Using Container Queries

Using Container Queries

Purpose

Container queries enable components to respond to their parent container's size instead of the viewport. This creates truly portable, reusable components that work anywhere.

Basic Container Queries

Step 1: Mark the container

<div class="@container">
  <div class="grid grid-cols-1 @sm:grid-cols-2 @lg:grid-cols-4 gap-4">
    <div>Card 1</div>
    <div>Card 2</div>
    <div>Card 3</div>
    <div>Card 4</div>
  </div>
</div>

The @container class makes an element a container query context.

Step 2: Use container breakpoints

Container breakpoint utilities use @ prefix:

• @sm: - Container width ≥ 640px
• @md: - Container width ≥ 768px
• @lg: - Container width ≥ 1024px
• @xl: - Container width ≥ 1280px
• @2xl: - Container width ≥ 1536px

Container vs Viewport Queries

Viewport queries (viewport width):

<div class="grid-cols-1 md:grid-cols-2 lg:grid-cols-3"></div>

Responds to browser window width.

Container queries (parent width):

<div class="@container">
  <div class="grid-cols-1 @md:grid-cols-2 @lg:grid-cols-3"></div>
</div>

Responds to parent container width.

Named Containers

Use named containers for nested container queries:

<div class="@container/main">
  <div class="@container/sidebar">
    <div class="flex flex-col @sm/main:flex-row">
      Main container responsive
    </div>

    <div class="text-sm @md/sidebar:text-base">
      Sidebar container responsive
    </div>
  </div>
</div>

Syntax: @container/{name} for the container, @{breakpoint}/{name}: for utilities.

Portability Patterns

Reusable Card Component

<div class="@container">
  <article class="bg-white rounded-lg shadow-md p-4 @md:p-6">
    <div class="flex flex-col @md:flex-row @md:gap-6">
      <img class="w-full @md:w-48 rounded-lg" src="/image.jpg" />

      <div class="flex-1 mt-4 @md:mt-0">
        <h2 class="text-lg @md:text-xl @lg:text-2xl font-bold">Card Title</h2>

        <p class="mt-2 text-sm @md:text-base text-gray-600">
          Card description that adapts to container size.
        </p>

        <button class="mt-4 px-3 py-1.5 @md:px-4 @md:py-2 bg-blue-600 text-white rounded-md">
          Read More
        </button>
      </div>
    </div>
  </article>
</div>

This card works in:

• Full-width layouts
• Sidebar layouts
• Grid layouts
• Any container size

Dashboard Widget

<div class="@container">
  <div class="bg-white rounded-lg p-4">
    <div class="flex items-center justify-between">
      <h3 class="text-base @md:text-lg font-semibold">Widget Title</h3>
      <button class="text-xs @md:text-sm text-blue-600">View All</button>
    </div>

    <div class="mt-4 grid grid-cols-1 @sm:grid-cols-2 @lg:grid-cols-3 gap-3 @md:gap-4">
      <div class="p-3 bg-gray-50 rounded">Stat 1</div>
      <div class="p-3 bg-gray-50 rounded">Stat 2</div>
      <div class="p-3 bg-gray-50 rounded">Stat 3</div>
    </div>
  </div>
</div>

Responsive Navigation

<div class="@container/nav">
  <nav class="flex flex-col @md/nav:flex-row @md/nav:items-center gap-2 @md/nav:gap-6">
    <a href="#" class="text-sm @md/nav:text-base">Home</a>
    <a href="#" class="text-sm @md/nav:text-base">About</a>
    <a href="#" class="text-sm @md/nav:text-base">Services</a>
    <a href="#" class="text-sm @md/nav:text-base">Contact</a>
  </nav>
</div>

Complex Layout Example

<div class="@container">
  <div class="grid grid-cols-1 @sm:grid-cols-2 @lg:grid-cols-3 @xl:grid-cols-4 gap-4 @md:gap-6 @lg:gap-8">
    <div class="@container/card">
      <article class="bg-white rounded-lg shadow-md overflow-hidden">
        <div class="relative h-32 @md/card:h-48 bg-gradient-to-br from-blue-500 to-purple-600">
          <img class="w-full h-full object-cover" src="/image.jpg" />
        </div>

        <div class="p-3 @md/card:p-4 @lg/card:p-6">
          <h3 class="text-base @md/card:text-lg @lg/card:text-xl font-bold">
            Card Title
          </h3>

          <p class="mt-2 text-xs @md/card:text-sm @lg/card:text-base text-gray-600 line-clamp-2 @lg/card:line-clamp-3">
            Description that adapts based on available space in the card container.
          </p>

          <div class="mt-3 @md/card:mt-4 flex items-center justify-between">
            <span class="text-xs @md/card:text-sm text-gray-500">2 days ago</span>

            <button class="px-2 py-1 @md/card:px-3 @md/card:py-1.5 text-xs @md/card:text-sm bg-blue-600 text-white rounded">
              Read
            </button>
          </div>
        </div>
      </article>
    </div>
  </div>
</div>

Mixing Container and Viewport Queries

You can combine both for maximum control:

<div class="@container">
  <div class="
    grid
    grid-cols-1
    md:grid-cols-2
    lg:grid-cols-3
    @lg:grid-cols-2
    @xl:grid-cols-3
  ">
    Components adapt to both viewport and container
  </div>
</div>

Order matters: Viewport queries first, then container queries to override.

Container Query Breakpoints

Default container breakpoints:

Custom Container Breakpoints

Define custom container breakpoints in theme:

@theme {
  --container-xs: 20rem;
  --container-sm: 40rem;
  --container-md: 48rem;
  --container-lg: 64rem;
  --container-xl: 80rem;
}

Performance Considerations

Container queries are highly performant in modern browsers. They:

• Use native browser APIs
• Don't require JavaScript
• Trigger efficient reflows
• Work with CSS cascade layers

Browser Support

Container queries require:

• Safari 16.4+
• Chrome 111+
• Firefox 128+

Same as Tailwind v4's minimum browser requirements.

Best Practices

1. Use for component portability - Container queries excel at making components work anywhere
2. Name containers when nested - Use /name syntax for clarity
3. Prefer container queries for components - Use viewport queries for page-level layouts
4. Combine with viewport queries - Use both for maximum flexibility
5. Test at various sizes - Verify components work in narrow and wide containers

Common Patterns

Sidebar Layout

<div class="flex gap-6">
  <aside class="w-64 @container/sidebar">
    <nav class="space-y-2">
      <a class="block p-2 text-sm @md/sidebar:text-base">Link 1</a>
      <a class="block p-2 text-sm @md/sidebar:text-base">Link 2</a>
    </nav>
  </aside>

  <main class="flex-1 @container/main">
    <div class="grid grid-cols-1 @lg/main:grid-cols-2 gap-4">
      <div>Content 1</div>
      <div>Content 2</div>
    </div>
  </main>
</div>

Product Grid

<div class="@container">
  <div class="grid grid-cols-2 @md:grid-cols-3 @lg:grid-cols-4 @xl:grid-cols-5 gap-4">
    <div class="@container/product">
      <div class="bg-white rounded-lg p-3 @md/product:p-4">
        <img class="w-full aspect-square rounded" src="/product.jpg" />
        <h3 class="mt-2 text-sm @md/product:text-base font-medium">Product</h3>
        <p class="mt-1 text-xs @md/product:text-sm text-gray-600">$99</p>
      </div>
    </div>
  </div>
</div>

Form Layout

<div class="@container">
  <form class="space-y-4 @md:space-y-6">
    <div class="grid grid-cols-1 @md:grid-cols-2 gap-4 @md:gap-6">
      <input class="px-3 py-2 @md:px-4 @md:py-3 border rounded" placeholder="First Name" />
      <input class="px-3 py-2 @md:px-4 @md:py-3 border rounded" placeholder="Last Name" />
    </div>

    <button class="w-full px-4 py-2 @md:px-6 @md:py-3 bg-blue-600 text-white rounded">
      Submit
    </button>
  </form>
</div>

See Also

• RESEARCH.md sections: "Container Queries" and "Usage Patterns"

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