The CSS margin properties are used to create space around elements, outside of any defined borders.
Margins define the distance between an element's border and the surrounding elements.
With CSS, you have full control over the margins. CSS has properties for setting the margin for each individual side of an element (top, right, bottom, and left), and a shorthand property for setting all the margin properties in one declaration.
Margin - Individual Sides
CSS has properties for specifying the margin for each side of an element:
- margin-top - sets the top margin of an element
- margin-right - sets the right margin of an element
- margin-bottom - sets the bottom margin of an element
- margin-left - sets the left margin of an element
All the margin properties can have the following values:
- auto - the browser calculates the margin
- length - specifies a margin in px, pt, cm, etc.
- % - specifies a margin in % of the width of the containing element
- inherit - specifies that the margin should be inherited from the parent element
Tip
Negative values are also allowed.
Example
p {
margin-top: 100px;
margin-bottom: 100px;
margin-right: 150px;
margin-left: 80px;
}Live preview
Margin - Shorthand Property
To shorten the code, it is possible to specify all the margin properties in one declaration.
The margin property is a shorthand property for the following individual margin properties:
- margin-top
- margin-right
- margin-bottom
- margin-left
Here is how it works
If the margin property has four values:
- margin: 25px 50px 75px 100px; top margin is 25px right margin is 50px bottom margin is 75px left margin is 100px
- top margin is 25px
- right margin is 50px
- bottom margin is 75px
- left margin is 100px
Example
p {
margin: 25px 50px 75px 100px;
}Live preview
If the margin property has three values:
- margin: 25px 50px 75px; top margin is 25px right and left margins are 50px bottom margin is 75px
- top margin is 25px
- right and left margins are 50px
- bottom margin is 75px
Example
p {
margin: 25px 50px 75px;
}Live preview
If the margin property has two values:
- margin: 25px 50px; top and bottom margins are 25px right and left margins are 50px
- top and bottom margins are 25px
- right and left margins are 50px
Example
p {
margin: 25px 50px;
}Live preview
If the margin property has one value:
- margin: 25px; all four margins are 25px
- all four margins are 25px
Example
p {
margin: 25px;
}Live preview
The auto Value
You can set the margin property to auto to horizontally center the element within its container.
The element will then take up the specified width, and the remaining space will be split equally between the left and right margins.
Example
div {
width: 300px;
margin: auto;
border: 1px solid red;
}Live preview
The inherit Value
You can set the margin property to inherit to let the margin be inherited from the parent element.
This example lets the left margin of the <p class="ex1"> element be inherited from the parent element (<div>):
Example
div {
border: 1px solid red;
margin-left: 100px;
}
p.ex1 {
margin-left: inherit;
}Live preview
All CSS Margin Properties
| Property | Description |
|---|---|
| margin | A shorthand property for setting all the margin properties in one declaration |
| margin-bottom | Sets the bottom margin of an element |
| margin-left | Sets the left margin of an element |
| margin-right | Sets the right margin of an element |
| margin-top | Sets the top margin of an element |