8">
          <nav class="usa-footer__nav" aria-label="Footer navigation,,">
            <div class="grid-row grid-gap-4">
              <div class="mobile-lg:grid-col-6 desktop:grid-col-3">
                <section
                  class="usa-footer__primary-content usa-footer__primary-content--collapsible"
                >
                  <h4 class="usa-footer__primary-link">&lt;Topic&gt;</h4>
                  <ul class="usa-list usa-list--unstyled">
                    <li class="usa-footer__secondary-link">
                      <a href="javascript:void(0);">&lt;Secondary link&gt;</a>
                    </li>
                    <li class="usa-footer__secondary-link">
                      <a href="javascript:void(0);">&lt;Secondary link&gt;</a>
                    </li>
                    <li class="usa-footer__secondary-link">
                      <a href="javascript:void(0);"
                        >&lt;Secondary link that&#039;s a bit longer than most
                        of the others&gt;</a
                      >
                    </li>
                    <li class="usa-footer__secondary-link">
                      <a href="javascript:void(0);">&lt;Secondary link&gt;</a>
                    </li>
                  </ul>
                </section>
              </div>
              <div class="mobile-lg:grid-col-6 desktop:grid-col-3">
                <section
                  class="usa-footer__primary-content usa-footer__primary-content--collapsible"
                >
                  <h4 class="usa-footer__primary-link">&lt;Topic&gt;</h4>
                  <ul class="usa-list usa-list--unstyled">
                    <li class="usa-footer__secondary-link">
                      <a href="javascript:void(0);">&lt;Secondary link&gt;</a>
                    </li>
                    <li class="usa-footer__secondary-link">
                      <a href="javascript:void(0);"
                        >&lt;Secondary link that&#039;s pretty long&gt;</a
                      >
                    </li>
                    <li class="usa-footer__secondary-link">
                      <a href="javascript:void(0);">&lt;Secondary link&gt;</a>
                    </li>
                    <li class="usa-footer__secondary-link">
                      <a href="javascript:void(0);">&lt;Secondary link&gt;</a>
                    </li>
                  </ul>
                </section>
              </div>
              <div class="mobile-lg:grid-col-6 desktop:grid-col-3">
                <section
                  class="usa-footer__primary-content usa-footer__primary-content--collapsible"
                >
                  <h4 class="usa-footer__primary-link">&lt;Topic&gt;</h4>
                  <ul class="usa-list usa-list--unstyled">
                    <li class="usa-footer__secondary-link">
                      <a href="javascript:void(0);">&lt;Secondary link&gt;</a>
                    </li>
                    <li class="usa-footer__secondary-link">
                      <a href="javascript:void(0);">&lt;Secondary link&gt;</a>
                    </li>
                    <li class="usa-footer__secondary-link">
                      <a href="javascript:void(0);">&lt;Secondary link&gt;</a>
                    </li>
                    <li class="usa-footer__secondary-link">
                      <a href="javascript:void(0);">&lt;Secondary link&gt;</a>
                    </li>
                  </ul>
                </section>
              </div>
              <div class="mobile-lg:grid-col-6 desktop:grid-col-3">
                <section
                  class="usa-footer__primary-content usa-footer__primary-content--collapsible"
                >
                  <h4 class="usa-footer__primary-link">&lt;Topic&gt;</h4>
                  <ul class="usa-list usa-list--unstyled">
                    <li class="usa-footer__secondary-link">
                      <a href="javascript:void(0);">&lt;Secondary link&gt;</a>
                    </li>
                    <li class="usa-footer__secondary-link">
                      <a href="javascript:void(0);">&lt;Secondary link&gt;</a>
                    </li>
                    <li class="usa-footer__secondary-link">
                      <a href="javascript:void(0);">&lt;Secondary link&gt;</a>
                    </li>
                    <li class="usa-footer__secondary-link">
                      <a href="javascript:void(0);">&lt;Secondary link&gt;</a>
                    </li>
                  </ul>
                </section>
              </div>
            </div>
          </nav>
        </div>
        <div class="tablet:grid-col-4">
          <div class="usa-sign-up">
            <h3 class="usa-sign-up__heading">Sign up</h3>
            <form class="usa-form">
              <label class="usa-label" for="email" id=""
                >Your email address</label
              >
              <input class="usa-input" id="email" name="email" type="email" />
              <button class="usa-button" type="submit">Sign up</button>
            </form>
          </div>
        </div>
      </div>
    </div>
  </div>
  <div class="usa-footer__secondary-section">
    <div class="grid-container">
      <div class="grid-row grid-gap">
        <div
          class="usa-footer__logo grid-row mobile-lg:grid-col-6 mobile-lg:grid-gap-2"
        >
          <div class="mobile-lg:grid-col-auto">
            <img class="usa-footer__logo-img" src="/preview/uswds/uswds-site/jm-test-accordion-hidden-content/assets/img/logo-img.png" alt="" />
          </div>
          <div class="mobile-lg:grid-col-auto">
            <p class="usa-footer__logo-heading">&lt;Name of Agency&gt;</p>
          </div>
        </div>
        <div class="usa-footer__contact-links mobile-lg:grid-col-6">
          <div class="usa-footer__social-links grid-row grid-gap-1">
            <div class="grid-col-auto">
              <a class="usa-social-link" href="javascript:void(0);"
                ><img
                  class="usa-social-link__icon"
                  src="/preview/uswds/uswds-site/jm-test-accordion-hidden-content/assets/img/usa-icons/facebook.svg"
                  alt="Facebook"
              /></a>
            </div>
            <div class="grid-col-auto">
              <a class="usa-social-link" href="javascript:void(0);"
                ><img
                  class="usa-social-link__icon"
                  src="/preview/uswds/uswds-site/jm-test-accordion-hidden-content/assets/img/usa-icons/twitter.svg"
                  alt="Twitter"
              /></a>
            </div>
            <div class="grid-col-auto">
              <a class="usa-social-link" href="javascript:void(0);"
                ><img
                  class="usa-social-link__icon"
                  src="/preview/uswds/uswds-site/jm-test-accordion-hidden-content/assets/img/usa-icons/youtube.svg"
                  alt="YouTube"
              /></a>
            </div>
            <div class="grid-col-auto">
              <a class="usa-social-link" href="javascript:void(0);"
                ><img
                  class="usa-social-link__icon"
                  src="/preview/uswds/uswds-site/jm-test-accordion-hidden-content/assets/img/usa-icons/instagram.svg"
                  alt="Instagram"
              /></a>
            </div>
            <div class="grid-col-auto">
              <a class="usa-social-link" href="javascript:void(0);"
                ><img
                  class="usa-social-link__icon"
                  src="/preview/uswds/uswds-site/jm-test-accordion-hidden-content/assets/img/usa-icons/rss_feed.svg"
                  alt="RSS"
              /></a>
            </div>
          </div>
          <p class="usa-footer__contact-heading">
            &lt;Agency Contact Center&gt;
          </p>
          <address class="usa-footer__address">
            <div class="usa-footer__contact-info grid-row grid-gap">
              <div class="grid-col-auto">
                <a href="tel:1-800-555-5555">&lt;(800) 555-GOVT&gt;</a>
              </div>
              <div class="grid-col-auto">
                <a href="mailto:info@agency.gov">&lt;info@agency.gov&gt;</a>
              </div>
            </div>
          </address>
        </div>
      </div>
    </div>
  </div>
</footer>

<h3 class="site-preview-heading" id="medium-footer">Medium footer</h3>

<footer class="usa-footer">
  <div class="grid-container usa-footer__return-to-top">
    <a href="#">Return to top</a>
  </div>
  <div class="usa-footer__primary-section">
    <nav class="usa-footer__nav" aria-label="Footer navigation">
      <ul class="grid-row grid-gap">
        <li
          class="mobile-lg:grid-col-4 desktop:grid-col-auto usa-footer__primary-content"
        >
          <a class="usa-footer__primary-link" href="javascript:void(0);"
            >&lt;Primary link&gt;</a
          >
        </li>
        <li
          class="mobile-lg:grid-col-4 desktop:grid-col-auto usa-footer__primary-content"
        >
          <a class="usa-footer__primary-link" href="javascript:void(0);"
            >&lt;Primary link&gt;</a
          >
        </li>
        <li
          class="mobile-lg:grid-col-4 desktop:grid-col-auto usa-footer__primary-content"
        >
          <a class="usa-footer__primary-link" href="javascript:void(0);"
            >&lt;Primary link&gt;</a
          >
        </li>
        <li
          class="mobile-lg:grid-col-4 desktop:grid-col-auto usa-footer__primary-content"
        >
          <a class="usa-footer__primary-link" href="javascript:void(0);"
            >&lt;Primary link&gt;</a
          >
        </li>
      </ul>
    </nav>
  </div>
  <div class="usa-footer__secondary-section">
    <div class="grid-container">
      <div class="grid-row grid-gap">
        <div
          class="usa-footer__logo grid-row mobile-lg:grid-col-6 mobile-lg:grid-gap-2"
        >
          <div class="mobile-lg:grid-col-auto">
            <img class="usa-footer__logo-img" src="/preview/uswds/uswds-site/jm-test-accordion-hidden-content/assets/img/logo-img.png" alt="" />
          </div>
          <div class="mobile-lg:grid-col-auto">
            <p class="usa-footer__logo-heading">&lt;Name of Agency&gt;</p>
          </div>
        </div>
        <div class="usa-footer__contact-links mobile-lg:grid-col-6">
          <div class="usa-footer__social-links grid-row grid-gap-1">
            <div class="grid-col-auto">
              <a class="usa-social-link" href="javascript:void(0);"
                ><img
                  class="usa-social-link__icon"
                  src="/preview/uswds/uswds-site/jm-test-accordion-hidden-content/assets/img/usa-icons/facebook.svg"
                  alt="Facebook"
              /></a>
            </div>
            <div class="grid-col-auto">
              <a class="usa-social-link" href="javascript:void(0);"
                ><img
                  class="usa-social-link__icon"
                  src="/preview/uswds/uswds-site/jm-test-accordion-hidden-content/assets/img/usa-icons/twitter.svg"
                  alt="Twitter"
              /></a>
            </div>
            <div class="grid-col-auto">
              <a class="usa-social-link" href="javascript:void(0);"
                ><img
                  class="usa-social-link__icon"
                  src="/preview/uswds/uswds-site/jm-test-accordion-hidden-content/assets/img/usa-icons/youtube.svg"
                  alt="YouTube"
              /></a>
            </div>
            <div class="grid-col-auto">
              <a class="usa-social-link" href="javascript:void(0);"
                ><img
                  class="usa-social-link__icon"
                  src="/preview/uswds/uswds-site/jm-test-accordion-hidden-content/assets/img/usa-icons/instagram.svg"
                  alt="Instagram"
              /></a>
            </div>
            <div class="grid-col-auto">
              <a class="usa-social-link" href="javascript:void(0);"
                ><img
                  class="usa-social-link__icon"
                  src="/preview/uswds/uswds-site/jm-test-accordion-hidden-content/assets/img/usa-icons/rss_feed.svg"
                  alt="RSS"
              /></a>
            </div>
          </div>
          <p class="usa-footer__contact-heading">
            &lt;Agency Contact Center&gt;
          </p>
          <address class="usa-footer__address">
            <div class="usa-footer__contact-info grid-row grid-gap">
              <div class="grid-col-auto">
                <a href="tel:1-800-555-5555">&lt;(800) 555-GOVT&gt;</a>
              </div>
              <div class="grid-col-auto">
                <a href="mailto:info@agency.gov">&lt;info@agency.gov&gt;</a>
              </div>
            </div>
          </address>
        </div>
      </div>
    </div>
  </div>
</footer>

<h3 class="site-preview-heading" id="slim-footer">Slim footer</h3>

<footer class="usa-footer usa-footer--slim">
  <div class="grid-container usa-footer__return-to-top">
    <a href="#">Return to top</a>
  </div>
  <div class="usa-footer__primary-section">
    <div class="usa-footer__primary-container grid-row">
      <div class="mobile-lg:grid-col-8">
        <nav class="usa-footer__nav" aria-label="Footer navigation,">
          <ul class="grid-row grid-gap">
            <li
              class="mobile-lg:grid-col-6 desktop:grid-col-auto usa-footer__primary-content"
            >
              <a class="usa-footer__primary-link" href="javascript:void(0);"
                >&lt;Primary link&gt;</a
              >
            </li>
            <li
              class="mobile-lg:grid-col-6 desktop:grid-col-auto usa-footer__primary-content"
            >
              <a class="usa-footer__primary-link" href="javascript:void(0);"
                >&lt;Primary link&gt;</a
              >
            </li>
            <li
              class="mobile-lg:grid-col-6 desktop:grid-col-auto usa-footer__primary-content"
            >
              <a class="usa-footer__primary-link" href="javascript:void(0);"
                >&lt;Primary link&gt;</a
              >
            </li>
            <li
              class="mobile-lg:grid-col-6 desktop:grid-col-auto usa-footer__primary-content"
            >
              <a class="usa-footer__primary-link" href="javascript:void(0);"
                >&lt;Primary link&gt;</a
              >
            </li>
          </ul>
        </nav>
      </div>
      <div class="mobile-lg:grid-col-4">
        <address class="usa-footer__address">
          <div class="grid-row grid-gap">
            <div
              class="grid-col-auto mobile-lg:grid-col-12 desktop:grid-col-auto"
            >
              <div class="usa-footer__contact-info">
                <a href="tel:1-800-555-5555">&lt;(800) 555-GOVT&gt;</a>
              </div>
            </div>
            <div
              class="grid-col-auto mobile-lg:grid-col-12 desktop:grid-col-auto"
            >
              <div class="usa-footer__contact-info">
                <a href="mailto:info@agency.gov">&lt;info@agency.gov&gt;</a>
              </div>
            </div>
          </div>
        </address>
      </div>
    </div>
  </div>
  <div class="usa-footer__secondary-section">
    <div class="grid-container">
      <div class="usa-footer__logo grid-row grid-gap-2">
        <div class="grid-col-auto">
          <img class="usa-footer__logo-img" src="/preview/uswds/uswds-site/jm-test-accordion-hidden-content/assets/img/logo-img.png" alt="" />
        </div>
        <div class="grid-col-auto">
          <p class="usa-footer__logo-heading">&lt;Agency Contact Center&gt;</p>
        </div>
      </div>
    </div>
  </div>
</footer>
  • Big footer: Use the big footer when you want to replicate your site’s navigation scheme in the footer and offer newsletter signups.
  • Medium footer: Use the medium footer when you want to offer only a few footer links (for disclaimers, terms of service, etc.), social media icons, and contact information.
  • Slim footer: Use the slim footer when you only want to offer a few footer links and nothing else.
  • Medium and slim footers: Use the big footer when your footer has more than five links.
  • Curate your footer. Footer links should point to popular content that might answer a visitor’s remaining questions. Links to disclaimers and legal content sometimes need to be in the footer, but try to minimize “disclaimer bloat” wherever possible.
  • The footer doesn’t need to mirror the header. Link grouping in the footer does not have to mirror link grouping in top level header navigation (especially if the navigation offers many more links than the footer can).
  • Include newsletter signup. Include the newsletter signup if one of your website’s goals is getting visitors to sign up for a newsletter.
  • Avoid stale social media accounts. Link only to social media your agency updates frequently or uses to communicate with customers.
  • Limit contact information to email and phone. Important contact information should be limited to general email or phone numbers, which should be clickable links to dial from a mobile phone. Physical addresses should live on contact pages users can navigate to from the accordion links.
  • Use tab focus. Code the navigation so that pressing the tab key moves focus from link to link in the navigation, even when the navigation has collapsed into an accordion.
  • Use accessible accordions. On small screens: when collapsed into an accordion, the navigation should also meet the accessibility requirements outlined in the “Accordion” section.
Variable Description
$theme-footer-font-family

Font family of the footer.
$theme-footer-max-width

Maximum width of footer container.
Variant Description

.usa-footer--big

A multi-column footer that expands and collapses on mobile.

.usa-footer--slim

A compact version of the footer.
  • Package usage: @forward "usa-footer";
  • Dependencies: uswds-fonts, usa-input, usa-form, usa-label, usa-list, usa-button, usa-icon

Latest updates

Meaningful code and guidance updates are listed in the following table:

Date USWDS version Affects Breaking Description
2023-12-08 3.7.1
  • Styles
 No

Removed the usa-layout-grid dependency. This update reduces the footer package size. If you notice changes in your layout after making this update, add the usa-layout-grid package to your Sass entry point. More information: uswds#5289

2023-12-08 3.7.1
  • Styles
 No

Adjusted the right alignment of footer elements. Footer content should now align with other page elements. More information: uswds#5234

2023-11-09 3.7.0
  • Accessibility
  • Styles
 No

Restored underlines to footer links in the default state. Now, footer links meet WCAG 2.0 AA requirements. More information: uswds#5588

2023-03-09 3.4.0
  • Accessibility
  • JavaScript
  • Markup
 No

Footer now accepts any heading level for primary link headers. Use any heading level for .usa-footer__primary-link without it reverting to an h4 when the JavaScript rebuilds the element for mobile. More information: uswds#5044

2022-08-29 N/A
  • Guidance
 No

Added documentation for $theme-footer-max-width. More information: uswds-site#1719

2022-08-05 3.1.0
  • Assets
 Breaking

Breaking Added unmodified social media icons. We now provide simpler social media icons, and removed any decoration not in the original icon. This means that the new icons are not in an enclosing circle unless the original icon is enclosed in a circle. More information: uswds#4872

2022-04-28 3.0.0
  • Assets
  • JavaScript
  • Styles
 Breaking

Breaking Updated to Sass module syntax and new package structure. More information: uswds#4656

2022-04-11 2.13.3
  • Accessibility
  • JavaScript
  • Styles
 No

Added more accessible disclosure buttons to the big footer variant. Now the big footer variant uses more accessible disclosure buttons for showing and hiding submenus at mobile widths. More information: uswds#4476

2022-04-11 2.13.3
  • Accessibility
  • Styles
 No

Added support for forced colors mode. All our components now support proper display when users have a forced colors mode set in their operating system. More information: uswds#4610

2022-03-07 2.13.2
  • JavaScript
  • Styles
 No

Fixed expanded display in the big footer variant. Fixes an issue where the big footer variant does not show the proper expanded display at exactly 480px. More information: uswds#4525

2021-12-14 2.13.0
  • Accessibility
  • Assets
  • Markup
 Breaking

Breaking Improved resilience of icon-only functionality. We updated a couple components that use icon-only buttons so that they provide a text equivalent if the image path is broken and does not load. More information: uswds#4211

2021-03-17 N/A
  • Guidance
 No

Updated and improved guidance for footer. More information: uswds-site#1180