Lightbox: Navigation

3 min read

Updated May 19, 2026

Controls how visitors move between items — arrows, dots, counter, loop behavior, transitions, and the auto-progress slideshow.

Location Gallery Settings Interactions Lightbox Settings Navigation


Loop Gallery #

SettingLoop Gallery
DefaultOn

When looping is on, pressing Next on the last item wraps around to the first, and pressing Previous on the first item wraps to the last. When looping is off, navigation stops at each end and the arrows become inactive (or hidden — see Hide Arrows at Ends below).


Transitions #

Transition Style

SettingTransition Between Items
OptionsFade Horizontal Vertical None
DefaultFade

Sets the animation played when moving from one item to the next.

  • Fade — The current item fades out while the next fades in.
  • Horizontal — Items slide left or right depending on direction.
  • Vertical — Items slide up or down depending on direction.
  • None — Instant cut with no animation.

Transition Duration

SettingTransition Duration
OptionsFast (150ms) Normal (300ms) Slow (450ms) Custom
DefaultNormal (300ms)
Visible whenTransition is set to Fade, Horizontal, or Vertical

How long the animation takes to complete. Selecting Custom reveals a slider (0–1000ms, default 400ms) for a precise value.


Navigation Arrows #

Show Navigation Arrows

SettingShow Navigation Arrows
DefaultOn

Displays previous and next buttons on either side of the item. Visitors can also navigate with the and keyboard keys regardless of whether the arrows are visible.

Arrow Icon Style

SettingArrow Icon Style
Optionschevron chevron_double arrow arrow_narrow arrow_square arrow_circle arrow_circle_broken arrow_block
Defaultchevron
Visible whenShow Navigation Arrows is on
StyleDescription
chevronSimple ‹ › chevron marks
chevron_doubleDouble chevron «»
arrowStandard arrow with a short tail
arrow_narrowThinner arrow
arrow_squareArrow inside a square container
arrow_circleArrow inside a circle
arrow_circle_brokenArrow inside an arc
arrow_blockBold block-style arrow

Arrow Size

SettingArrow Size
Range0–120
Unitspx em rem %
Default40px
Visible whenShow Navigation Arrows is on

Controls the icon size of the prev/next arrows. Arrow button colors and backgrounds are set separately in Lightbox: Custom Colors.

Hide Arrows at Ends

SettingHide Arrows at First and Last Item
DefaultOff
Visible whenShow Navigation Arrows is on and Loop Gallery is off

When looping is disabled and this is turned on, the Previous arrow is hidden on the first item and the Next arrow is hidden on the last. This signals to the visitor that they’ve reached the end, rather than showing a disabled or non-functional button.


Navigation Dots #

Show Navigation Dots

SettingShow Navigation Dots
DefaultOff

Displays a row of dots below the item, one per gallery item. The active dot is highlighted. Clicking a dot jumps directly to that item. Dots can be used alongside arrows, or on their own.

Dot Style

SettingDot Style
OptionsFill Stroke Square Square Stroke
DefaultFill
Visible whenShow Navigation Dots is on
StyleAppearance
FillSolid circle; active dot uses brand blue by default
StrokeOutlined circle, hollow centre
SquareSolid square
Square StrokeOutlined square

Dot Size

SettingDot Size
Range4–24px
Default12px
Visible whenShow Navigation Dots is on

Space Between Dots

SettingSpace Between Dots
Range0–30
Unitspx em rem %
Default8px
Visible whenShow Navigation Dots is on

Dot colors (normal, hover, active) are customizable in Lightbox: Custom Colors.


Item Counter #

SettingShow Item Counter
DefaultOff

Displays a “3 / 12” style counter in the Lightbox toolbar, showing the current item position and total count. The counter updates with every navigation and is announced to screen readers as a single unit (aria-atomic).


Auto-Progress (Slideshow) #

Auto-progress automatically advances through the gallery at a set interval, turning any gallery into a self-playing slideshow.

Enable Auto Progress

SettingEnable Auto Progress
DefaultOff

Enables automatic advancement to the next item. Works with Loop Gallery — if looping is off, auto-progress stops at the last item.

Delay

SettingDelay
Range1–20 seconds
Default5 seconds
Visible whenEnable Auto Progress is on

How long the Lightbox waits on each item before moving to the next.

Progress Indicator

SettingProgress Indicator
OptionsProgress Bar Spinner None
DefaultProgress Bar
Visible whenEnable Auto Progress is on

Visual feedback showing how long remains on the current item before it advances.

  • Progress Bar — A colored bar that fills (or drains) over the delay period. Position is set by the Bar Location control below.
  • Spinner — A circular SVG ring in the toolbar that completes one full revolution per delay period.
  • None — Auto-progress runs silently with no visual indicator.

Bar Location

SettingBar Location
OptionsTop Right Bottom Left
DefaultBottom
Visible whenProgress Indicator is set to Progress Bar

Where the progress bar appears relative to the item area.

Pause On

SettingPause On
Options (multi-select)Full Image Mouseover Thumbnail Mouseover
DefaultFull Image Mouseover
Visible whenEnable Auto Progress is on

Pauses the countdown when the visitor interacts with the specified element. When the cursor or touch moves away, the timer resumes. You can select both options, or neither, depending on the experience you want.

Stop on User Interaction

SettingStop on User Interaction
DefaultOn
Visible whenEnable Auto Progress is on

When this is on, auto-progress stops permanently the moment a visitor manually navigates (using arrows, dots, keyboard, or swipe). It will not resume until they click the Play button (if that control is enabled). With this off, manual navigation only pauses the timer — it resumes after the Pause On condition clears.

Show Play / Pause Button

SettingShow Play / Pause Button
DefaultOff
Visible whenEnable Auto Progress is on

Adds a play/pause toggle to the Lightbox toolbar so visitors can control the slideshow themselves. The button state reflects whether auto-progress is currently running or paused. When auto-progress is stopped due to user interaction (see above), clicking Play fully restarts the timer from the current item.

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