Onboarding Dialog

An Onboarding Dialog guides users through a task step by step and provides additional helpful information.

Stable
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Stable
Published: August 04, 2025
Updated: August 08, 2025

The Onboarding Dialog is a type of Dialog. It guides users through a task step by step.

A user may be able to navigate multiple steps using the actions Next and Back. A collapsible side panel shares additional information.

Examples:

  • Configure Audit Stream
  • Add New Kubernetes Agent

Anatomy

Anatomy summary lists and describes all the elements within a component (including nested components).

DialogOnboarding-anatomy-01

Element

Description

Optional?

1. Container

Dialog container that sits on top of page content.

No

2. Title

Mandatory title (no more than a few words) that describes the dialog’s purpose.

No

3. Divider

Separates the header from the main content.

No

4. Leading icon

Precedes a subtitle to call out a warning or danger message.

Yes

5. Subtitle

Introduces a sub-section of content.

Yes

6. Description - first paragraph

Description to provide information, including optional inline links.

Yes, if the dialog already includes other content.

7. Description - second paragraph

Additional paragraph for the description.

Yes

8. Content placeholder

A placeholder for content such as text, form elements, cards, images, etc.

Yes, if the dialog already includes a description.

9. Footer - StepCount

Used in a multi-step flow to indicate current step out of [x] number of steps.

Yes

10. Footer - Actions

Actions that the user can take, such as to cancel or save, or go to the “next” step in a multi-step flow.

No

11. Side panel

Container to display additional information.

No

12. Illustration

Mandatory visual to support the text content in the side panel.

No

13. Collapse button

Closes the side panel (the panel is open by default).

No

14. Subtitle

Introduces the side panel content.

Yes

15. Description - first paragraph

Description to provide additional information, including optional inline links.

No

16. Description - second paragraph

Additional paragraph for the description.

Yes

17. Expand button

Opens the side panel. Only appears if the user first chooses to close the side panel.

No

18. Footer - Back button

Action that the user can take to go “back” in a multi-step flow.

No, if step 2 or more in a multi-step flow.

See Dialog for more guidelines on the Header, Description, and Content placeholder.

 

The footer contains the actions that the user can take.

All button copy is pre-defined. If you require an option that doesn’t exist, please follow our Contribution guidelines.

The Footer variants shown below are for a multi-step onboarding dialog. If your onboarding dialog is not multi-step, you can use a standard Footer variant.

DialogOnboarding-anatomy-footer
  1. First step
  2. Second step (or higher)
  3. Final step (Primary Button’s label may change based on the task)

 


Variants

Variants contain different versions of the component depending on specific properties, such as state, size, colour, optional iconography, etc.

Primary

Expanded side panel

This is the default variant for the Onboarding Dialog. The side panel is open by default to make it clearer that additional information is available.

DialogOnboarding-Primary-Expanded

 

Collapsed side panel

The side panel will close if the user chooses to press the collapse button.

DialogOnboarding-Primary-Collapsed

 

Upsell

The Upsell Dialog’s side panel is not collapsible. This functionality is replaced with the dismiss button.

Graphic

The side panel can display an illustration on top of a gradient background to catch the user’s attention, and to support the message in the main area.

DialogOnboarding-Upsell-Graphic

 

Testimonial

The side panel can display a testimonial and other content to encourage the user to submit their request for a trial or upgrade.

DialogOnboarding-Upsell-Testimonial

 


Behaviour

Closing the dialog

In addition to the dismiss and “Cancel” buttons (or similar), users can close an Onboarding Dialog by tapping the esc key or by clicking anywhere outside the Dialog.

 


Component dependencies

This component is internally dependent on the following components:

 


 


Other documentation that will help guide your thinking when working with this component.

 


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