z-index

Baseline Widely available

This feature is well established and works across many devices and browser versions. It’s been available across browsers since July 2015.

The z-index CSS property sets the z-order of a positioned element and its descendants or flex and grid items. Overlapping elements with a larger z-index cover those with a smaller one.

Try it

z-index: auto;

z-index: 1;

z-index: 3;

z-index: 5;

z-index: 7;

<section class="default-example container" id="default-example">
  <div id="example-element">Change my z-index</div>
  <div class="block blue position1">z-index: 6</div>
  <div class="block blue position2">z-index: 4</div>
  <div class="block blue position3">z-index: 2</div>
  <div class="block red position4">z-index: auto</div>
  <div class="block red position5">z-index: auto</div>
  <div class="block red position6">z-index: auto</div>
</section>

#example-element {
  top: 15px;
  left: 15px;
  width: 180px;
  height: 230px;
  position: absolute;
  /* center the text so it is visible even when z-index is set to auto */
  line-height: 215px;
  font-family: monospace;
  background-color: #fcfbe5;
  border: solid 5px #e3e0a1;
  z-index: auto;
  color: black;
}

.container {
  display: inline-block;
  width: 250px;
  position: relative;
}

.block {
  width: 150px;
  height: 50px;
  position: absolute;
  font-family: monospace;
  color: black;
}

.blue {
  background-color: #e5e8fc;
  border: solid 5px #112382;
  /* move text to the bottom of the box */
  line-height: 55px;
}

.red {
  background-color: #fce5e7;
  border: solid 5px #e3a1a7;
}

.position1 {
  top: 0;
  left: 0;
  z-index: 6;
}

.position2 {
  top: 30px;
  left: 30px;
  z-index: 4;
}

.position3 {
  top: 60px;
  left: 60px;
  z-index: 2;
}

.position4 {
  top: 150px;
  left: 0;
  z-index: auto;
}

.position5 {
  top: 180px;
  left: 30px;
  z-index: auto;
}

.position6 {
  top: 210px;
  left: 60px;
  z-index: auto;
}

For a positioned box (that is, one with any position other than static), the z-index property specifies:

  1. The stack level of the box in the current stacking context.
  2. Whether the box establishes a local stacking context.

Syntax

css
/* Keyword value */
z-index: auto;

/* <integer> values */
z-index: 0;
z-index: 3;
z-index: 289;
z-index: -1; /* Negative values to lower the priority */

/* Global values */
z-index: inherit;
z-index: initial;
z-index: revert;
z-index: revert-layer;
z-index: unset;

The z-index property is specified as either the keyword auto or an <integer>.

Values

auto

The box does not establish a new local stacking context. The stack level of the generated box in the current stacking context is 0.

<integer>

This <integer> is the stack level of the generated box in the current stacking context. The box also establishes a local stacking context. This means that the z-indexes of descendants are not compared to the z-indexes of elements outside this element.

Formal definition

Initial valueauto
Applies topositioned elements
Inheritedno
Computed valueas specified
Animation typean integer
Creates stacking contextyes

Formal syntax

z-index = 
  auto       |
  <integer>  |
  inherit

Examples

Visually layering elements

HTML

html
<div class="wrapper">
  <div class="dashed-box">Dashed box</div>
  <div class="gold-box">Gold box</div>
  <div class="green-box">Green box</div>
</div>

CSS

css
.wrapper {
  position: relative;
}

.dashed-box {
  position: relative;
  z-index: 1;
  border: dashed;
  height: 8em;
  margin-bottom: 1em;
  margin-top: 2em;
}
.gold-box {
  position: absolute;
  z-index: 3; /* put .gold-box above .green-box and .dashed-box */
  background: gold;
  width: 80%;
  left: 60px;
  top: 3em;
}
.green-box {
  position: absolute;
  z-index: 2; /* put .green-box above .dashed-box */
  background: lightgreen;
  width: 20%;
  left: 65%;
  top: -25px;
  height: 7em;
  opacity: 0.9;
}

Result

Specifications

Specification
Cascading Style Sheets Level 2
# z-index

Browser compatibility

Report problems with this compatibility data on GitHub
Chrome
Edge
Firefox
Opera
Safari
Chrome Android
Firefox for Android
Opera Android
Safari on iOS
Samsung Internet
WebView Android
WebView on iOS
z-index
auto
Negative values

Tip: you can click/tap on a cell for more information.

Full support

See also