canopy-header

name	canopy-header
description	Best practices for the Canopy Header component. Trigger when adding a site header, primary navigation, account menu, notification badge, or logo in an Angular project using Canopy.
license	MIT
metadata	{"source":"https://github.com/Legal-and-General/canopy/tree/master/projects/canopy/src/lib/header/docs/guide.mdx"}

Canopy Header — Best Practices

This skill provides usage guidance and input reference for the Canopy header components from @legal-and-general/canopy.

Apply this skill whenever you use the lg-header attribute selector or LgHeaderComponent.

---

Import

import {
  LgHeaderComponent,
  LgHeaderLogoComponent,
  LgPrimaryNavComponent,
  LgPrimaryNavListItemComponent,
  LgPrimaryNavItemDirective,
  LgPrimaryNavMobileItemDirective,
  LgAccountMenuComponent,
  LgAccountMenuListItemComponent,
  LgAccountMenuItemDirective,
  LgAccountMenuItemLabelComponent,
  LgAccountMenuMobileItemDirective,
  LgNotificationBadgeComponent,
  LgLinkMenuItemComponent,
  LgLinkMenuItemTextComponent,
} from '@legal-and-general/canopy';

---

Basic Usage

The header uses an attribute selector — apply lg-header to a native <header> element.

<header lg-header>
  <lg-header-logo src="/assets/logo.svg" alt="Company name" href="/"></lg-header-logo>
</header>

---

Co-branding

Use two lg-header-logo components side by side for a co-branded header:

<header lg-header>
  <lg-header-logo src="/assets/lg-logo.svg" alt="Legal & General" href="/"></lg-header-logo>
  <lg-header-logo src="/assets/partner-logo.svg" alt="Partner name" href="/"></lg-header-logo>
</header>

---

With Primary Navigation and Account Menu

The navigation has two separate sets of items — one for desktop (lg breakpoint and above) and one for mobile (below lg). Both must be explicitly provided.

• Desktop items: use lg-primary-nav-list-item + lgPrimaryNavItem
• Mobile primary nav items: use lgPrimaryNavMobileItem + lg-link-menu-item structure, projected inside lg-primary-nav
• Mobile account menu items: use lgAccountMenuMobileItem + lg-link-menu-item structure, also projected inside lg-primary-nav
• Desktop account menu items: use lg-account-menu + lg-account-menu-list-item + lgAccountMenuItem — these are always visible in the header bar

<header lg-header>
  <lg-header-logo [src]="logo" [alt]="logoAlt" [href]="logoHref"></lg-header-logo>
  <lg-notification-badge lgMenuBadge variant="dot" accessText="You have unread messages"></lg-notification-badge>

  <lg-primary-nav>
    <!-- Desktop navigation items (visible at lg+) -->
    <lg-primary-nav-list-item>
      <a href="/" [isActive]="true" lgPrimaryNavItem>Link 1</a>
    </lg-primary-nav-list-item>
    <lg-primary-nav-list-item>
      <a href="/products" lgPrimaryNavItem>
        Link 2
        <lg-notification-badge count="3" accessText="You have 3 unread messages"></lg-notification-badge>
      </a>
    </lg-primary-nav-list-item>

    <!-- Mobile primary nav items (visible below lg) -->
    <a lgPrimaryNavMobileItem href="/">
      <lg-link-menu-item>
        <lg-link-menu-item-text>Link 1</lg-link-menu-item-text>
      </lg-link-menu-item>
    </a>
    <a lgPrimaryNavMobileItem href="/products">
      <lg-link-menu-item>
        <lg-link-menu-item-text>Link 2</lg-link-menu-item-text>
        <lg-notification-badge count="3" accessText="You have 3 unread messages"></lg-notification-badge>
      </lg-link-menu-item>
    </a>

    <!-- Mobile account menu items (visible below lg, projected into nav dropdown) -->
    <a lgAccountMenuMobileItem href="/account">
      <lg-link-menu-item>
        <lg-link-menu-item-text>Account</lg-link-menu-item-text>
      </lg-link-menu-item>
    </a>
    <a lgAccountMenuMobileItem href="/sign-out">
      <lg-link-menu-item>
        <lg-link-menu-item-text>Sign out</lg-link-menu-item-text>
      </lg-link-menu-item>
    </a>
  </lg-primary-nav>

  <!-- Account menu items visible in header bar on mobile and desktop -->
  <lg-account-menu>
    <lg-account-menu-list-item>
      <a href="/account" lgAccountMenuItem>
        <lg-account-menu-item-label>Account</lg-account-menu-item-label>
        <lg-icon name="profile"></lg-icon>
      </a>
    </lg-account-menu-list-item>
    <lg-account-menu-list-item>
      <a href="/sign-out" lgAccountMenuItem>
        <lg-account-menu-item-label>Sign out</lg-account-menu-item-label>
        <lg-icon name="sign-in"></lg-icon>
      </a>
    </lg-account-menu-list-item>
  </lg-account-menu>
</header>

---

Co-branded with Navigation

Combine two lg-header-logo elements with the full navigation structure:

<header lg-header>
  <lg-header-logo [src]="logo" [alt]="logoAlt" [href]="logoHref"></lg-header-logo>
  <lg-header-logo [src]="secondaryLogo" [alt]="secondaryLogoAlt" [href]="secondaryLogoHref"></lg-header-logo>
  <lg-notification-badge lgMenuBadge variant="dot" accessText="You have unread messages"></lg-notification-badge>

  <lg-primary-nav>
    <lg-primary-nav-list-item>
      <a href="/" [isActive]="true" lgPrimaryNavItem>Link 1</a>
    </lg-primary-nav-list-item>

    <a lgPrimaryNavMobileItem href="/">
      <lg-link-menu-item>
        <lg-link-menu-item-text>Link 1</lg-link-menu-item-text>
      </lg-link-menu-item>
    </a>

    <a lgAccountMenuMobileItem href="/account">
      <lg-link-menu-item>
        <lg-link-menu-item-text>Account</lg-link-menu-item-text>
      </lg-link-menu-item>
    </a>
  </lg-primary-nav>

  <lg-account-menu>
    <lg-account-menu-list-item>
      <a href="/account" lgAccountMenuItem>
        <lg-account-menu-item-label>Account</lg-account-menu-item-label>
        <lg-icon name="profile"></lg-icon>
      </a>
    </lg-account-menu-list-item>
  </lg-account-menu>
</header>

---

Inputs & Outputs

LgHeaderComponent

Output	Type	Description
menuToggled	EventEmitter<boolean>	Emitted when the mobile menu toggle button is clicked.

Content slots

Selector	Description
lg-header-logo	Projects one or more logo elements into the logos wrapper at the start of the header bar.
[lgMenuBadge]	Projects content (typically lg-notification-badge) into the burger toggle button; hidden when the menu is open.
(default)	Projects all other content (e.g. lg-primary-nav, lg-account-menu) into the main header wrapper.

LgHeaderLogoComponent

Input	Type	Default	Required	Description
src	string	—	Yes	Logo image URL.
alt	string	''	Yes	Alt text for the logo image.
href	string	—	No	URL link if the logo is clickable.

LgPrimaryNavComponent

Input	Type	Default	Required	Description
showResponsiveMenu	boolean	false	No	Shows or hides the responsive mobile menu.

LgPrimaryNavListItemComponent

Input	Type	Default	Required	Description
alignRight	boolean	false	No	Aligns the item to the right-hand side at lg breakpoints.

Output	Type	Description
tabbedOut	EventEmitter<KeyboardEvent>	Emitted when the tab key bubbles up to the list item.
clicked	EventEmitter<Event>	Emitted when a click event bubbles up to the list item.

LgPrimaryNavItemDirective

Input	Type	Default	Required	Description
isActive	boolean	false	No	Sets the active state of the navigation item.

LgAccountMenuItemDirective

Input	Type	Default	Required	Description
isActive	boolean	false	No	Sets the active state of the account menu item.

LgAccountMenuListItemComponent

Output	Type	Description
clicked	EventEmitter<Event>	Emitted when a click event bubbles up to the list item.
tabbedOut	EventEmitter<KeyboardEvent>	Emitted when the tab key bubbles up to the list item.

LgNotificationBadgeComponent

Input	Type	Default	Required	Description
count	number	undefined	No	The numeric value to display in the badge when variant is 'count'.
accessText	string	undefined	No	Accessible text for assistive technologies.
variant	'count' | 'dot'	'count'	No	Badge variant. Use 'dot' for an indeterminate indicator instead of a count.

Apply lgMenuBadge to the lg-notification-badge element to display it on the mobile menu toggle button.

---

Dos and Don'ts

Do

1. Do always provide both lgPrimaryNavMobileItem and desktop lg-primary-nav-list-item entries — the navigation does not auto-derive mobile items from desktop items.
2. Do project lgAccountMenuMobileItem anchors inside lg-primary-nav — they appear in the mobile nav dropdown, not in lg-account-menu.
3. Do use lg-account-menu items for the header bar (visible on both mobile and desktop next to the burger menu).
4. Do wrap mobile items in lg-link-menu-item / lg-link-menu-item-text structure.
5. Do keep navigation items to around six maximum to avoid overcrowding.
6. Do use lgMenuBadge on lg-notification-badge to show a badge on the mobile burger menu button.

Don't

1. Don't apply lg-header as a component tag — it is an attribute selector and must be applied to a native <header> element.
2. Don't expect mobile navigation to be auto-generated — all mobile items must be explicitly authored.
3. Don't place lgAccountMenuMobileItem items inside lg-account-menu — they must be inside lg-primary-nav.

---

Migration from Previous Navigation

The navigation was rebuilt with explicit mobile/desktop slots. Key changes:

• Mobile items are no longer derived automatically — provide lgPrimaryNavMobileItem and lgAccountMenuMobileItem explicitly.
• Import LgPrimaryNavMobileItemDirective, LgAccountMenuMobileItemDirective, LgLinkMenuItemComponent, and LgLinkMenuItemTextComponent in your component's imports array.