ThedisplayCSS property sets whether an element is treated as ablock or inline box and the layout used for its children, such asflow layout,grid orflex.

Formally, thedisplay property sets an element's inner and outerdisplay types. The outer type sets an element's participation inflow layout; the inner type sets the layout of children. Some values ofdisplay are fully defined in their own individual specifications; for example the detail of what happens whendisplay: flex is declared is defined in the CSS Flexible Box Model specification.

Try it

display: block;

display: inline-block;

display: none;

display: flex;

display: grid;

<p>  Apply different <code>display</code> values on the dashed orange-bordered  <code>div</code>, which contains three child elements.</p><section>  <div>    Some text A.    <div>      <div>Child 1</div>      <div>Child 2</div>      <div>Child 3</div>    </div>    Some text B.  </div></section>

.example-container {  width: 100%;  height: 100%;}code {  background: #88888888;}#example-element {  border: 3px dashed orange;}.child {  display: inline-block;  padding: 0.5em 1em;  background-color: #ccccff;  border: 1px solid #ababab;  color: black;}

Syntax

/* precomposed values */display: block;display: inline;display: inline-block;display: flex;display: inline-flex;display: grid;display: inline-grid;display: flow-root;/* Box suppression */display: none;display: contents;/* multi-keyword syntax */display: block flex;display: block flow;display: block flow-root;display: block grid;display: inline flex;display: inline flow;display: inline flow-root;display: inline grid;/* other values */display: table;display: table-row; /* all table elements have an equivalent CSS display value */display: list-item;/* Global values */display: inherit;display: initial;display: revert;display: revert-layer;display: unset;

The CSSdisplay property is specified using keyword values.

Grouped values

The keyword values can be grouped into six value categories.

Outside

<display-outside>

These keywords specify the element's outer display type, which is essentially its role in flow layout:

block

The element generates a block box, generating line breaks both before and after the element when in the normal flow.

inline

The element generates one or more inline boxes that do not generate line breaks before or after themselves. In normal flow, the next element will be on the same line if there is space.

.container {  display: inline-flex;  display: inline flex;}

Inside

<display-inside>

These keywords specify the element's inner display type, which defines the type of formatting context that its contents are laid out in (assuming it is a non-replaced element). When one of these keywords is used by itself as a single value, the element's outer display type defaults toblock (with the exception ofruby, which defaults toinline).

flow

The element lays out its contents using flow layout (block-and-inline layout).

If its outer display type isinline, and it is participating in a block or inline formatting context, then it generates an inline box. Otherwise it generates a block box.

Depending on the value of other properties (such asposition,float, oroverflow) and whether it is itself participating in a block or inline formatting context, it either establishes a newblock formatting context (BFC) for its contents or integrates its contents into its parent formatting context.

flow-root

The element generates a block box that establishes a newblock formatting context, defining where the formatting root lies.

table

These elements behave like HTML<table> elements. It defines a block-level box.

flex

The element behaves like a block-level element and lays out its content according to theflexbox model.

grid

The element behaves like a block-level element and lays out its content according to thegrid model.

ruby

The element behaves like an inline-level element and lays out its content according to the ruby formatting model. It behaves like the corresponding HTML<ruby> elements.

List Item

<display-listitem>

The element generates a block box for the content and a separate list-item inline box.

A single value oflist-item will cause the element to behave like a list item.This can be used together withlist-style-type andlist-style-position.

list-item can also be combined with any<display-outside> keyword and theflow orflow-root<display-inside> keyword.

Internal

<display-internal>

Some layout models such astable andruby have a complex internal structure, with several different roles that their children and descendants can fill.This section defines those "internal" display values, which only have meaning within that particular layout mode.

table-row-group

These elements behave like<tbody> HTML elements.

table-header-group

These elements behave like<thead> HTML elements.

table-footer-group

These elements behave like<tfoot> HTML elements.

table-row

These elements behave like<tr> HTML elements.

table-cell

These elements behave like<td> HTML elements.

table-column-group

These elements behave like<colgroup> HTML elements.

table-column

These elements behave like<col> HTML elements.

table-caption

These elements behave like<caption> HTML elements.

ruby-base

These elements behave like<rb> HTML elements.

ruby-text

These elements behave like<rt> HTML elements.

ruby-base-container

These elements are generated as anonymous boxes.

ruby-text-container

These elements behave like<rtc> HTML elements.

Box

<display-box>

These values define whether an element generates display boxes at all.

contents

These elements don't produce a specific box by themselves. They are replaced by their pseudo-box and their child boxes. Please note that the CSS Display Level 3 spec defines how thecontents value should affect "unusual elements" — elements that aren't rendered purely by CSS box concepts such as replaced elements. SeeAppendix B: Effects of display: contents on Unusual Elements for more details.

none

Turns off the display of an element so that it has no effect on layout (the document is rendered as though the element did not exist). All descendant elements also have their display turned off.To have an element take up the space that it would normally take, but without actually rendering anything, use thevisibility property instead.

Precomposed

<display-legacy>

CSS 2 used a single-keyword, precomposed syntax for thedisplay property, requiring separate keywords for block-level and inline-level variants of the same layout mode.

inline-block

The element generates a block box that will be flowed with surrounding content as if it were a single inline box (behaving much like a replaced element would).

It is equivalent toinline flow-root.

inline-table

Theinline-table value does not have a direct mapping in HTML. It behaves like an HTML<table> element, but as an inline box, rather than a block-level box. Inside the table box is a block-level context.

It is equivalent toinline table.

inline-flex

The element behaves like an inline-level element and lays out its content according to the flexbox model.

It is equivalent toinline flex.

inline-grid

The element behaves like an inline-level element and lays out its content according to the grid model.

It is equivalent toinline grid.

Which syntax should you use?

TheCSS display module describes a multi-keyword syntax for values you can use with thedisplay property to explicitly defineouter andinner display.The single keyword values (precomposed<display-legacy> values) are supported for backward-compatibility.

For example, using two values you can specify an inline flex container as follows:

.container {  display: inline flex;}

This can also be specified using the legacy single value:

.container {  display: inline-flex;}

For more information on these changes, see theUsing the multi-keyword syntax with CSS display guide.

Description

The individual pages for the different types of value thatdisplay can have set on it feature multiple examples of those values in action — see theSyntax section. In addition, see the following material, which covers the various values of display in depth.

Multi-keyword values

• Using the multi-keyword syntax with CSS display

CSS Flow Layout (display: block, display: inline)

• Block and inline layout in normal flow
• Flow layout and overflow
• Flow layout and writing modes
• Introduction to formatting contexts
• In flow and out of flow

display: flex

• Basic concepts of flexbox
• Aligning items in a flex container
• Controlling ratios of flex items along the main axis
• Mastering wrapping of flex items
• Ordering flex items
• Relationship of flexbox to other layout methods
• Typical use cases of flexbox

display: grid

• Basic concepts of grid layout
• Relationship to other layout methods
• Line-based placement
• Grid template areas
• Layout using named grid lines
• Auto-placement in grid layout
• Aligning items in CSS grid layout
• Grids, logical values and writing modes
• CSS grid layout and accessibility
• Realizing common layouts using grids

Animating display

Supporting browsers animatedisplay with adiscrete animation type. This generally means that the property will flip between two values 50% through animating between the two.

There is one exception, which is when animating to or fromdisplay: none. In this case, the browser will flip between the two values so that the animated content is shown for the entire animation duration. So for example:

• When animatingdisplay fromnone toblock (or another visibledisplay value), the value will flip toblock at0% of the animation duration so it is visible throughout.
• When animatingdisplay fromblock (or another visibledisplay value) tonone, the value will flip tonone at100% of the animation duration so it is visible throughout.

This behavior is useful for creating entry/exit animations where you want to for example remove a container from the DOM withdisplay: none, but have it fade out withopacity rather than disappearing immediately.

When animatingdisplay withCSS animations, you need to provide the startingdisplay value in an explicit keyframe (for example using0% orfrom). SeeUsing CSS animations for an example.

When animatingdisplay withCSS transitions, two additional features are needed:

• @starting-style provides starting values for properties you want to transition from when the animated element is first shown. This is needed to avoid unexpected behavior. By default, CSS transitions are not triggered on an element's first style update or when thedisplay type changes fromnone to another type.
• transition-behavior: allow-discrete needs to be set on thetransition-property declaration (or thetransition shorthand) to enabledisplay transitions.

For examples of transitioning thedisplay property, see the@starting-style andtransition-behavior pages.

Accessibility

display: none

Using adisplay value ofnone on an element will remove it from theaccessibility tree. This will cause the element and all its descendant elements to no longer be announced by screen reading technology.

If you want to visually hide the element, a more accessible alternative is to usea combination of properties to remove it visually from the screen but still make it available to assistive technology such as screen readers.

Whiledisplay: none hides content from the accessibility tree, elements that are hidden but are referenced from visible elements'aria-describedby oraria-labelledby attributes are exposed to assistive technologies.

display: contents

Current implementations in some browsers will remove from theaccessibility tree any element with adisplay value ofcontents (but descendants will remain). This will cause the element itself to no longer be announced by screen reading technology. This is incorrect behavior according to theCSS specification.

• More accessible markup with display: contents | Hidde de Vries
• Display: Contents Is Not a CSS Reset | Adrian Roselli

Tables

In some browsers, changing thedisplay value of a<table> element toblock,grid, orflex will alter its representation in theaccessibility tree. This will cause the table to no longer be announced properly by screen reading technology.

• Short note on what CSS display properties do to table semantics — The Paciello Group
• Hidden content for better a11y | Go Make Things
• MDN Understanding WCAG, Guideline 1.3 explanations
• Understanding Success Criterion 1.3.1 | W3C Understanding WCAG 2.0

Formal definition

Formal syntax

display =
[<display-outside>||<display-inside>]|
<display-listitem>|
<display-internal>|
<display-box>|
<display-legacy>|
<display-outside>||[<display-inside>|math]

<display-outside> =
block|
inline|
run-in

<display-inside> =
flow|
flow-root|
table|
flex|
grid|
ruby

<display-listitem> =
<display-outside>?&&
[flow|flow-root]?&&
list-item

<display-internal> =
table-row-group|
table-header-group|
table-footer-group|
table-row|
table-cell|
table-column-group|
table-column|
table-caption|
ruby-base|
ruby-text|
ruby-base-container|
ruby-text-container

<display-box> =
contents|
none

<display-legacy> =
inline-block|
inline-table|
inline-flex|
inline-grid

Examples

display value comparison

In this example we have two block-level container elements, each one with three inline children. Below that, we have a select menu that allows you to apply differentdisplay values to the containers, allowing you to compare and contrast how the different values affect the element's layout, and that of their children.

We have includedpadding andbackground-color on the containers and their children, so that it is easier to see the effect the display values are having.

HTML

<article>  <span>First</span>  <span>Second</span>  <span>Third</span></article><article>  <span>First</span>  <span>Second</span>  <span>Third</span></article><div>  <label for="display">Choose a display value:</label>  <select>    <option selected>block</option>    <option>block flow</option>    <option>inline</option>    <option>inline flow</option>    <option>flow</option>    <option>flow-root</option>    <option>block flow-root</option>    <option>table</option>    <option>block table</option>    <option>flex</option>    <option>block flex</option>    <option>grid</option>    <option>block grid</option>    <option>list-item</option>    <option>block flow list-item</option>    <option>inline flow list-item</option>    <option>block flow-root list-item</option>    <option>inline flow-root list-item</option>    <option>contents</option>    <option>none</option>    <option>inline-block</option>    <option>inline flow-root</option>    <option>inline-table</option>    <option>inline table</option>    <option>inline-flex</option>    <option>inline flex</option>    <option>inline-grid</option>    <option>inline grid</option>  </select></div>

CSS

html {  font-family: "Helvetica", "Arial", sans-serif;  letter-spacing: 1px;  padding-top: 10px;}article {  background-color: red;}article span {  background-color: black;  color: white;  margin: 1px;}article,span {  padding: 10px;  border-radius: 7px;}article,div {  margin: 20px;}

JavaScript

const articles = document.querySelectorAll(".container");const select = document.querySelector("select");function updateDisplay() {  articles.forEach((article) => {    article.style.display = select.value;  });}select.addEventListener("change", updateDisplay);updateDisplay();

Result

Note that some multi-keyword values are added for illustration which have the following equivalents:

• block =block flow
• inline =inline flow
• flow =block flow
• flow-root =block flow-root
• table =block table
• flex =block flex
• grid =block grid
• list-item =block flow list-item
• inline-block =inline flow-root
• inline-table =inline table
• inline-flex =inline flex
• inline-grid =inline grid

You can find more examples in the pages for each separate display type underGrouped values.

Specifications

Browser compatibility

See also

• visibility,float,position
• grid,flex
• SVGdisplay attribute
• Block and inline layout in normal flow
• Introduction to formatting contexts