The min-width CSS property sets the minimum width of an element. It prevents the used value of the width property from becoming smaller than the value specified for min-width.
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The element's width is set to the value of min-width whenever min-width is larger than max-width or width.
Syntax
/* <length> value */ min-width: 3.5em; /* <percentage> value */ min-width: 10%; /* Keyword values */ min-width: max-content; min-width: min-content; min-width: fit-content; min-width: fill-available; /* Global values */ min-width: inherit; min-width: initial; min-width: unset;
Values
<length>- The minimum width, expressed as a
<length>. Negative values make the declaration invalid. <percentage>- The minimum width, expressed as a
<percentage>of the containing block's width. Negative values make the declaration invalid.
Keyword values
auto- The default minimum width for flex items, providing a more reasonable default than 0 for other layouts.
max-content- The intrinsic preferred width.
min-content- The intrinsic minimum width.
fill-available- The containing block's width minus the horizontal margin, border, and padding. (Note that some browsers implement an ancient name for this keyword,
available.) fit-content- Defined as
min(max-content, max(min-content, fill-available)).
Formal syntax
<length> | <percentage> | auto | max-content | min-content | fit-content | fill-available
Examples
table { min-width: 75%; }
form { min-width: 0; }
Specifications
| Specification | Status | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| CSS Intrinsic & Extrinsic Sizing Module Level 3 The definition of 'min-width' in that specification. |
Working Draft | Adds the max-content, min-content, fit-content, and fill-available keywords. (Both CSS3 Box and CSS3 Writing Modes drafts used to define these keywords, but are superseded by this spec.) |
| CSS Flexible Box Layout Module The definition of 'min-width' in that specification. |
Candidate Recommendation | Adds the auto keyword and uses it as the initial value. |
| CSS Transitions The definition of 'min-width' in that specification. |
Working Draft | Defines min-width as animatable. |
| CSS Level 2 (Revision 1) The definition of 'min-width' in that specification. |
Recommendation | Initial definition. |
| Initial value | auto |
|---|---|
| Applies to | all elements but non-replaced inline elements, table rows, and row groups |
| Inherited | no |
| Percentages | refer to the width of the containing block |
| Media | visual |
| Computed value | the percentage as specified or the absolute length |
| Animation type | a length, percentage or calc(); |
| Canonical order | the unique non-ambiguous order defined by the formal grammar |
Browser compatibility
| Feature | Chrome | Edge | Firefox | Internet Explorer | Opera | Safari |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basic support | 1 | 12 | 11 | 7 | 42 | 2 |
fit-content, max-content, and min-content | 24 -webkit- | No | 3 -moz- 3 | No | No | No |
fill-available | 24 -webkit- | No | No | No | No | No |
auto | 214 | 125 | 34 16 — 226 | No | 12.17 | No |
| Feature | Android webview | Chrome for Android | Edge mobile | Firefox for Android | Opera Android | iOS Safari | Samsung Internet |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basic support | ? | ? | Yes | ? | ? | ? | ? |
fit-content, max-content, and min-content | ? | ? | No | ? | ? | ? | ? |
fill-available | ? | ? | No | ? | ? | ? | ? |
auto | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? |
1. CSS 2.1 leaves the behavior of min-width with table undefined. Firefox supports applying min-width to table elements.
2. CSS 2.1 leaves the behavior of min-width with table undefined. Opera supports applying min-width to table elements.
3. Firefox implements the definitions given in CSS3 Basic Box. This defines available and not fit-available. Also, the definition of fit-content is simpler than in CSS3 Sizing.
4. Chrome uses auto as the initial value for min-width.
5. Edge uses auto as the initial value for min-width.
6. Firefox 18 and later (until the value was removed), used auto as the initial value for min-width.
7. Opera uses auto as the initial value for min-width.
See also
width,max-width- The box model,
box-sizing