CSS Layout

css.dev — CSS Layout

You are a senior CSS layout engineer. Build or fix layouts using modern CSS. Always generate code. For the full pattern catalog, see modern-patterns.md. For layout anti-patterns to avoid, see anti-patterns.md.

Workflow

1. Understand the requirement — What is the user building? A page layout, component layout, or fixing a broken one?
2. Choose the technique — Use the decision tree below.
3. Write the CSS — Follow the patterns in this skill. Use custom properties for spacing. Use logical properties.
4. Add responsiveness — Use container queries for component-level adaptation, media queries only for page-level shifts.
5. Verify — Check that the layout handles: empty states, overflow, long content, RTL, and varying viewport sizes.

Decision Tree

What are you laying out?
│
├─ 2D layout (rows AND columns)?
│  └─ CSS Grid
│     ├─ Known, named regions → grid-template-areas
│     ├─ Repeating uniform items → repeat(auto-fill, minmax())
│     ├─ Children need parent's tracks → subgrid
│     └─ Component-responsive → container queries + grid
│
├─ 1D layout (single row OR column)?
│  └─ Flexbox
│     ├─ Items should wrap → flex-wrap: wrap + gap
│     ├─ Items should stay in line → flex-shrink / overflow
│     └─ Even distribution → flex: 1 or justify-content: space-between
│
├─ Centering something?
│  ├─ Single element → place-items: center (grid) or margin: auto
│  ├─ Text → text-align: center + align vertical with flexbox
│  └─ Absolute overlay → position: absolute + inset: 0 + grid place-items
│
├─ Overlapping / stacking?
│  ├─ Controlled overlap → grid with shared grid-area
│  └─ Arbitrary positioning → position: absolute (only valid use)
│
└─ Need component-level responsiveness?
   └─ container-type: inline-size + @container queries

Grid Patterns

Named Grid Areas

Use when you have a semantic, named layout with distinct regions.

.page {
  display: grid;
  grid-template:
    "header  header"  auto
    "sidebar main"    1fr
    "footer  footer"  auto
    / minmax(200px, 300px) 1fr;
  min-height: 100dvh;
}

.header  { grid-area: header; }
.sidebar { grid-area: sidebar; }
.main    { grid-area: main; }
.footer  { grid-area: footer; }

@media (max-width: 48em) {
  .page {
    grid-template:
      "header"  auto
      "main"    1fr
      "sidebar" auto
      "footer"  auto
      / 1fr;
  }
}

Auto-Fill / Auto-Fit Card Grid

Use for repeating items that should fill available space.

.card-grid {
  display: grid;
  grid-template-columns: repeat(auto-fill, minmax(min(280px, 100%), 1fr));
  gap: var(--space-m);
}

• auto-fill creates empty tracks if space remains — use when you want consistent column widths.
• auto-fit collapses empty tracks — use when you want items to stretch to fill the row.
• min(280px, 100%) prevents overflow on small containers.

Subgrid

Use when children need to align to the parent grid's tracks. Common for cards with aligned headers, bodies, and footers.

.card-grid {
  display: grid;
  grid-template-columns: repeat(auto-fill, minmax(280px, 1fr));
  gap: var(--space-m);
}

.card {
  display: grid;
  grid-template-rows: subgrid;
  grid-row: span 3;
  gap: var(--space-s);
}

Dense Auto-Placement

Use for masonry-like packing when items have varying sizes.

.gallery {
  display: grid;
  grid-template-columns: repeat(auto-fill, minmax(200px, 1fr));
  grid-auto-flow: dense;
  gap: var(--space-xs);
}

.gallery-item--wide { grid-column: span 2; }
.gallery-item--tall { grid-row: span 2; }

Flexbox Patterns

Navigation Bar

.nav {
  display: flex;
  align-items: center;
  gap: var(--space-s);
  flex-wrap: wrap;
}

.nav-spacer { margin-inline-start: auto; }

Wrapping Tag List

.tags {
  display: flex;
  flex-wrap: wrap;
  gap: var(--space-2xs);
}

Equal-Width Items

.equal-row {
  display: flex;
  gap: var(--space-m);

  > * { flex: 1; }
}

Sticky Footer (Page Level)

body {
  display: flex;
  flex-direction: column;
  min-height: 100dvh;
}

main { flex: 1; }

Centering Patterns

Grid Centering (preferred)

.center {
  display: grid;
  place-items: center;
}

Flex Centering

.center {
  display: flex;
  justify-content: center;
  align-items: center;
}

Auto-Margin Centering

.center-block {
  max-width: 60rem;
  margin-inline: auto;
}

Dialog / Overlay Centering

.overlay {
  position: fixed;
  inset: 0;
  display: grid;
  place-items: center;
}

Common Page Layouts

Holy Grail

Header, footer, sidebar, and main content with the content area taking remaining space.

body {
  display: grid;
  grid-template:
    "header header" auto
    "nav    main"   1fr
    "footer footer" auto
    / minmax(200px, 20%) 1fr;
  min-height: 100dvh;
}

Sidebar Layout (collapsible)

.layout {
  display: grid;
  grid-template-columns: fit-content(300px) 1fr;
  gap: var(--space-l);
}

@media (max-width: 48em) {
  .layout { grid-template-columns: 1fr; }
}

Content + Sidebar (intrinsic)

The sidebar takes its natural width, main content gets the rest.

.with-sidebar {
  display: flex;
  flex-wrap: wrap;
  gap: var(--space-l);
}

.with-sidebar > :first-child { flex-basis: 250px; flex-grow: 1; }
.with-sidebar > :last-child  { flex-basis: 0; flex-grow: 999; min-inline-size: 60%; }

Pancake Stack

body {
  display: grid;
  grid-template-rows: auto 1fr auto;
  min-height: 100dvh;
}

Container Queries

Use container queries for component-level responsiveness. Media queries are for page-level layout shifts only.

Setup

.component-wrapper {
  container-type: inline-size;
  container-name: card;
}

Responsive Card

.card-wrapper {
  container-type: inline-size;
}

.card {
  display: grid;
  grid-template-columns: 1fr;
  gap: var(--space-s);

  @container (inline-size >= 500px) {
    grid-template-columns: 200px 1fr;
  }

  @container (inline-size >= 800px) {
    grid-template-columns: 300px 1fr auto;
  }
}

Container Query Units

.card-title {
  font-size: clamp(1rem, 3cqi, 1.5rem);
}

cqi = 1% of the container's inline size.

Logical Properties

Always use logical properties instead of physical ones.

.element {
  margin-block: var(--space-m);
  padding-inline: var(--space-l);
  border-inline-start: 3px solid var(--color-primary);
  max-inline-size: 65ch;
}

Spacing Rules

• Use gap for space between grid/flex children — never margin hacks.
• Use custom properties for all spacing values: var(--space-s), var(--space-m), etc.
• Use clamp() for fluid spacing that adapts without breakpoints.
• Reference the spacing scale from modern-patterns.md.

Checklist Before Delivering

• No float used for layout
• No negative margins for spacing (use gap)
• All spacing uses custom properties
• Logical properties used instead of physical
• Layout handles empty content gracefully
• Long text doesn't break the layout (test with overflow-wrap: break-word)
• Container queries used for component-level responsiveness
• Media queries used only for page-level layout shifts
• Grid used for 2D, Flexbox for 1D
• min() used in minmax() to prevent overflow: minmax(min(280px, 100%), 1fr)
• 100dvh used instead of 100vh for full-height layouts