# Tooltip

> Radix tooltip primitive set (Provider, Trigger, Content) for icon hints.

- Status: beta
- Group: overlay
- Page: https://www.digitaltableteur.com/design-system/components/tooltip
- Contract: https://www.digitaltableteur.com/contracts/v1/Tooltip.contract.json

## When to use

Tooltip is the composed Radix primitive set for supplementary hints on focusable controls; most often icon-only buttons. Wrap a subtree in `TooltipProvider` (sets `delayDuration`, default 200ms), then per hint: `Tooltip` (open state) containing `TooltipTrigger asChild` around the real control and `TooltipContent` with the text and a `side` placement (top by default, flips when out of room). It opens on hover and keyboard focus, dismisses on Escape, and Radix links the content to the trigger via aria-describedby. The content is description, not a name: the trigger still needs its own accessible label.

## When not to use

- Do not put interactive content (links, buttons) inside a tooltip; it cannot be reached by keyboard or touch; use a Modal or disclosure instead.
- Do not use a tooltip as the only label of a control; give the control a real accessible name and let the tooltip add detail.
- Do not attach tooltips to non-focusable elements; hover-only hints exclude keyboard and touch users.

## Look-alikes

- Modal: Do not put interactive content (links, buttons) inside a tooltip; it cannot be reached by keyboard or touch; use a Modal or disclosure instead.

## Props

| Prop | Type | Default | Description | Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `className` | `string` | none | Extra class on the content bubble. | No |
| `side` | `"left" \| "right" \| "top" \| "bottom"` | none | Preferred placement relative to the trigger; flips when out of room. | No |
| `sideOffset` | `number` | none | Gap in px between the trigger and the bubble. | No |
| `children` | `ReactNode` | none | Hint content; a short phrase, never interactive. | Yes |
| `shortcut` | `string[]` | none | Keys held together for the trigger's action, one entry per key; rendered after the label as keycaps joined by plus signs. Modifier symbols (⌘ ⇧ ⌥ ⌃ ⌫ ↵) render as icons with a translated key name for assistive technology. | No |

## Variants

- Allowed `side` values: `left`, `right`, `top`, `bottom`.

## Invalid combinations

The contract records no invalid combinations.

## Keyboard

| Key | Behaviour |
| --- | --- |
| Tab | Moves focus to the control and on to the next focusable element. (standard) |
| Escape | Closes or dismisses the open layer. (standard) |

Rows marked (standard) name a key the contract lists without a description; the behaviour shown is the usual one for that key.

## 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: Opens on hover AND keyboard focus of the trigger. | Not yet verified: no evidence record. WCAG 4.1.2. |
| MUST | ARIA: Escape dismisses without moving focus. | Not yet verified: no evidence record. WCAG 4.1.2. |
| MUST | ARIA: Content is linked to the trigger via aria-describedby (Radix) | Not yet verified: no evidence record. WCAG 4.1.2. |
| MUST | ARIA: Content must be supplementary; never put essential or interactive content in a tooltip. | 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 | Every documented keyboard interaction works as specified. | Not yet verified: no evidence record. WCAG 2.1.1, 2.1.2. |
| MUST | A human completed an end-to-end accessibility review of this component. | Manual review, last on 2026-07-03. |
| SHOULD | Wrap the trigger with asChild so your real Button/IconButton receives the tooltip wiring instead of a nested extra button. | Not stated in the contract. |
| SHOULD | Use one TooltipProvider per surface (page or toolbar) so the open delay is shared and hopping between adjacent triggers feels instant. | Not stated in the contract. |
| SHOULD | Keep content to a short phrase; the tooltip supplements the control's accessible name (aria-describedby), it does not replace it. | Not stated in the contract. |
| SHOULD | Pick side by surrounding space; Radix flips automatically when the preferred side runs out of room. | Not stated in the contract. |
| SHOULD | Show a keyboard shortcut with the shortcut prop, never hand-built Kbd children: it sizes the keycaps to the label, draws modifier symbols as icons and joins keys with plus signs. Pass platform words (Ctrl, Shift) on Windows. | Not stated in the contract. |
| SHOULD NOT | Do not put links, buttons, or anything interactive inside TooltipContent; it is unreachable by keyboard and touch. | Not stated in the contract. |
| SHOULD NOT | Do not rely on a tooltip as the only label of an icon-only control; give the control aria-label and use the tooltip for the visible hint. | Not stated in the contract. |

## Install and import

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

## Links

- Machine-readable contract (Design System Contract 1.0): https://www.digitaltableteur.com/contracts/v1/Tooltip.contract.json
- Markdown version of this page: https://www.digitaltableteur.com/design-system/components/tooltip.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.