# Avatar

> Profile image, initials, link, or menu trigger.

- Status: stable
- Group: display
- Page: https://www.digitaltableteur.com/design-system/components/avatar
- Contract: https://www.digitaltableteur.com/contracts/v1/Avatar.contract.json

## When to use

Avatar renders a person or entity mark: the image when `imageUrl` resolves, otherwise initials derived from `name`. It scales through the size tokens and can act as a link (`clickable` + `destinationUrl`) or as a menu trigger (`menuItems` + `menuLabel`) with an in-place dropdown. Always pass `name`; it feeds both the initials fallback and the accessible naming.

## When not to use

- Do not render two interactive children inside Avatar (link plus menu); the contract is exactly one interaction mode per instance.
- Do not nest an Avatar inside a Button. Pick one; Avatar already owns the click affordance when clickable, and Button owns it when not.
- Do not use variant="initials" to hide a broken image pipeline; fix the source, the fallback is for genuinely imageless users.

## Look-alikes

- Button: Do not nest an Avatar inside a Button. Pick one; Avatar already owns the click affordance when clickable, and Button owns it when not.

## Props

| Prop | Type | Default | Description | Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `name` | `string` | none | No description in the contract. | No |
| `imageUrl` | `string \| { default: string } \| StaticImageData` | none | No description in the contract. | No |
| `clickable` | `boolean` | none | No description in the contract. | No |
| `destinationUrl` | `string` | none | No description in the contract. | No |
| `size` | `AvatarSize` | `md` | Avatar size: token sizes `sm`/`md`/`lg`/`xl` (2/2.5/3/4rem) are canonical; any CSS length is accepted as an escape hatch. Default `md`. | No |
| `srcSet` | `string` | none | No description in the contract. | No |
| `sizes` | `string` | none | No description in the contract. | No |
| `loading` | `"lazy" \| "eager"` | `lazy` | No description in the contract. | No |
| `decoding` | `"auto" \| "sync" \| "async"` | `async` | No description in the contract. | No |
| `menuItems` | `AvatarMenuItem[]` | none | When provided, renders an in-place dropdown menu triggered by the avatar. | No |
| `menuLabel` | `string` | none | Accessible label announced for the avatar menu trigger. | No |
| `variant` | `"image" \| "initials"` | `image` | Controls whether the avatar prefers an image or initials. | No |
| `alt` | `string` | none | Overrides the image alt text (defaults to `name`). Pass `""` when the name is already printed beside the avatar, so it is not read twice. | No |

## Variants

- Available variants: `image`, `initials` (default `image`).
- Available sizes: `sm`, `md`, `lg`, `xl`, `2rem`, `2.5rem`, `3rem`, `4rem`, `5rem`, `6rem`, `7rem`, `8rem` (default `md`).
- Allowed `loading` values: `lazy`, `eager` (default `lazy`).
- Allowed `decoding` values: `auto`, `sync`, `async` (default `async`).

## Invalid combinations

The contract records no invalid combinations.

## Keyboard

The contract records no keyboard interaction.

## Rules

Every item under When not to use is a MUST NOT. MUST and SHOULD follow RFC 2119.

| Level | Rule | How it is checked |
| --- | --- | --- |
| MUST | ARIA: Menu trigger needs accessible name. | Not yet verified: no evidence record. WCAG 4.1.2. |
| MUST | ARIA: Image alt from name. | Not yet verified: no evidence record. WCAG 4.1.2. |
| MUST | Required stories produce no axe violations at the configured severity. | Automated by `npm run test:stories:matrix:ci`. WCAG 2.5.8. |
| MUST | The accessibility tree (role, name, state) matches the committed snapshot for every required story. | Automated by `npm run test:stories:matrix:ci`. WCAG 1.3.1, 4.1.2. |
| MUST | The component remains legible and operable under a real browser forced-colors: active pass. | Automated by `npm run test:stories:hc`. |
| MUST | A human completed an end-to-end accessibility review of this component. | Manual review, last on 2026-11-04. |
| SHOULD | Always provide name, even with an image; it is the initials fallback and the accessible name. | Not stated in the contract. |
| SHOULD | Provide srcSet/sizes for photographic avatars so dense grids do not ship desktop images to mobile. | Not stated in the contract. |
| SHOULD | Use menuLabel to say what the menu does ("Account menu"), not who the person is. | Not stated in the contract. |
| SHOULD | Keep loading lazy (default-friendly) in long lists; eager only above the fold. | Not stated in the contract. |
| SHOULD NOT | Do not wrap Avatar in another link/button when clickable or menuItems already make it interactive; nested controls break AT. | Not stated in the contract. |

## Install and import

- Install: `npm install @digitaltableteur/react` (version 0.9.1, restricted access on npm).
- Import: `import { Avatar } from "@digitaltableteur/react";`
- Entry point: `@digitaltableteur/react/identity` exports it too.
- Styles: import `@digitaltableteur/react/style.css` once at the app boundary.
- Also available as the custom element `<dt-avatar>`; see the custom elements manifest.

## Links

- Machine-readable contract (Design System Contract 1.0): https://www.digitaltableteur.com/contracts/v1/Avatar.contract.json
- Markdown version of this page: https://www.digitaltableteur.com/design-system/components/avatar.md
- Component index as JSON: https://www.digitaltableteur.com/design-system/components.json
- All components: https://www.digitaltableteur.com/design-system/components
- Source: The implementation lives in a private repository. This page, its Markdown twin and the contract are generated from it at build time and are the public source of truth.