The min-height
CSS property is used to set the minimum height of an element. It prevents the used value of the height
property from becoming smaller than the value specified for min-height
.
/* <length> value */ min-height: 3.5em; /* <percentage> value */ min-height: 10%; /* Keyword values */ min-height: max-content; min-height: min-content; min-height: fit-content; min-height: fill-available; /* Global values */ min-height: inherit; min-height: initial; min-height: unset;
The value of min-height
overrides both max-height
and height
.
Initial value | 0 |
---|---|
Applies to | all elements but non-replaced inline elements, table columns, and column groups |
Inherited | no |
Percentages | The percentage is calculated with respect to the height of the generated box's containing block. If the height of the containing block is not specified explicitly (i.e., it depends on content height), and this element is not absolutely positioned, the percentage value is treated as 0 . |
Media | visual |
Computed value | the percentage as specified or the absolute length |
Animation type | a length, percentage or calc(); |
Canonical order | the unique non-ambiguous order defined by the formal grammar |
Syntax
Values
<length>
- The minimum height, expressed as a
<length>
. Negative values make the declaration invalid. <percentage>
- The minimum height, expressed as a
<percentage>
of the containing block's height. Negative values make the declaration invalid.
auto
- The default minimum size for flex items, providing a more reasonable default than 0 for other layouts.
max-content
- The intrinsic preferred height.
min-content
- The intrinsic minimum height.
fill-available
- The containing block's height minus horizontal margin, border, and padding. Some browsers implement an ancient name for this keyword,
available
. fit-content
- According CSS3 Box, this is a synonym of
min-content.
CSS3 Sizing defines a more complex algorithm, but no browser implements it, even in an experimental way.
Formal syntax
<length> | <percentage> | auto | max-content | min-content | fit-content | fill-available
Examples
table { min-height: 75%; } form { min-height: 0; }
Specifications
Specification | Status | Comment |
---|---|---|
CSS Intrinsic & Extrinsic Sizing Module Level 3 The definition of 'min-height' in that specification. |
Working Draft | Adds the max-content , min-content , fit-content , and fill-available keywords.Both CSS3 Box and CSS3 Writing Modes drafts defined at some point these keywords. These drafts are superseded by this spec. |
CSS Flexible Box Layout Module The definition of 'min-height' in that specification. |
Candidate Recommendation | Added the auto keyword and used it as the initial value. |
CSS Transitions The definition of 'min-height' in that specification. |
Working Draft | Defines min-height as animatable. |
CSS Level 2 (Revision 1) The definition of 'min-height' in that specification. |
Recommendation | Initial definition |
Browser compatibility
Feature | Chrome | Edge | Firefox (Gecko) | Internet Explorer | Opera | Safari (WebKit) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Basic support | 1.0 | (Yes) | 3.0 (1.9) | 7.0 [3] | 4.0 | 1.0 2.0.2 (416) for positioned elements |
applies to <table> [1] |
No support | No support | (Yes) | No support | (Yes) | No support |
max-content , min-content , fit-content , and fill- available |
No support | No support | No support | No support | No support | 9 |
auto Obsolete since Gecko 22 |
21.0 | ? | 16.0 (16.0) | No support | 12.10 | No support |
auto as initial valueObsolete since Gecko 22 |
21.0 | ? | 18.0 (18.0) | No support | 12.10 | No support |
Feature | Android | Edge | Firefox Mobile (Gecko) | IE Phone | Opera Mobile | Safari Mobile |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Basic support | ? | (Yes) | ? | ? | ? | 9 |
[1] CSS 2.1 explicitly leaves the behavior of min-height
with <table>
undefined. Therefore any behavior is CSS2.1-compliant; newer CSS specifications may define this behavior, so Web developers shouldn't rely on a specific one now.
[2] Due to bug (bug 307866) Firefox doesn't handle min-height
on elements with display: table-*
.
[3] In Internet Explorer 10-11 (but not 12+), a min-height
declaration on a column-direction flex container doesn't apply to the container's flex items. See Flexbug #3 for more info.
See also
width
,height
,max-height
- The box model,
min-width
,box-sizing
,height
,max-height