90 Creative Back To Top Links and Best Practices

One of the interesting trends which I noticed recently is to place a back to top link in your web designs. It’s kind of ironic to see what designers can do with back to top links as modern age designers love to experiment with things and observe how people interact with their work. Even though this is not a common trend to follow but still as the new design styles come up, and as more and more designers notice them and make use of them in their work, this kind of trends emerge.

In this presentation, you’ll find a variety of highly-creative, beautiful and most importantly inspirational back to top link which is following the same trend. We don’t want you to follow any specific trend as the aim here is to stimulate your creativity and to inspire your imagination to create your own design trend because your website represents you and your brand.

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A Little About “Back To Top Links”

A study done by the US government in which anchor links were used at the top of the page found the following: On a long page with a large amount of information, having the content headings as links at the top of the page allows users to click to information directly, reducing scrolling and scanning. In our usability tests, users often got frustrated when they had to scroll or scan a lot to find information. Also important, these anchor links let users grasp immediately what information the page contains. Refrance link

I think traditionally, a lot of people use a named Anchor tag to create a “Back To Top” page anchor. I have seen on many website and people still use this method.

<body>
  <a name="top"></a>
  <!-- content goes here -->
  <a href="#top">top</a>
</body>

I know that I’ve done that. But now, it felt a bit ganky to me. I mean, the first element in your page is a useless link? That just feels wrong, doesn’t it? There are alternative methods that can avoid silly, useless links. You can refer to some element IDs rather than named anchors to create back to top page links. Here is a simple method you can use. Either you can create a new id for your body tag

<body id="page">
  <!-- content goes here -->
  <a href="#page">back to top</a>
</body>

or if you want to avoid creating a new id, you can always refer your back to top link to any of your existing id. For example.

<body>
  <div id="wrapper">
  <!-- content goes here -->
  <a href="#wrapper">back to top</a>
  </div>
</body>

Traditionally, people use simple back to top links but you can also apply some animation to your scrolling method and make it more fun for your visitors. There are many methods and JavaScript library plugins available for that purpose. For example you can try this jQuery plugin ScrollTo.

Creative Back To Top Links and Best Practices

Throughout history, great artists always found new ways to show their creativity to express themselves and create new trends and techniques to remark their work apart from the rest of the crowd. The Definition of design is more critical in modern terms as now design is a way of communication; and, more specifically, Web design is a well define platform for content. There is no “Good” and “Bad” in design. It always define as a “Different”.

01. Stuffandnonsense

instantShift - Creative Back To Top Links

Official Link

02. Rapidxhtml

instantShift - Creative Back To Top Links

Official Link

03. Dawghousedesignstudio

instantShift - Creative Back To Top Links

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04. Visitmix

instantShift - Creative Back To Top Links

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05. Visualboxsite

instantShift - Creative Back To Top Links

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06. Leihu

instantShift - Creative Back To Top Links

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07. Kinoz

instantShift - Creative Back To Top Links

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08. Squarefactor

instantShift - Creative Back To Top Links

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09. Meshu

instantShift - Creative Back To Top Links

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10. Friml

instantShift - Creative Back To Top Links

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11. Blogfullbliss

instantShift - Creative Back To Top Links

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12. Dharmafrog

instantShift - Creative Back To Top Links

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13. Pivonka

instantShift - Creative Back To Top Links

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14. Psdlayout

instantShift - Creative Back To Top Links

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15. Kineticshadows

instantShift - Creative Back To Top Links

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16. Fullcreammilk

instantShift - Creative Back To Top Links

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17. Webleeddesign

instantShift - Creative Back To Top Links

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18. Moustacheme

instantShift - Creative Back To Top Links

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19. Ftdesigner

instantShift - Creative Back To Top Links

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20. Two24studios

instantShift - Creative Back To Top Links

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21. Brandmurder

instantShift - Creative Back To Top Links

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22. Toggle

instantShift - Creative Back To Top Links

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23. Jeffsarmiento

instantShift - Creative Back To Top Links

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24. Monsterpreneurs

instantShift - Creative Back To Top Links

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25. Spicydesign

instantShift - Creative Back To Top Links

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26. Dannyblackman

instantShift - Creative Back To Top Links

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27. Tanyamerone

instantShift - Creative Back To Top Links

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28. Dougdosberg

instantShift - Creative Back To Top Links

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29. Bubblessoc

instantShift - Creative Back To Top Links

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30. Markdearman

instantShift - Creative Back To Top Links

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31. Nue-media

instantShift - Creative Back To Top Links

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32. Delugestudios

instantShift - Creative Back To Top Links

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33. Gpacheco

instantShift - Creative Back To Top Links

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34. Ja-nic

instantShift - Creative Back To Top Links

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35. Chiragjsolanki

instantShift - Creative Back To Top Links

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36. Dreamerlines

instantShift - Creative Back To Top Links

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37. Aseed

instantShift - Creative Back To Top Links

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38. Emrahyaman

instantShift - Creative Back To Top Links

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39. Douglasmenezes

instantShift - Creative Back To Top Links

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40. Wpdesigner

instantShift - Creative Back To Top Links

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41. Greenie Theme

instantShift - Creative Back To Top Links

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42. Launchmind

instantShift - Creative Back To Top Links

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43. Jeannaandjeff

instantShift - Creative Back To Top Links

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44. Taufiq-ridha

instantShift - Creative Back To Top Links

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45. Chigarden

instantShift - Creative Back To Top Links

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46. Hebatec

instantShift - Creative Back To Top Links

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47. Incayellow

instantShift - Creative Back To Top Links

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48. Kevadamson

instantShift - Creative Back To Top Links

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49. Tonyyoo

instantShift - Creative Back To Top Links

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50. Olliekav

instantShift - Creative Back To Top Links

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51. Elliotjaystocks

instantShift - Creative Back To Top Links

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52. Bestwebgallery

instantShift - Creative Back To Top Links

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53. Webdesignerwall

instantShift - Creative Back To Top Links

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54. Bloggerbakeoff

instantShift - Creative Back To Top Links

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55. Deletelondon

instantShift - Creative Back To Top Links

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56. Bienbienbien

instantShift - Creative Back To Top Links

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57. Redcrownstudio

instantShift - Creative Back To Top Links

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58. Studioespace

instantShift - Creative Back To Top Links

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59. Zufanek

instantShift - Creative Back To Top Links

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60. Decatur-airport

instantShift - Creative Back To Top Links

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61. Thegregbradyproject

instantShift - Creative Back To Top Links

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62. Slydial

instantShift - Creative Back To Top Links

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63. Nickstedt

instantShift - Creative Back To Top Links

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64. Lonnroth

instantShift - Creative Back To Top Links

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65. Clippinjam

instantShift - Creative Back To Top Links

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66. Tntpixel

instantShift - Creative Back To Top Links

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67. Erskinedesign

instantShift - Creative Back To Top Links

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68. Area17

instantShift - Creative Back To Top Links

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69. Socialsnack

instantShift - Creative Back To Top Links

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Simple, Minimal, Yet Effective Back To Top Styles

70. Dcresource

instantShift - Creative Back To Top Links

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71. Thecssgallerylist

instantShift - Creative Back To Top Links

Official Link

72. Albertlo

instantShift - Creative Back To Top Links

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73. Gapersblock

instantShift - Creative Back To Top Links

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74. Bainbridgestudios

instantShift - Creative Back To Top Links

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75. Hongkiat

instantShift - Creative Back To Top Links

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76. Clearspring

instantShift - Creative Back To Top Links

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77. Redbrickhealth

instantShift - Creative Back To Top Links

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78. Jansochor

instantShift - Creative Back To Top Links

Official Link

79. Loft-living-krefeld

instantShift - Creative Back To Top Links

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80. Mynxx

instantShift - Creative Back To Top Links

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81. Darkmotion

instantShift - Creative Back To Top Links

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82. Spoongraphics

instantShift - Creative Back To Top Links

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83. Chamainc

instantShift - Creative Back To Top Links

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84. Abduzeedo

instantShift - Creative Back To Top Links

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85. Sebdesign

instantShift - Creative Back To Top Links

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86. Shinybinary

instantShift - Creative Back To Top Links

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87. Susannepaschke

instantShift - Creative Back To Top Links

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88. Crazyleafdesign

instantShift - Creative Back To Top Links

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89. Pmddemo

instantShift - Creative Back To Top Links

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90. CSSbeauty

instantShift - Creative Back To Top Links

Official Link

Find Something Missing?

While compiling this list, it’s always a possibility that we missed some other great resources. Feel free to share it with us.

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80 Comments

  1. i know this is off topic, but how did the webmaster accomplish this comment section ? is there a tutorial somewhere ?

  2. Wow, these are extremely well done. Good compilation.

    Tweeted it.

  3. Bonne, don’t know if there is a tutorial for that. You will need to code it by yourself. So I guess you should have a basic understanding of PHP and how wordpress comments work.

  4. This article has been shared on favSHARE.net.

  5. Splendid Collection.

  6. Nice designs. Thanks.

  7. Great list of examples, thanks for including Kinetic Shadows.

  8. I love those who follow you on the right side all the time, I think is java but I’m not capable to create one by my own on my site so for the moment I have the normal in the footer, like in the little tutorial you just made.

  9. thats really cool stuff there which you displaying, i really appreciate your effort :)

  10. Any thoughts on importance of naming the id with a SEO name? I see the Full Cream Milk site doesn’t use “top” or “wrapper” but instead whacks their URL in again:

    http://www.fullcreammilk.co.uk/

    Back to top goes to:

    http://www.fullcreammilk.co.uk/#www-fullcreammilk-co-uk

    Your thoughts? I’d have guessed that the search engines won’t be listing this as a new URL, so it would just be another chance to up the % of your keyword’s appearances on the page?

  11. Awesome stuff! I’m inspired to create smth like these back to top on my blog too.

  12. http://www.249designs.com has a cool on at the bottom of their page. I though so anyway. ;)

  13. I meant, they have “one”… lol

  14. awesome and very useful post. you packed an amazing number of really good examples in here.

    cheers.

  15. Wow, it’s useful information ))

  16. LOL @ “Refrance Link” in first paragraph under A Little About “Back To Top Links” … Re-France is how I pronounced it in my mind before I said “wtf” to myself and realized you meant REFERENCE Link.

    Oh, I’m a dick. Sure.

  17. Here is another example of back to top link
    http://clearideaz.com/articles/#cache-zoomin

  18. also nice one:

    http://nikiel-design.de/

    found this via twitter – love the smoothscroll effect

  19. Really inspiring post, thanks.

  20. Back to top buttons/link are important for usability when the pages are too long and the navigation in the footer is not full or small. You simply make it more convenient to browse over your website pages while prompting your website visitors to website most important pages/section

  21. Excelentttttttttttt

  22. Is there any other way to create that scrolling effect without a jquery plugin?

  23. Simply amazing collection of sites :)

  24. Oh great collection. I will write a post on this article very soon.

  25. Again an excellent post. Are really great tips in order to create an original way to create link.
    Thank Instant Shift admin.

  26. Nice ide ato pick out this often-overlooked design element. I especially like the robot one!

  27. The little details in a design like, back to top buttons make all the difference. Although some of those buttons would be pretty hard to see. Nice collection.

  28. im only using the basic one…thanks for the info…

  29. Excellent collection, thanks

  30. Just what I was looking for…thanks a bunch!

  31. Awesome stuff! I’m inspired to create smth like these back to top on my blog too.

  32. Nice & cool informative post!
    i think this is a most popular site on Google.thanks for your sharing.

  33. OH! its awesome!
    there are lot of nice designs showing in this good site.i really enjoy it.

  34. Cool & creative! Great post and very inspiring. Thanks

  35. Nice list!

  36. Hello really Good Work am get & unique idea Your Best Tutorials Thx and GOD BLESS YOU , Get Best SEO and Web Design Complete Tutorials

  37. You mentioned ‘best practice’ in the title, yet I see no explanation of what the best practice guidelines are for location, language, usage etc.

  38. The post does show some creative ways people use the back-to-top links as it says, and while the coding may be pretty simple for experienced designers, you still have to admire the clever ways that some people use these links.

  39. nice one….

  40. Amazing Article! loved it Thanks for sharing this great stuff.

  41. Wow, a whole article on BackToTopLinks! Amazing!

  42. Hey thanks I was searching for this only :)

  43. Thanks for a useful material! I will try to use this information for development of my site.

  44. How do you get ride of the hash tag link in your back to top button?
    For example http://www.instantshift.com/#header
    is just http://www.instantshift.com

    how?

  45. http://www.survivor-magazine.com has a cool one which appears after you have scrolled down a little.

  46. thanks for the information.
    in wait behind the visit,: D

  47. Thanks for a useful material! I will try to use this information for development of my site.

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