Article Template • Semantic + Tailwind + Accessibility Skip to content

Magazine Template

Your Site / Publication

Category Design Workflow

A Modern Article Template with Calm Whitespace and Strong Accessibility

Built as a single-file starter with semantic HTML5, Tailwind CSS, a sticky table of contents, and a reading progress bar. Designed to feel like a polished online magazine experience.

By Author Name

• — words

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Sophisticated shadows

Soft elevation with a clean palette.

Sticky navigation

Progressive disclosure of structure.

WCAG-minded

Focus styles, skip link, reduced motion.

Introduction

Structure first: semantic HTML is your accessibility baseline

This template intentionally uses semantic landmarks (<header>, <main>, <article>, <aside>) so assistive technologies can understand the page. Tailwind handles the styling while the HTML remains meaningful and navigable.

The sidebar table of contents is keyboard-friendly and updates its active state as you scroll. A reading progress bar provides subtle feedback without distraction.

Design note

The palette keeps contrast high. Text is set in Inter for clarity; headlines in Playfair Display for a magazine feel.

Core principles

Whitespace, hierarchy, and calm interaction patterns

Readable rhythm

Keep line lengths comfortable, use generous spacing, and avoid visual noise. Let content breathe.

Accessible by default

Provide skip links, clear focus styles, and don’t rely on color alone for meaning.

Progressive cues

Use small indicators (progress bar, active TOC item) to guide without pulling attention.

Mobile-first

The sidebar stacks above content on small screens and stays sticky on desktop.

Practical playbook

Build once, reuse everywhere

Swap the sample content with your article. Keep the section IDs stable so the table of contents remains valid. Add new sections by duplicating the structure.

If you’re embedding this into a CMS, ensure your system allows inline scripts. If scripts are restricted, the progress bar and active TOC highlighting can be moved to an external JS file.

Micro-interactions

Buttons are large enough for touch, focus-visible is strong, and motion respects user preferences. The “Expand text” toggle increases paragraph size slightly for comfort.

Quick checklist

Launch-ready details

  • High contrast text

    Headings and body meet readable contrast on white.

  • Keyboard navigation

    Skip link + visible focus ring included.

  • Responsive TOC

    Stacks on mobile, sticky on desktop.

  • Reduced motion

    Honors prefers-reduced-motion.

FAQ

Common questions

Can I replace Tailwind CDN with a build pipeline later?

Yes. Move the classes into your project, purge unused CSS, and keep the same markup.

How does active section highlighting work?

An IntersectionObserver watches article sections and toggles aria-current="true" on the corresponding TOC link.

Is the progress bar accessible?

The bar is marked aria-hidden and the numeric percentage is exposed as text in the sidebar.

Closing thoughts

A template that scales with your content

The best editorial layouts are invisible: they help readers stay oriented and comfortable. Use this as a foundation, then customize typography scale, imagery, and section patterns as needed.

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© • Single-file semantic article template