align-content

The CSS align-content property sets the distribution of space between and around content items along a flexbox's cross axis, or a grid or block-level element's block axis.

The interactive example below uses grid layout to demonstrate some of the values of this property.

Try it

This property has no effect on single line flex containers (i.e. ones with flex-wrap: nowrap).

Syntax

css
/* Normal alignment */
align-content: normal;

/* Basic positional alignment */
/* align-content does not take left and right values */
align-content: start;
align-content: center;
align-content: end;
align-content: flex-start;
align-content: flex-end;

/* Baseline alignment */
align-content: baseline;
align-content: first baseline;
align-content: last baseline;

/* Distributed alignment */
align-content: space-between;
align-content: space-around;
align-content: space-evenly;
align-content: stretch;

/* Overflow alignment */
align-content: safe center;
align-content: unsafe center;

/* Global values */
align-content: inherit;
align-content: initial;
align-content: revert;
align-content: revert-layer;
align-content: unset;

Values

normal

The items are packed in their default position as if no align-content value was set.

start

The items are packed flush to each other against the start edge of the alignment container in the cross axis.

center

The items are packed flush to each other in the center of the alignment container along the cross axis.

end

The items are packed flush to each other against the end edge of the alignment container in the cross axis.

flex-start

The items are packed flush to each other against the edge of the alignment container depending on the flex container's cross-start side. This only applies to flex layout items. For items that are not children of a flex container, this value is treated like start.

flex-end

The items are packed flush to each other against the edge of the alignment container depending on the flex container's cross-end side. This only applies to flex layout items. For items that are not children of a flex container, this value is treated like end.

baseline, first baseline, last baseline

Specifies participation in first- or last-baseline alignment: aligns the alignment baseline of the box's first or last baseline set with the corresponding baseline in the shared first or last baseline set of all the boxes in its baseline-sharing group.

the baseline is the line upon which most letters "sit" and below which descenders extend.

The fallback alignment for first baseline is start, the one for last baseline is end.

space-between

The items are evenly distributed within the alignment container along the cross axis. The spacing between each pair of adjacent items is the same. The first item is flush with the start edge of the alignment container in the cross axis, and the last item is flush with the end edge of the alignment container in the cross axis.

space-around

The items are evenly distributed within the alignment container along the cross axis. The spacing between each pair of adjacent items is the same. The empty space before the first and after the last item equals half of the space between each pair of adjacent items.

space-evenly

The items are evenly distributed within the alignment container along the cross axis. The spacing between each pair of adjacent items, the start edge and the first item, and the end edge and the last item, are all exactly the same.

stretch

If the combined size of the items along the cross axis is less than the size of the alignment container, any auto-sized items have their size increased equally (not proportionally), while still respecting the constraints imposed by max-height/max-width (or equivalent functionality), so that the combined size exactly fills the alignment container along the cross axis.

safe

Used alongside an alignment keyword. If the chosen keyword means that the item overflows the alignment container causing data loss, the item is instead aligned as if the alignment mode were start.

unsafe

Used alongside an alignment keyword. Regardless of the relative sizes of the item and alignment container and whether overflow which causes data loss might happen, the given alignment value is honored.

Note: The <content-distribution> values (space-between, space-around, space-evenly, and stretch) have no effect in block layout as all the content in that block is treated as a single alignment-subject

Formal definition

Initial valuenormal
Applies toBlock-containers, multi-column containers, flex containers
Inheritedno
Computed valueas specified
Animation typediscrete

Formal syntax

align-content = 
normal |
<baseline-position> |
<content-distribution> |
<overflow-position>? <content-position>

<baseline-position> =
[ first | last ]? &&
baseline

<content-distribution> =
space-between |
space-around |
space-evenly |
stretch

<overflow-position> =
unsafe |
safe

<content-position> =
center |
start |
end |
flex-start |
flex-end

Examples

Effects of different align-content values

In this example, you can switch between three different display property values, including flex, grid, and block. You can also switch between the different values for align-content.

HTML

html
<section>
  <div class="olive">Olive</div>
  <div class="coral">Coral</div>
  <div class="deepskyblue">Deep<br />sky<br />blue</div>
  <div class="orchid">Orchid</div>
  <div class="slateblue">Slateblue</div>
  <div class="maroon">Maroon</div>
</section>

CSS

css
section {
  border: solid 1.5px tomato;
  height: 300px;
  width: 300px;
  flex-wrap: wrap; /* used by flex only */
  gap: 0.2rem; /* not used by block */
}
.olive {
  background-color: olive;
}
.coral {
  background-color: coral;
}
.deepskyblue {
  background-color: deepskyblue;
}
.orchid {
  background-color: orchid;
}
.slateblue {
  background-color: slateblue;
  color: white;
}
.maroon {
  background-color: maroon;
  color: white;
}

Result

Try changing the display value and the align-content value.

In block layout, child elements are treated as a single element, meaning space-between, space-around, and space-evenly behave differently.

Specifications

Specification
CSS Box Alignment Module Level 3
# align-justify-content
CSS Flexible Box Layout Module Level 1
# align-content-property

Browser compatibility

BCD tables only load in the browser

See also