padding-top - CSS

Try it

padding-top: 1em;

padding-top: 10%;

padding-top: 20px;

padding-top: 1ch;

padding-top: 0;

<section id="default-example">
  <div class="transition-all" id="example-element">
    <div class="box">
      Far out in the uncharted backwaters of the unfashionable end of the
      western spiral arm of the Galaxy lies a small unregarded yellow sun.
    </div>
  </div>
</section>

#example-element {
  border: 10px solid #ffc129;
  overflow: hidden;
  text-align: left;
}

.box {
  border: dashed 1px;
}

An element's padding area is the space between its content and its border.

The effect of the CSS padding-top property on the element box

Note: The padding property can be used to set paddings on all four sides of an element with a single declaration.

Syntax

css

/* <length> values */
padding-top: 0.5em;
padding-top: 0;
padding-top: 2cm;

/* <percentage> value */
padding-top: 10%;

/* Global values */
padding-top: inherit;
padding-top: initial;
padding-top: revert;
padding-top: revert-layer;
padding-top: unset;

The padding-top property is specified as a single value chosen from the list below. Unlike margins, negative values are not allowed for padding.

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 inline size (width in a horizontal language, defined by writing-mode) of the containing block. Must be nonnegative.

Formal definition

Initial value	`0`
Applies to	all elements, except `table-row-group`, `table-header-group`, `table-footer-group`, `table-row`, `table-column-group` and `table-column`. It also applies to `::first-letter` and `::first-line`.
Inherited	no
Percentages	refer to the width of the containing block
Computed value	the percentage as specified or the absolute length
Animation type	a length

Formal syntax

padding-top = 
  <length-percentage [0,∞]>  

<length-percentage> = 
  <length>      |
  <percentage>

Examples

Setting top padding using pixels and percentages

css

.content {
  padding-top: 5%;
}
.side-box {
  padding-top: 10px;
}

Specifications

Specification
CSS Box Model Module Level 3 # padding-physical

Browser compatibility

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This page was last modified on ⁨Oct 30, 2025⁩ by MDN contributors.

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