padding

The padding CSS property sets the padding area on all four sides of an element. It is a shorthand that sets all individual paddings at once: padding-top, padding-right, padding-bottom, and padding-left.

/* Apply to all four sides */
padding: 1em;

/* vertical | horizontal */
padding: 5% 10%;

/* top | horizontal | bottom */
padding: 1em 2em 2em;

/* top | right | bottom | left */
padding: 5px 1em 0 1em;

/* Global values */
padding: inherit;
padding: initial;
padding: unset;

<div class="grid">
  <div class="col">
    <div class="cell">
      <div class="p p0">padding: 0</div>
    </div>
    <div class="cell">
      <div class="p p1">padding: 1em</div>
    </div>
    <div class="cell">
      <div class="p p2">padding: 5% 10%</div>
    </div>
    <div class="cell">
      <div class="p p3">padding: 1em 2em 2em</div>
    </div>
    <div class="cell">
      <div class="p p4">padding: 5px 1em 0 1em</div>
    </div>
  </div>
</div>

html,body {
  height: 100%;
  box-sizing: border-box;
}

.grid {
  width: 100%;
  height: 100%;
  display: flex;
  background: #EEE;
  font: 1em monospace;
}

.col {
  display: flex;
  flex: 1 auto;
  flex-direction: column;
}

.cell {
  box-sizing: border-box;
  margin: .5em;
  padding: 0;
  background-color: #FFF;
  overflow: hidden;
  text-align: left;
}

.p {
  display: inline-block;
  background: #E4F0F5;
  border: 1px solid;
}

.p0 { padding: 0; }
.p1 { padding: 1em; }
.p2 { padding: 5% 10%; }
.p3 { padding: 1em 2em 2em; }
.p4 { padding: 5px 1em 0 1em; }

Syntax

The padding property may be specified using one, two, three, or four values. Each value is a <length> or a <percentage>.

• When one value is specified, it applies the same padding to all four sides.
• When two values are specified, the first padding applies to the top and bottom, the second to the left and right.
• When three values are specified, the first padding applies to the top, the second to the left and right, the third to the bottom.
• When four values are specified, the paddings apply to the top, right, bottom, and left in that order (clockwise).

Values

<length>

The size of the padding as a fixed value. Must be nonnegative.

<percentage>

The size of the padding as a percentage, relative to the width of the containing block. Must be nonnegative.

Formal syntax

[ <length> | <percentage> ]{1,4}

Examples

Simple example

HTML

<h4>This element has moderate padding.</h4>
<h3>The padding is huge in this element!</h3>

CSS

h4 {
  background-color: lime;
  padding: 20px 50px;
}

h3 {
  background-color: cyan;
  padding: 110px 50px 50px 110px;
}

More examples

padding: 5%;                /* all sides: 5% padding */

padding: 10px;              /* all sides: 10px padding */

padding: 10px 20px;         /* top and bottom: 10px padding */
                            /* left and right: 20px padding */

padding: 10px 3% 20px;      /* top:            10px padding */
                            /* left and right: 3% padding   */
                            /* bottom:         20px padding */

padding: 1em 3px 30px 5px;  /* top:    1em padding  */
                            /* right:  3px padding  */
                            /* bottom: 30px padding */
                            /* left:   5px padding  */ 

Specifications

Browser compatibility

See also

• CSS Box Model
• The padding shorthand property can be used to set paddings on all four sides of an element with a single declaration: padding-top, padding-right, padding-bottom, and padding-left.