Webflow Tabs

How to integrate Webflow Tabs with Webflow

Tabs organize complex content into scannable sections without forcing users to scroll through long pages.

This guide covers how to add Webflow Tabs to your site through native components, automation platforms, and APIs.

Use the native Webflow Tabs component

Add Webflow Tabs to your site by selecting it from the Add panel under Components. The component creates an interactive interface with tab links that control corresponding content panes.

Customize styling through the Style panel and configure animation timing through component settings.

The Webflow Tabs native integration method offers the following features:

• Visual customization through the Style panel for Tabs Wrapper, Tabs Menu, Tab Links, Current state styling, and Tab Panes
• Animation configuration with customizable easing methods and fade in/out duration settings
• Responsive design with automatic full-width spanning of parent containers
• Keyboard navigation with focus management for accessibility compliance

Native tabs require manual content management. Each tab pane contains static content you edit directly in Webflow. For dynamic content from CMS collections or external sources, use automation platforms or custom API integration.

Use third-party automation apps

Automation platforms connect Webflow tab content to external services without code. The Webflow Zapier integration provides OAuth-based connectivity with triggers and actions for creating, updating, and deleting collection items. Make offers equivalent capabilities with visual workflow builders.

Create automation workflows that update tab content when external events occur. For example, you can sync product information from inventory systems, update documentation tabs from knowledge bases, or populate portfolio tabs from project management tools.

Both platforms work through Webflow's CMS API endpoints and support the Collection List with custom code pattern for dynamic tabs.

Build with Webflow Tabs and external APIs

Custom API integration enables dynamic tab content from external sources and automated content workflows. This approach requires backend development skills and infrastructure setup.

Connect CMS collections to tabs with the Data API

The Webflow Data API provides endpoints for CMS collection operations. Here are some things you can do:

• Retrieve collection items with GET /collections/{collection_id}/items
• Create new content with POST /collections/{collection_id}/items
• Update existing content with PATCH /collections/{collection_id}/items/{item_id}
• Delete content with DELETE /collections/{collection_id}/items/{item_id}

This pattern combines Collection Lists with custom code for dynamic tab generation. Tools like Finsweet Attributes provide established implementations where each collection item becomes a tab link and corresponding tab pane.

You need a structural Tabs element as foundation, a Collection List as the CMS-driven data source, and JavaScript for dynamic tab generation.

This integration enables:

• Real-time content updates when collection items change
• Scalable tab systems that grow automatically with CMS content
• Programmatic content management through external systems
• Multi-instance support with unique identifiers for multiple tab sets per page

Note: This approach requires JavaScript development and understanding of both Webflow CMS and custom code integration patterns.

Sync external data with webhooks

The Webflow webhook system sends notifications when CMS content changes. Configure webhooks to receive POST requests with JSON payloads for collection_item_created, collection_item_changed, and collection_item_deleted events. The system includes HMAC signature validation using your client secret.

Webhook integration requires server-side processing to handle incoming events and trigger content updates. Set up webhook endpoints in your external system, configure them in Webflow's site settings, and build handlers for incoming events.

Note: Webhook-driven tab updates require backend infrastructure and authentication handling. This is advanced custom development.

What you can build

Integration complexity varies from no-code automation platforms to custom backend development:

• Portfolio showcases with CMS-driven project tabs (no-code with Finsweet Attributes): Build galleries where each tab displays a different project category from CMS collections, with project details updating automatically when you add new work.
• E-commerce product pages with specification tabs (no-code with native tabs): Create product pages where tabs organize descriptions, specifications, reviews, and FAQs, all populated from product collections.
• SaaS feature comparison interfaces (moderate complexity): Build pricing pages with tabbed feature sets and plan comparisons that sync with your pricing database through automation workflows.
• Documentation sites with automated content tabs (requires custom development): Generate technical documentation interfaces where tabs organize API endpoints or tutorial sections, pulling content from external knowledge bases through API integration.