How can I make the sticky and relative (parent element) work in Webflow?

If a sticky element isn’t behaving correctly inside a relative parent in Webflow, it’s often due to improper structure or overflow settings. Follow these steps to ensure sticky positioning works properly.

1. Set Parent to Relative

• Select the parent container of the sticky element.
• In the Style panel, set its position to Relative (if not already set).

2. Apply Sticky to Child Element

• Select the element you want to be sticky (e.g., a sidebar or navbar).
• Set its position to Sticky under the Position settings.
• Adjust the top value (e.g., 20px) to define where it should remain fixed when scrolling.

3. Ensure Parent Has Enough Height

• A sticky element only works inside its parent’s bounding box. If the parent has insufficient height, the child won’t stick.
• Either:
• Increase the height of the parent container.
• Wrap the sticky element in another container with enough height.

4. Check Overflow Settings

• Overflow settings on parent elements can break sticky positioning.
• If the sticky element is inside a container with Overflow: Hidden, Auto, or Scroll, it won’t work.
• Ensure the parent’s overflow is set to Visible.

5. Make Sure Sticky Element Isn’t Inside a Flexbox Column

• If the parent container is a Flexbox with Column layout, the sticky child may not work correctly.
• Instead, use Grid or Block layout where possible.

6. Test on Publish, Not Just in Webflow Designer

• Sticky behavior works better on a live site than in the Designer.
• Publish your project and test it in a live browser.

Summary

To make a sticky element work in Webflow, set the parent container to Relative, the sticky element to Sticky with a top offset, and ensure no overflow restrictions exist. Also, test your design in the published site rather than just in the Webflow Designer.