Skip to main content
Buttons are fundamental interactive widgets that respond to user clicks. Dear ImGui provides several button types for different use cases.

​
Standard Button

​
Button()

Create a clickable button that returns true when pressed: 
IMGUI_API bool Button(const char* label, const ImVec2& size = ImVec2(0, 0));
​
label
const char*
required
The text displayed on the button
​
size
ImVec2
default:"ImVec2(0, 0)"
Button size in pixels. Use (0,0) for auto-sizing to fit the label.
static int clicked = 0;
if (ImGui::Button("Click Me")) {
    clicked++;
}
if (clicked & 1) {
    ImGui::SameLine();
    ImGui::Text("Thanks for clicking me!");
}

​
Button Variants

​
SmallButton()

A button with reduced padding, useful for embedding in text: 
IMGUI_API bool SmallButton(const char* label);

ImGui::Text("Inline button:"); 
ImGui::SameLine();
if (ImGui::SmallButton("small")) {
    // Button clicked
}

​
InvisibleButton()

A button without visual decoration, useful for custom rendering: 
IMGUI_API bool InvisibleButton(const char* str_id, const ImVec2& size, ImGuiButtonFlags flags = 0);
​
str_id
const char*
required
String identifier (not displayed)
​
size
ImVec2
required
Button size in pixels
​
flags
ImGuiButtonFlags
Optional button flags:
  • ImGuiButtonFlags_MouseButtonLeft (default)
  • ImGuiButtonFlags_MouseButtonRight
  • ImGuiButtonFlags_MouseButtonMiddle
if (ImGui::InvisibleButton("##invisible", ImVec2(100, 100))) {
    // Clicked
}

// Right-click button
if (ImGui::InvisibleButton("##context", ImVec2(50, 50), ImGuiButtonFlags_MouseButtonRight)) {
    ImGui::OpenPopup("context_menu");
}

​
ArrowButton()

A button displaying a directional arrow: 
IMGUI_API bool ArrowButton(const char* str_id, ImGuiDir dir);
​
dir
ImGuiDir
required
Arrow direction:
  • ImGuiDir_Left
  • ImGuiDir_Right
  • ImGuiDir_Up
  • ImGuiDir_Down
static int counter = 0;
float spacing = ImGui::GetStyle().ItemInnerSpacing.x;

if (ImGui::ArrowButton("##left", ImGuiDir_Left)) { counter--; }
ImGui::SameLine(0.0f, spacing);
if (ImGui::ArrowButton("##right", ImGuiDir_Right)) { counter++; }
ImGui::SameLine();
ImGui::Text("%d", counter);

​
Button Modifiers

​
Repeating Buttons

Make buttons fire continuously while held down: 
static int counter = 0;
float spacing = ImGui::GetStyle().ItemInnerSpacing.x;

ImGui::PushItemFlag(ImGuiItemFlags_ButtonRepeat, true);
if (ImGui::ArrowButton("##left", ImGuiDir_Left)) { counter--; }
ImGui::SameLine(0.0f, spacing);
if (ImGui::ArrowButton("##right", ImGuiDir_Right)) { counter++; }
ImGui::PopItemFlag();

ImGui::SameLine();
ImGui::Text("%d", counter);
With ImGuiItemFlags_ButtonRepeat enabled, the button returns true multiple times while held, not just on initial press.

​
Colored Buttons

Customize button colors using style modifiers: 
// Single colored button
ImGui::PushStyleColor(ImGuiCol_Button, ImVec4(1.0f, 0.0f, 0.0f, 1.0f));
ImGui::PushStyleColor(ImGuiCol_ButtonHovered, ImVec4(1.0f, 0.2f, 0.2f, 1.0f));
ImGui::PushStyleColor(ImGuiCol_ButtonActive, ImVec4(0.8f, 0.0f, 0.0f, 1.0f));
if (ImGui::Button("Red Button")) {
    // Clicked
}
ImGui::PopStyleColor(3);

// Multiple colored buttons with HSV
for (int i = 0; i < 7; i++) {
    if (i > 0) ImGui::SameLine();
    ImGui::PushID(i);
    ImGui::PushStyleColor(ImGuiCol_Button, (ImVec4)ImColor::HSV(i / 7.0f, 0.6f, 0.6f));
    ImGui::PushStyleColor(ImGuiCol_ButtonHovered, (ImVec4)ImColor::HSV(i / 7.0f, 0.7f, 0.7f));
    ImGui::PushStyleColor(ImGuiCol_ButtonActive, (ImVec4)ImColor::HSV(i / 7.0f, 0.8f, 0.8f));
    ImGui::Button("Click");
    ImGui::PopStyleColor(3);
    ImGui::PopID();
}

​
Checkbox and Radio Buttons

​
Checkbox()

Toggle boolean values: 
IMGUI_API bool Checkbox(const char* label, bool* v);
IMGUI_API bool CheckboxFlags(const char* label, int* flags, int flags_value);
IMGUI_API bool CheckboxFlags(const char* label, unsigned int* flags, unsigned int flags_value);

static bool check = true;
ImGui::Checkbox("Enable Feature", &check);

if (check) {
    ImGui::Text("Feature is enabled");
}

​
RadioButton()

Select one option from a group: 
IMGUI_API bool RadioButton(const char* label, bool active);
IMGUI_API bool RadioButton(const char* label, int* v, int v_button);

static int selected = 0;
if (ImGui::RadioButton("Option A", selected == 0)) selected = 0;
if (ImGui::RadioButton("Option B", selected == 1)) selected = 1;
if (ImGui::RadioButton("Option C", selected == 2)) selected = 2;

​
Image Buttons

​
ImageButton()

Create a button with an image: 
IMGUI_API bool ImageButton(const char* str_id, ImTextureRef tex_ref, const ImVec2& image_size,
                           const ImVec2& uv0 = ImVec2(0, 0), const ImVec2& uv1 = ImVec2(1, 1),
                           const ImVec4& bg_col = ImVec4(0, 0, 0, 0), 
                           const ImVec4& tint_col = ImVec4(1, 1, 1, 1));
​
str_id
const char*
required
String identifier for the button
​
tex_ref
ImTextureRef
required
Texture reference (your texture ID cast to ImTextureRef)
​
image_size
ImVec2
required
Size of the image to display
​
uv0, uv1
ImVec2
default:"(0,0), (1,1)"
UV coordinates for the image texture
ImTextureRef my_texture = /* your texture */;
ImVec2 button_size = ImVec2(32.0f, 32.0f);

for (int i = 0; i < 8; i++) {
    ImGui::PushID(i);
    if (i > 0) ImGui::SameLine();
    
    ImVec4 bg_col = ImVec4(0.0f, 0.0f, 0.0f, 1.0f);
    ImVec4 tint_col = ImVec4(1.0f, 1.0f, 1.0f, 1.0f);
    
    if (ImGui::ImageButton("", my_texture, button_size, 
                           ImVec2(0, 0), ImVec2(1, 1), bg_col, tint_col)) {
        // Button clicked
    }
    ImGui::PopID();
}

​
Button with Tooltip

Add tooltips to buttons for additional information: 
ImGui::Button("Hover Me");
ImGui::SetItemTooltip("This is a tooltip");

// Or using BeginItemTooltip for complex tooltips
ImGui::Button("Advanced");
if (ImGui::BeginItemTooltip()) {
    ImGui::Text("This is a more complex tooltip");
    ImGui::BulletText("Feature 1");
    ImGui::BulletText("Feature 2");
    ImGui::EndTooltip();
}

​
Complete Example

void ShowButtonDemo() {
    ImGui::Begin("Button Demo");
    
    // Standard button
    static int click_count = 0;
    if (ImGui::Button("Standard Button")) {
        click_count++;
    }
    ImGui::Text("Clicked %d times", click_count);
    
    ImGui::Spacing();
    
    // Small button
    ImGui::Text("Inline:"); ImGui::SameLine();
    if (ImGui::SmallButton("small")) {
        // Clicked
    }
    
    ImGui::Spacing();
    
    // Arrow buttons with repeat
    static int counter = 0;
    ImGui::PushItemFlag(ImGuiItemFlags_ButtonRepeat, true);
    if (ImGui::ArrowButton("##left", ImGuiDir_Left)) counter--;
    ImGui::SameLine();
    if (ImGui::ArrowButton("##right", ImGuiDir_Right)) counter++;
    ImGui::PopItemFlag();
    ImGui::SameLine();
    ImGui::Text("%d", counter);
    
    ImGui::Spacing();
    
    // Checkbox
    static bool enabled = true;
    ImGui::Checkbox("Enable Feature", &enabled);
    
    ImGui::Spacing();
    
    // Radio buttons
    static int selection = 0;
    ImGui::RadioButton("Option A", &selection, 0); ImGui::SameLine();
    ImGui::RadioButton("Option B", &selection, 1); ImGui::SameLine();
    ImGui::RadioButton("Option C", &selection, 2);
    
    ImGui::Spacing();
    
    // Colored button
    ImGui::PushStyleColor(ImGuiCol_Button, ImVec4(0.8f, 0.2f, 0.2f, 1.0f));
    ImGui::PushStyleColor(ImGuiCol_ButtonHovered, ImVec4(0.9f, 0.3f, 0.3f, 1.0f));
    ImGui::PushStyleColor(ImGuiCol_ButtonActive, ImVec4(0.7f, 0.1f, 0.1f, 1.0f));
    if (ImGui::Button("Danger Button")) {
        // Perform dangerous action
    }
    ImGui::PopStyleColor(3);
    
    ImGui::End();
}

​
Best Practices

Use PushID() / PopID() or the ## label syntax when you need multiple buttons with the same label.
Button size (0,0) means auto-size. Use (-FLT_MIN, 0) for full-width buttons.

Build docs developers (and LLMs) love

Get started for freeTalk to us