# Separator

Divide groups of content with a horizontal or vertical line.

Use a separator between groups of content that a reader should take as separate, like a profile's header and its bio.

```svelte title="basic.svelte"
<script lang="ts">
  import { Separator } from "@ui-sdk/svelte/separator"
</script>

<div data-slot="stack">
  <div data-slot="stack">
    <h3>Hollis Grant</h3>
    <p data-slot="hint">hollis@example.com</p>
  </div>
  <Separator />
  <p>
    Designs the billing and onboarding flows, and reviews every new pricing
    page.
  </p>
</div>
```

Read the profile with a screen reader. It announces a separator between Hollis Grant's name and email and the bio below.

## Installation

```bash
npm install @ui-sdk/svelte @ui-sdk/core
```

## Usage

Import the separator and put it between two groups of content:

```svelte
<script lang="ts">
  import { Separator } from "@ui-sdk/svelte/separator"
</script>

<section>
  <h2>Hollis Grant</h2>
  <Separator />
  <p>Designs the billing and onboarding flows.</p>
</section>
```

## Build Your Own

`@ui-sdk/svelte/separator` comes with a ready-made Separator. If you'd like to build your own, with your own name, start from the `separator` primitive in `@ui-sdk/core`:

```ts title="divider.ts"
import { separator } from "@ui-sdk/core/separator"
import { createParts } from "@ui-sdk/svelte/primitive"

const { Root: Divider } = createParts(separator, { root: "div" })

export { Divider }
```

```svelte
<Divider orientation="vertical" />
```

`Divider` keeps the behavior, state and data attributes of the ready-made Separator: the `separator` role, `aria-orientation` and `data-orientation`. See [Rendering](/docs/svelte/rendering) and [Custom Parts](/docs/svelte/custom-parts) for more.

## Vertical

Set `orientation="vertical"` for a line between items in a row. It takes the row's height.

```svelte title="vertical.svelte"
<script lang="ts">
  import { Separator } from "@ui-sdk/svelte/separator"
</script>

<nav aria-label="Legal" data-slot="row">
  <a href="#privacy">Privacy</a>
  <Separator orientation="vertical" />
  <a href="#terms">Terms</a>
  <Separator orientation="vertical" />
  <a href="#cookies">Cookies</a>
</nav>
```

Read across Privacy, Terms and Cookies. A screen reader announces a vertical separator between each link.

## Stacked Content

A vertical separator stretches to the tallest item in its row, so it spans a number and its label.

```svelte title="menu.svelte"
<script lang="ts">
  import { Separator } from "@ui-sdk/svelte/separator"
</script>

<div data-slot="row">
  <div data-slot="stack">
    <span>24</span>
    <span data-slot="hint">Projects</span>
  </div>
  <Separator orientation="vertical" />
  <div data-slot="stack">
    <span>1,280</span>
    <span data-slot="hint">Followers</span>
  </div>
  <Separator orientation="vertical" />
  <div data-slot="stack">
    <span>312</span>
    <span data-slot="hint">Following</span>
  </div>
</div>
```

Compare the lines with the stats. Each one runs the full height of Projects, Followers and Following.

## Rows

Put a separator between each pair of rows to divide a list of details.

```svelte title="list.svelte"
<script lang="ts">
  import { Separator } from "@ui-sdk/svelte/separator"
</script>

<div data-slot="stack">
  <dl>
    <dt>Plan</dt>
    <dd>Pro</dd>
  </dl>
  <Separator />
  <dl>
    <dt>Seats</dt>
    <dd>8 of 10</dd>
  </dl>
  <Separator />
  <dl>
    <dt>Renews</dt>
    <dd>December 1, 2026</dd>
  </dl>
</div>
```

Read the plan details with a screen reader. It announces a separator between Plan, Seats and Renews.

## Decorative

Set `decorative` when the line adds no information. Here, the word “or” already says the two ways to sign in are separate, so a screen reader skips the lines.

```svelte title="decorative.svelte"
<script lang="ts">
  import { Separator } from "@ui-sdk/svelte/separator"
</script>

<div data-slot="stack">
  <button type="button" data-variant="solid">Sign In with Passkey</button>
  <div data-slot="row">
    <Separator decorative />
    <span>or</span>
    <Separator decorative />
  </div>
  <button type="button">Email Me a Link</button>
</div>
```

Read from Sign In with Passkey to Email Me a Link with a screen reader. It reads “or” and skips the lines.

A decorative separator gets `role="none"` and no `aria-orientation`. It keeps `data-orientation` for styling.

## Custom Rendering

Pass a `render` snippet to use a different element, such as an `<hr>`, and spread the supplied `props` onto it. See [Parts and Composition](/docs/svelte/parts-and-composition) for reading the separator's state.

## Styling

The separator is unstyled. Give it a background, a height when it's horizontal and a width when it's vertical, and use `data-orientation` to tell them apart. A vertical line takes its row's height with `align-self: stretch`.

The separator has a `data-slot` of `separator`, and its `data-orientation` is listed under [Data Attributes](#data-attributes).

## Data Attributes

### Separator
`[data-slot="separator"]`

- `data-orientation` (`horizontal`, `vertical`): Which way the line runs.

## API Reference

Props are the same as below, as Svelte props.

### Separator

- `orientation?` (`SeparatorOrientation`): Which way the line runs. A vertical separator divides items in a row.
- `decorative?` (`boolean`): Hides the separator from assistive technology with `role="none"`, for a line that's only visual. Leave it off when the separator divides content a screen reader should hear as separate, like groups of menu items.
- `debug?` (`boolean`): Logs every state change with its reason to the console, in development builds.

### State

What render functions and state-based class names receive.

- `orientation` (`SeparatorOrientation`): Which way the line runs.

## Accessibility

The component follows the [WAI-ARIA separator role](https://www.w3.org/TR/wai-aria-1.2/#separator). A separator divides content a screen reader should hear as separate, and it's announced with `role="separator"` and its `aria-orientation`. A decorative separator is only visual: it gets `role="none"`, so screen readers skip it. Use `decorative` only when the surrounding content already conveys the division. Either way, a separator never takes focus, so Tab moves past it.

### Tested Behavior

Every line below is an automated test.

- A separator is announced with its orientation.
- A separator can't be focused.
- A separator carries its orientation for styling.

Runs in React, Vue and web components.