padding property - CSS Reference

Definition and Usage

The padding CSS property sets the required padding space on all sides of an element. The padding area is the space between the content of the element and its border. Negative values are not allowed.

The padding property is a shorthand to avoid setting each side separately (padding-top, padding-right, padding-bottom, padding-left).

Initial the concatenation of the initial values of its longhand properties:
- padding-bottom: is itself a shorthand, its initial value is the concatenation of its own longhand properties
- padding-left: is itself a shorthand, its initial value is the concatenation of its own longhand properties
- padding-right: is itself a shorthand, its initial value is the concatenation of its own longhand properties
- padding-top: is itself a shorthand, its initial value is the concatenation of its own longhand properties
Applies to all elements except table-row-group, table-header-group, table-footer-group, table-row, table-column-group and table-column
Inherited no
Percentages refer to the width of the containing block
Media visual
Computed Value as each of the properties of the shorthand:
- padding-bottom: the percentage as specified or the absolute length
- padding-left: the percentage as specified or the absolute length
- padding-right: the percentage as specified or the absolute length
- padding-top: the percentage as specified or the absolute length
Animatable yes, as a length
Canonical order the unique non-ambiguous order defined by the formal grammar

Syntax

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

Values

Specifies one, two, three or four of the following values:

<length>: Specifies a non-negative fixed width. See <length> for details.
<percentage>: With respect to the width of the containing block.

Examples

One single value applies to all 4 sides
Two values apply to 1. top and bottom and 2. to the left and right side
Three values apply to 1. top, 2. right and left and 3. to the bottom side
Four values apply to 1. top, 2. right, 3. bottom and 4. to the left side

 padding: 5%;               /* on all sides 5% padding */
 padding: 10px;              /* on 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  */