Template:Sticky header/doc

This template makes a table's column headers stick to the top of the screen as the table's data is scrolled in and out of view. It only works on sortable tables.

It is recommended for use on very tall tables that have column headers that might be difficult to remember as you scroll through its data.

Standard usage

Include this template above the table by adding {{sticky header}}. Add the sticky-header class to the table's wikitext.

{{Sticky header}}
{| class="wikitable sortable sticky-header"
⫶
|}

Example with simple column headers:

Caption

Name	A	B	C
Red	1	2	3
Lime	4	5	6
Gold	7	8	9
Blue	10	11	12
Pink	13	14	15
Cyan	16	17	18

{{Sticky header}}
{| class="wikitable sortable sticky-header"
|+ Caption
|-
! Name !! A !! B !! C
|-
! Red
| 1 || 2 || 3
|-
! Lime
| 4 || 5 || 6
⫶
|}

Example with multi-row column headers, {{static row numbers}}, and {{sorting row}}:

Caption

Name	Data columns
	A	B	C
Red	1	2	3
Lime	4	5	6
Gold	7	8	9
Blue	10	11	12
Pink	13	14	15
Cyan	16	17	18

{{Static row numbers}}
{{Sticky header}}
{| class="wikitable sortable static-row-numbers sticky-header"
|+ Caption
|-
! rowspan=2 | Name
! colspan=3 | Data columns
|-
! A !! B !! C
|- {{Sorting row|4}}
! Red
| 1 || 2 || 3
|-
! Lime
| 4 || 5 || 6
⫶
|}

Table with subsection headers

Problem: Note that the top subsection is sticky since it is just another header row.

Caption

Name	A	B	C
Subsection 1
Red	1	2	3
Lime	4	5	6
Subsection 2
Gold	7	8	9
Blue	10	11	12

The solution is to add a narrow blank line in front of the top subsection, and then it is no longer sticky:

Caption

Name	A	B	C
Subsection 1
Red	1	2	3
Lime	4	5	6
Subsection 2
Gold	7	8	9
Blue	10	11	12

{{Sticky header}}
{| class="wikitable sortable sticky-header"
|+ Caption
|-
! Name !! A !! B !! C
|-
| || || || 
|-
! colspan=4 |Subsection 1
|-
! Red
| 1 || 2 || 3
|-
! Lime
| 4 || 5 || 6
|-
! colspan=4 |Subsection 2
|-
...

Single-row header with class=sorttop

After sorting, rows using sortable's sorttop class are top-sticky along with the column headers. See the problem:

Cumulative COVID-19 deaths. Jan 1, 2021

Date	First case	Jan 1
World		1,472,363
Days to double		112
Countries and territories		196
USA	March 3, 2020	335,789
Brazil	March 19, 2020	193,875
India	March 13, 2020	148,994

If this is undesirable, the only fix is to remove the sticky-header class from the table and add the sticky class. Note that its placement is different. See the fix:

Cumulative COVID-19 deaths. Jan 1, 2021

Date	First case	Jan 1
World		1,472,363
Days to double		112
Countries and territories		196
USA	March 3, 2020	335,789
Brazil	March 19, 2020	193,875
India	March 13, 2020	148,994

{{mw-datatable}}{{sticky header}}{{table alignment}}
{| class="wikitable sortable mw-datatable col1left col2left" style=text-align:right;
|+Cumulative COVID-19 deaths. Jan 1, 2021
|- class=sticky
!Date!!First case!!Jan 1
|- class="sorttop static-row-header"
|World || ||1,472,363
|- class="sorttop static-row-header"
|Days to double || ||112
|- class="sorttop static-row-header"
|Countries and territories || ||196
|-
...

Multi-row header followed by rows with totals

This requires class=sticky-header. The state, federal, and U.S. total rows move to the bottom of the table when the columns are sorted. This is because they use class=sortbottom. Reload the page to move them back to the top. Rows with totals are more useful when they are at the top. But those 3 rows can't use class=sorttop in a table with a multi-row header, or those 3 rows would be sticky. This would take up too much vertical space, leaving little room for the table, especially in cell phones.

An alternative is to remove class=sortbottom. This way the 3 rows sort, and they come back to the top without reloading the page.

2015 incarceration counts. Rates per 100,000 of all ages.

Jurisdiction	Counts			Rate
	Total	Male	Female	Male	Female
State	1,949,400	1,759,700	189,800	1,450	150
Federal	195,700	182,800	12,900	150	10
U.S. total	2,145,100	1,942,500	202,600	1,600	160
Alabama	42,900	38,600	4,300	1,640	170
Alaska	5,400	4,800	600	1,230	170
Arizona	54,900	49,100	5,800	1,440	170

{{mw-datatable}}{{static row numbers}}{{sticky header}}
{| class="wikitable sortable mw-datatable sticky-header static-row-numbers" style=text-align:right;
|+ 2015 incarceration counts. Rates per 100,000 of all ages.
|- 
! Jurisdiction!! colspan=3 |Counts!! colspan=2 |Rate
|-
! !!Total!!Male!!Female!!Male!!Female
|- {{sort row|6}} 
|- class="static-row-header sortbottom" style="font-weight:bold; text-align:right;"
| style=text-align:left | State || 1,949,400 || 1,759,700 || 189,800 || 1,450 || 150
|- class="static-row-header sortbottom"  style="font-weight:bold; text-align:right;"
| style=text-align:left | Federal || 195,700 || 182,800 || 12,900 || 150 || 10
|- class="static-row-header sortbottom"  style="font-weight:bold; text-align:right;"
| style=text-align:left | U.S. total || 2,145,100 || 1,942,500 || 202,600 || 1,600 || 160
...

Known issues

Tested in browsers on Windows 10, Windows 11, iOS 17 (iphone SE 2020), and Android 13 (Samsung Galaxy S21).

• On Android phones, table headers aren't top-sticky if at least one table using this template is wider than the screen, which is more likely in portrait mode. Zooming out fully fixes the problem. This occurs in both the mobile and desktop versions of pages.

• On iPhones, table headers aren't top-sticky if at least one table using this template is wider than the screen, which is more likely in portrait mode. This occurs in the desktop version of pages, whereas the mobile version works.

• On phones, especially in landscape mode, tables with several rows of column headers and/or column headers with natural or forced line breaks can take up the majority of the screen when sticky making it difficult to read the underlying data. There is no way to disable the sticky feature, so the only solutions are to change the orientation to portrait mode or don't use this template.

Tall column headers blocking too much data:

columns 1–4
columns 1–2		columns 3–4
c1	c2	c3	c4
data	data	data	data
data	data	data	data
data	data	data	data
data	data	data	data
data	data	data	data
data	data	data	data
data	data	data	data
data	data	data	data
data	data	data	data
data	data	data	data

See also

• Help:Table/Advanced#Tables with sticky headers