description: Use Bootstrap's JavaScript modal plugin to add dialogs to your site for lightboxes, user notifications, or completely custom content.
group: components
toc: true
---
## How it works
Before getting started with Bootstrap's modal component, be sure to read the following as our menu options have recently changed.
- Modals are built with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. They're positioned over everything else in the document and remove scroll from the `<body>` so that modal content scrolls instead.
- Clicking on the modal "backdrop" will automatically close the modal.
- Bootstrap only supports one modal window at a time. Nested modals aren't supported as we believe them to be poor user experiences.
- Modals use `position: fixed`, which can sometimes be a bit particular about its rendering. Whenever possible, place your modal HTML in a top-level position to avoid potential interference from other elements. You'll likely run into issues when nesting a `.modal` within another fixed element.
- Once again, due to `position: fixed`, there are some caveats with using modals on mobile devices. [See our browser support docs]({{< docsref "/getting-started/browsers-devices#modals-and-dropdowns-on-mobile" >}}) for details.
- Due to how HTML5 defines its semantics, [the `autofocus` HTML attribute](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/HTML/Element/input#attr-autofocus) has no effect in Bootstrap modals. To achieve the same effect, use some custom JavaScript:
Below is a _static_ modal example (meaning its `position` and `display` have been overridden). Included are the modal header, modal body (required for `padding`), and modal footer (optional). We ask that you include modal headers with dismiss actions whenever possible, or provide another explicit dismiss action.
In the above static example, we use `<h5>`, to avoid issues with the heading hierarchy in the documentation page. Structurally, however, a modal dialog represents its own separate document/context, so the `.modal-title` should ideally be an `<h1>`. If necessary, you can use the [font size utilities]({{< docsref "/utilities/text#font-size" >}}) to control the heading's appearance. All the following live examples use this approach.
{{</callout>}}
### Live demo
Toggle a working modal demo by clicking the button below. It will slide down and fade in from the top of the page.
<p>This is some placeholder content to show the scrolling behavior for modals. Instead of repeating the text in the modal, we use an inline style to set a minimum height, thereby extending the length of the overall modal and demonstrating the overflow scrolling. When content becomes longer than the height of the viewport, scrolling will move the modal as needed.</p>
<p>This is some placeholder content to show the scrolling behavior for modals. We use repeated line breaks to demonstrate how content can exceed minimum inner height, thereby showing inner scrolling. When content becomes longer than the predefined max-height of modal, content will be cropped and scrollable within the modal.</p>
<p>This is some placeholder content to show a vertically centered modal. We've added some extra copy here to show how vertically centering the modal works when combined with scrollable modals. We also use some repeated line breaks to quickly extend the height of the content, thereby triggering the scrolling. When content becomes longer than the predefined max-height of modal, content will be cropped and scrollable within the modal.</p>
[Tooltips]({{< docsref "/components/tooltips" >}}) and [popovers]({{< docsref "/components/popovers" >}}) can be placed within modals as needed. When modals are closed, any tooltips and popovers within are also automatically dismissed.
<p>This <buttonclass="btn btn-secondary"data-bs-toggle="popover"title="Popover title"data-bs-content="Popover body content is set in this attribute."data-bs-container="#exampleModalPopovers">button</button> triggers a popover on click.</p>
<p><ahref="#"data-bs-toggle="tooltip"title="Tooltip"data-bs-container="#exampleModalPopovers">This link</a> and <ahref="#"data-bs-toggle="tooltip"title="Tooltip"data-bs-container="#exampleModalPopovers">that link</a> have tooltips on hover.</p>
<p>This <buttonclass="btn btn-secondary"data-bs-toggle="popover"title="Popover title"data-bs-content="Popover body content is set in this attribute.">button</button> triggers a popover on click.</p>
<p><ahref="#"data-bs-toggle="tooltip"title="Tooltip">This link</a> and <ahref="#"data-bs-toggle="tooltip"title="Tooltip">that link</a> have tooltips on hover.</p>
</div>
```
### Using the grid
Utilize the Bootstrap grid system within a modal by nesting `.container-fluid` within the `.modal-body`. Then, use the normal grid system classes as you would anywhere else.
Have a bunch of buttons that all trigger the same modal with slightly different contents? Use `event.relatedTarget` and [HTML `data-bs-*` attributes](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Learn/HTML/Howto/Use_data_attributes) to vary the contents of the modal depending on which button was clicked.
Below is a live demo followed by example HTML and JavaScript. For more information, [read the modal events docs](#events) for details on `relatedTarget`.
{{<examplestackblitz_add_js="true">}}
<buttontype="button"class="btn btn-primary"data-bs-toggle="modal"data-bs-target="#exampleModal"data-bs-whatever="@mdo">Open modal for @mdo</button>
<buttontype="button"class="btn btn-primary"data-bs-toggle="modal"data-bs-target="#exampleModal"data-bs-whatever="@fat">Open modal for @fat</button>
<buttontype="button"class="btn btn-primary"data-bs-toggle="modal"data-bs-target="#exampleModal"data-bs-whatever="@getbootstrap">Open modal for @getbootstrap</button>
Toggle between multiple modals with some clever placement of the `data-bs-target` and `data-bs-toggle` attributes. For example, you could toggle a password reset modal from within an already open sign in modal. **Please note multiple modals cannot be open at the same time**—this method simply toggles between two separate modals.
The `$modal-fade-transform` variable determines the transform state of `.modal-dialog` before the modal fade-in animation, the `$modal-show-transform` variable determines the transform of `.modal-dialog` at the end of the modal fade-in animation.
If you want for example a zoom-in animation, you can set `$modal-fade-transform: scale(.8)`.
### Remove animation
For modals that simply appear rather than fade in to view, remove the `.fade` class from your modal markup.
If the height of a modal changes while it is open, you should call `myModal.handleUpdate()` to readjust the modal's position in case a scrollbar appears.
### Accessibility
Be sure to add `aria-labelledby="..."`, referencing the modal title, to `.modal`. Additionally, you may give a description of your modal dialog with `aria-describedby` on `.modal`. Note that you don't need to add `role="dialog"` since we already add it via JavaScript.
### Embedding YouTube videos
Embedding YouTube videos in modals requires additional JavaScript not in Bootstrap to automatically stop playback and more. [See this helpful Stack Overflow post](https://stackoverflow.com/questions/18622508/bootstrap-3-and-youtube-in-modal) for more information.
## Optional sizes
Modals have three optional sizes, available via modifier classes to be placed on a `.modal-dialog`. These sizes kick in at certain breakpoints to avoid horizontal scrollbars on narrower viewports.
As part of Bootstrap's evolving CSS variables approach, modals now use local CSS variables on `.modal` and `.modal-backdrop` for enhanced real-time customization. Values for the CSS variables are set via Sass, so Sass customization is still supported, too.
The modal plugin toggles your hidden content on demand, via data attributes or JavaScript. It also overrides default scrolling behavior and generates a `.modal-backdrop` to provide a click area for dismissing shown modals when clicking outside the modal.
### Via data attributes
#### Toggle
Activate a modal without writing JavaScript. Set `data-bs-toggle="modal"` on a controller element, like a button, along with a `data-bs-target="#foo"` or `href="#foo"` to target a specific modal to toggle.
While both ways to dismiss a modal are supported, keep in mind that dismissing from outside a modal does not match the [ARIA Authoring Practices Guide dialog (modal) pattern](https://www.w3.org/WAI/ARIA/apg/patterns/dialogmodal/). Do this at your own risk.
{{</callout>}}
### Via JavaScript
Create a modal with a single line of JavaScript:
```js
const myModal = new bootstrap.Modal(document.getElementById('myModal'), options)
// or
const myModalAlternative = new bootstrap.Modal('#myModal', options)
```
### Options
{{<markdown>}}
{{<partial"js-data-attributes.md">}}
{{</markdown>}}
{{<bs-table"table">}}
| Name | Type | Default | Description |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `backdrop` | boolean, `'static'` | `true` | Includes a modal-backdrop element. Alternatively, specify `static` for a backdrop which doesn't close the modal when clicked. |
| `focus` | boolean | `true` | Puts the focus on the modal when initialized. |
| `keyboard` | boolean | `true` | Closes the modal when escape key is pressed. |
| `getInstance` | _Static_ method which allows you to get the modal instance associated with a DOM element. |
| `getOrCreateInstance` | _Static_ method which allows you to get the modal instance associated with a DOM element, or create a new one in case it wasn't initialized. |
| `handleUpdate` | Manually readjust the modal's position if the height of a modal changes while it is open (i.e. in case a scrollbar appears). |
| `hide` | Manually hides a modal. **Returns to the caller before the modal has actually been hidden** (i.e. before the `hidden.bs.modal` event occurs). |
| `show` | Manually opens a modal. **Returns to the caller before the modal has actually been shown** (i.e. before the `shown.bs.modal` event occurs). Also, you can pass a DOM element as an argument that can be received in the modal events (as the `relatedTarget` property). (i.e. `const modalToggle = document.getElementById('toggleMyModal'); myModal.show(modalToggle)`. |
| `toggle` | Manually toggles a modal. **Returns to the caller before the modal has actually been shown or hidden** (i.e. before the `shown.bs.modal` or `hidden.bs.modal` event occurs). |
{{</bs-table>}}
### Events
Bootstrap's modal class exposes a few events for hooking into modal functionality. All modal events are fired at the modal itself (i.e. at the `<div class="modal">`).
{{<bs-table>}}
| Event | Description |
| --- | --- |
| `hide.bs.modal` | This event is fired immediately when the `hide` instance method has been called. |
| `hidden.bs.modal` | This event is fired when the modal has finished being hidden from the user (will wait for CSS transitions to complete). |
| `hidePrevented.bs.modal` | This event is fired when the modal is shown, its backdrop is `static` and a click outside of the modal is performed. The event is also fired when the escape key is pressed and the `keyboard` option is set to `false`. |
| `show.bs.modal` | This event fires immediately when the `show` instance method is called. If caused by a click, the clicked element is available as the `relatedTarget` property of the event. |
| `shown.bs.modal` | This event is fired when the modal has been made visible to the user (will wait for CSS transitions to complete). If caused by a click, the clicked element is available as the `relatedTarget` property of the event. |
